113 www.on.legion.ca CRITCHER, Charles Frederick Groves Charles Frederick Groves was born February 16, 1899, to Francis and Annie (Hammond) Groves. His father died in 1905, and the family immigrated to Canada in 1910 with Percy Critcher and settled in Preston, Ontario where Percy’s sister, Daisy, lived (see Alfred James Barrett). Fred, as he was known, was only fifteen when he attested to join the Canadian Army (Regular Force) having lied about his age. He was only sixteen when he went overseas and was wounded twice, once at Vimy Ridge. In his service records, the doctor noted that he was “not” of age and that he should be sent home. He was not. He followed his uncle Alfred James Barrett into service and was killed four days after his uncle. They never met during the three years they were overseas. Fred was killed instantly on August 30, 1918 during the last 100 days of the great Canadian offensive. He was just eighteen years of age, having served overseas for three years. He is buried in the Sun Quarry Military Commonwealth Cemetery just south of Arras, France. His great nephew and his great great nieces and nephew visited his grave on the 100th anniversary of his death. He is honoured at the memorial in Preston, Ontario. CROSSKILL, Thomas Thomas Crosskill was born on June 23, 1890, in London, England to Walter Peter Crosskill and Elizabeth Ann Daynes. He enlisted with the Royal Field Artillery in 1909 at the age of 19. He immigrated to Canada and enlisted in the Army (Regular Force) as a Private with the 20th Battalion, C.E.F. in Toronto on January 8, 1915. His unit sailed to Liverpool aboard the S.S. Megantic on May 15, 1915. Before and after his Battalion sailed to France on September 14, 1915, medical problems had arisen. He had a persistent ear infection that saw him invalided back to England on February 11, 1916. He was in and out of the hospitals in England and was transferred between various service and casualty units, before finally being reunited with the 20th Battalion on December 3, 1917, while they were training with Lewis Light Machine Guns at Neuville-St.Vaast. Thomas had one further bout of his persistent ear infection and was in hospital March 13-25. On April 23, 1918, at Neuville-Vitasse, Thomas Crosskill was killed in action. He was 27 years old. Thomas was buried at the nearby Wailly Orchard Cemetery in France. CUMMINGS, Harry Harry was born on November 7, 1921, in Ireland. The family immigrated to Canada and settled in Brussels. His parents were Edward and Elizabeth Cummings and they had a family of twelve children. Harry was the eighth child in the family. He worked as a farmhand until his enlistment on January 17, 1944 in London with the Canadian Army (Regular Force). He as a member of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corp. He sailed overseas in June 1944 and was attached to the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders and South Saskatchewan Regiment. The Corp went to France in July 1944. He was killed in action on July 31, 1944 in Tilly-laCampagne, France and is buried in Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery. We Will Remember Them Ontario Command
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