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Lieutenant George Alec CRANSWICK
6th (Service) Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment attached to 23 Squadron Royal Flying Corps Date of birth: 21st May 1898 Date of death: 18th November 1917 Died of wounds aged 19 Commemorated on the Arras Flying Services Memorial
George Alec Cranswick was born at Hunmanby in Yorkshire on the 21st of May 1898 the second son of William Henry Cranswick, a farmer, of Hunmanby and Jane Elizabeth (nee Bourdass) Cranswick of 3 Oriel Street, Oxford. He was christened at All Saints Church, Hunmanby on the 7th of August 1898. He was educated at Lancing College where he was in Olds House from January 1913 to April 1914 and where he was a member of the Officer Training Corps. He went on to Nottingham University until Easter 1915 where he studied engineering and served as a Private in the Officer Training Corps. He applied for a commission in the Special Reserve of Officers on the 22nd of June 1915 and underwent a medical examination at Nottingham on the 21st of June 1915 at which he was passed as fir for general service. The Officer Commanding the Nottingham University Officer Training Corps wrote the following in support of his application: - "Knows his work well and could take charge of a Platoon. Excellent at reconnaissance works and maps. Takes and sends semaphore well, can send 15 words a minute and receive 10 with buzzer and soundless. This is an excellent candidate whom I recommend very highly indeed." He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment on the 6th of July 1915, later serving with the 6th (Service) Battalion. He attended No. 2 School of Military Aeronautics from the 11th of September 1916 and on the 16th of September transferred to the Wireless School at Brooklands. On the 4th of November 1916 he was posted to 35 Squadron, based at Thetford. He was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps with the rank of Temporary Flying Officer (Observer) on the 28th of March 1917 with seniority from the 3rd of February 1917. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 1st of July 1917 and from the 24th of July he attended the Central Flying School. He was confirmed in the rank of Flying Officer on 2nd of October 1917 with seniority from the 3rd of February 1917. On the 22nd of August 1917 he was posted to 20 Training Squadron and to 54 Training Squadron on the 31st of October. On the 3rd of November 1917 he was posted to 23 Squadron and joined them in France. On the morning of the 18th of November 1917 he took off at 9.28am in a Spad 7 aircraft (registration B3575) on a wireless interruption patrol. He was last seen at 10.20am to the northwest of Passchendaele but was not seen again and was posted as missing. His father received the following telegram dated the 21st of November 1917: - "Regret to inform you 2/Lt G.A. Cranswick York and Lancs Regiment attached RFC 23 Squadron reported missing November eighteenth. This does not necessarily mean killed or wounded. Further news sent immediately received." He was officially declared as being dead on the 22nd of June 1918 but investigations and enquiries as to his fate continued even after the war was over. Letter from Captain J.E.B. Gray, British Military Mission, Berlin: - "This may be the report which the British Red Cross referred to in his letter of 10.3.20. Further investigations have been instituted and the following report has now been received: "The records of the Flying Corps have the following entry; On 18.11.17., a Sopwith No. 575 one-seater, was shot down, pilot wounded, taken prisoner, died dressing station Westrosetbeke on 18.11.17, at 11am." The response in a letter replying to the above was: - "As regards Sopwith No. 575 mentioned in the letter from the British Military Mission, 2/Lieut. G.A. Cranswick was reported missing on November 18, 1917, and was flying in Spad No. B/3575 and was last seen over Passchendaele. It is, therefore, not improbable that this entry refers to this officer."

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