In Memory of
CROWE RALPH MARSTON
Lieutenant Colonel
Royal Canadian Regiment
who dead 31 age
on 24 July 1943
AGIRA WAR CEMETERY, SICILY
Born 2 Ott 1911,
Guelph, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada
Son of Lt. Col. Charles Robert and Edith Bowden Crowe.
He was the husband of Rosalind Crowe (nee Brewin), of Montreal, Province of Quebec.
He served with the Royal Canadian Regiment, RCIC.
He took over command of the 1st Division a few months before sailing from Britain for the Sicile invasion.
He died leading the Sicile advance on Jul 24, 1943 at 31 years of age.
At 18.00 hours he moved forward from Nissoria with his head-quarters to try to get closer control of his compagnie. Undaunted by the fire that met them, shouting: "Come on, R.C.R.!" Colonel Crowe continued, but was hit by a stray bullet. As he fell to the ground, he courageously seized a rifle from a nearby signaler and commenced shooting up the hill until another bullet killed him.
Other men, mostly signalers, died with him; all hope of making wireless contact disappeared. 'A' and 'B' Companies fought on doggedly, only to find that they were alone, cut off from the rest of the battalion by German units in the hills to the rear, with Nissoria apparently reoccupied.
Alle 18, il colonnello Crowe si spostò col suo comando oltre Nissoria, per essere più vicino alle compagnie che combattevano e, incurante del fuoco che fu immediatamente aperto su di loro, proseguì impavido, urlando: "Reggimento Reale, avanti!" finchè non fu colpito da una pallottola. Mentre cadeva, ebbe ancora la forza di strappare il fucile dalle mani di un radiotelegrafista vicino e continuò a sparare, finchè un altro proiettile lo uccise.
Altri uomini, per la maggior parte radiotelegrafisti, caddero al suo fianco, e tutte le speranze di poter riprendere i contatti radio morirono con loro.
Le compagnie 'A' e 'B' si batterono accanitamente, per scoprire alla fine che erano rimaste sole, tagliate fuori dal resto del battaglione, mentre, a quanto pareva, Nissoria era stata rioccupata dai tedeschi.
Lieutentant Colonel R.M. Crowe and Major J.H.W. Pope checking a map outside of Piazza Armerina on 17 Jul 1943.
Lieutenant Colonel Crowe was killed in action during the advance towards Nissoria. Just after the Canadians secured the town of Nissoria they were attacked by Germans on the hills east of town towards Agira. In D-Day Dodgers by Daniel G. Dancocks is written how Lt Col Crowe was killed in action:"Fate intervened at this point. With radio communications breaking down, Colonel Crowe, in Nissoria, was anxious to restore control over his scattered battalion. Around 1800, hearing the sound of firing in the distance, he apparently concluded that his wayward companies had cleared the hills and reached their objectives. Setting out with a small party of signallers and engineers, he brazenly walked up the slope south of the road, calling "RCR!" Not until he was wounded by a machine-gun bullet did Crowe realize that he had blundered into the heart of the enemy defences. Taking up a rifle, the colonel returned the fire, until a second enemy bullet killed him."
Lt Col Crowe graduated from the Royal Military College in 1933. He did regimental duties with the RCR until 1936 when he was attached to the Indian Army for two years. He spent his time on the northwest border of India in the Waziristan area. He was mentioned in despatches there. After returning back to Canada he was an instructor at the Royal Military College.
When WWII broke out he went overseas and joined the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment as a Major for a couple of months. After that he returned back to Canada and joined the RCR again where he eventually became the Lieutenant Colonel and landed with them on Sicily on July 10th, 1943.
Lt Col Crowe was also mentioned in despatches during Operation Husky.
Ralph Crowe was married to Rosalind Brewin and together they had two children.
Information courtesy of the 