Contributed by Ron Inglis, October 2021:
Railway fireman Reginald William Cracknell has the closest association to Auburn of all the Auburn Memorial men. Cracknell was born in Auburn, attended Auburn Public School, lived at 24 Edgar Street, Auburn, and was a member of St Philip’s Anglican Church, Auburn.
Cracknell enlisted on 17 June 1915 at Liverpool NSW, giving his age as 21 years and 6 months. He embarked on the Runic two months later. On 2 December 1915, Private Cracknell was taken on strength of the Anzac 17th Battalion on the Gallipoli Peninsular. This timing meant he was on Gallipoli 18 days before the evacuation.
Back in Egypt, on 9 January 1916, Cracknell spent the next six months in and out of hospitals with illness. He reached the Front in France in July 1916, having been reallocated to the 55th Battalion. In the following two years, Cracknell was hospitalised many times and on several occasions he was posted to base duties.
In this period, Cracknell was ‘AWL from 2pm till apprehended by MP at 7.30pm’ resulting in forfeiture of seven days’ pay. Six months later, he was ‘AWL for six days’ resulting in 28 days Field Punishment and total forfeiture of 35 days’ pay. In October 1917, Cracknell was granted leave to Britain.
Back in France, Cracknell was wounded in March 1918 and was out of the line for two months. Returning to the 55th Battalion on 9 May 1918, Cracknell was killed in action eight days later. He had been in the AIF nearly three years.
For his grave in the Daours Communal Cemetery Extension his parents chose the inscription: THE LORD GAVE AND THE LORD HATH TAKEN AWAY.
The Daours Communal Cemetery Extension, near the town of Corbie in the valley of the Somme, contains five Auburn men, all casualties of actions in the last year of the war. The four Auburn Memorial men buried in this cemetery are Driver Henry Hodgkinson, Private Reginald Cracknell, Private Leslie Power and Signaler Alwyn Dawes. Lidcombe Memorial man Private John Poxon of the Auburn Presbyterian Church is also buried in this cemetery.
The Daours Communal Cemetery Extension has a greater representation of Australian units than any other Western Front cemetery. Almost every infantry battalion is represented as well as Army Service Corps, Machine-Gun Corps, Field Artillery, Field Ambulance, Engineers, Pioneers, Trench Mortar batteries and Light Horse.
Reginald William Cracknell is honoured on the following memorials in Australia:
- Auburn War Memorial
- Municipality of Auburn 1914-1919 Honour Roll
- St Philip’s Anglican Church Auburn First World War Honour Roll
- Auburn Boys Public School Great War Photographic Honour Roll
- NSW Government Railways & Tramways First World War Honour Roll. Central Station
- Roll of Honour Australian War Memorial Canberra
His decorations:
- British War Medal
- 1914-20 Victory Medal
- 1914-1915 Star
