Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

03/08/1915

Date of Discharge

16/05/1919

Place of Enlistment

Warwick Farm NSW

Gender

Male

Place of Birth

Glasgow, Scotland

Address (at enlistment)

Acton ACT

Occupation

Plumber

Next of Kin

Andrew Cruickshank (father), Acton ACT

Service Number

1892

Final Rank

Sapper

Final Unit

1 Field Company Engineers AIF

Queanbeyan RSL Wall of Remembrance, Crawford St, Queanbeyan NSW
Roll of Honour at St. Stephen's Presbyterian Church, Lowe Street, Queanbeyan NSW

Cruickshank and his family came from Scotland and he worked on projects in the Canberra area, including as a plumber at Duntroon. Described as a "top-notch footballer" he probably played soccer with the Duntroon club before the war.

Cruickshank embarked for Egypt in October 1915 and joined the Engineers. He suffered shell shock at Pozieres in July 1916. After rejoining his unit he was sent to Pozieres again but had to be evacuated with shell shock again a few days later. He did not return to the frontline.

After the war he married Gwendoline Bambury, the sister of Horace Bambury who also served in the 1st Field Company Engineers. They moved to Sydney where Cruickshank died on 8 October 1946.

Description - height 5 feet 7½ inches, weight 140 pounds, chest 35 inches, fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, Church of England, single, no civil convictions.

Rex Cross, 'Bygone Queanbeyan', 1980
Queanbeyan Age - 22 August 1916, 19 September 1916, 4 December 1917, 30 May 1919
Our Queanbeyan 'Boys' No.3, Howard & Shearsby, Yass (postcard)
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)
Sydney Morning Herald - 9 October 1946, 10 October 1946