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Lieutenant Walter Haliburton Routledge CRICK
D Company, 2/4th Battalion Dorset Regiment Date of birth: 15th June 1896 Date of death: 9th April 1918 Killed in action aged 21 Buried at Ramleh War Cemetery Israel Row T Grave 34
Walter Haliburton Routledge Crick was born at Arundel in Sussex on the 15th of June 1896 the son of the Reverend Walter Crick MA, Vicar of Oving, and Elizabeth Louisa (nee Routledge) Crick of The Vicarage, Oving, Chichester in Sussex. He was educated at a school in Arundel and at St Ronan's School Worthing until July 1910 where he was a member of the Scholarship Class. While he was at the school he won his Colours for football in 1909 and was described as "a capital player". He was appointed as a Head Boy in 1910 and the school wrote the following on the school's three Head Boys: - "We have a trio, than which nothing better has ever been seen at St Ronan's; their general influence has been splendid and it is very largely due to them that there is, at this moment, a far greater spirit of unselfishness in the school than is usual among boys." When he left for Lancing College the school wrote: - "If he does as well there as he has done with us, that school will have every reason to be proud of him." He went on to Lancing College where he was in Olds House from September 1910 and in Sandersons House from September 1914 until April 1915. He was appointed as a House Captain in September 1914, Head of House in September 1914 and as a Prefect in January 1915. He gained his Higher Certificate in 1914. He was a Corporal in the Officer Training Corps, where he achieved Certificate A, and was Financial Editor of the school magazine from September 1913. He was a prominent member of the Debating Society. He won the School Essay Prize in 1914 and passed his Higher School Certificate in the same year. He was offered an Open Scholarship in Modern History at St John's College Cambridge but was also offered a History Exhibition to Magdalen College Oxford in 1915, which he accepted. In the event he did neither, deciding instead to join the army. While still at school he applied for a commission in the 4th Battalion Dorset Regiment on the 21st of March 1915 in an application which was supported by the Reverend Bowlby, Headmaster of Lancing College. He had undertaken a medical examination at Hove on the 18th of March at which he was declared as being fit for general service. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 4th Battalion, Dorset Regiment as soon as he left school on the 9th of April 1915. He was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant on the 4th of April 1916 and acted as Adjutant of the Reserve Battalion of his regiment while serving in the UK. He joined the 2/4th Battalion, Dorset Regiment when they were in India where they had been since 1914. On the 15th of August 1917 the battalion embarked at Bombay on board the SS ”Multa”. They disembarked at Suez on the 29th of August and moved into camp at Kantara. On the 17th of September 1917 they entrained for the front in Palestine. There they saw action at the Battle of Gaza in the first week of November and the advance on Jerusalem which followed. They also saw action at the storming of Deir Ballut in March 1918.Once Deir Ballut had been taken on the 12th of March attention turned towards the high ground which ran parallel to Ballut Ridge, known as Three Bushes Hill. It was decided that this position, which was still occupied by the Turks, should be taken. With this in mind a patrol of the Dorsets was sent to reconnoitre the hill on the 15th but was driven back by Turkish fire. Another probe on the 24th gathered more information and on the 27th a general advance was made to the base of the ridge. Early on the morning of the 9th of April the Dorsets moved forward to the attack with the intent of taking the hill. After a sort sharp fight they were established on top of the hill by between six and seven o’clock in the morning. D Company under Lieutenant Crick was holding the centre and right shoulder of the hill. The Turkish counter attack began at 7.45 and by 9 o’clock enemy pressure on the left flank held by B Company became such that A Company, who were in reserve, were called upon to assist. Twenty minutes later D Company reported their position as “serious” with the enemy threatening their right flank and personnel from Battalion Headquarters were rushed forward to reinforce them. Enemy shelling was heavy and it was at about this time that Walter Crick was struck by a shell and killed. The battalion clung on to its gains until the night of the 10th/11th when they were relieved by an Indian Regiment. The regimental history described him thus:- “Kind and courteous, he was much beloved by all ranks.” He is commemorated on the war memorial at Oving and on the memorial at St Ronan's School.

Sandersons House