The file below lists all British miliitary deaths, discovered to date, that occured during the British involvement in the European Intervention in Crete between 1897 and 1913. A lot of the original work that went into producing this list was carried out by Ron Phillips during the 1980s and is included by with his permission. The list is intended to be freely available for use or reproduction, although an acknowledgement and a link back to this source would be nice!
The work on updating the list is continuing and any additions/corrections/comments would be most gratefully received.
Memorial Wall to British Military Dead.
Agios Konstantinos and Eleni, 42 Odos Knossou, Iraklion.
British Military Casualties incurred in Candia on or about 6th September 1898.
The following details, as far as possible the British military casualties of the rioting in Candia on 6th September 1898. These details are taken from a number of sources, among them newspapers of the time, some of which are now difficult to decipher. Where different spellings or army numbers have been given, the alternatives have been shown in [square brackets].
Sailors and marines.
Source: Aberdeen Press and Journal – Friday 9 September 1898
Killed
186546. Ordinary Seaman Henry Harry Andrews
150918. Leading Seaman William Berry
147607. Leading Seaman Albert John Champion
185289. Ordinary Seaman Alfred Bargew Stroud.
Wounded
167068. Able Seaman Griffith Thomas Cadwallader
160248. Able Seaman George Fredrick Hodges
178034. Able Seaman George Jonas Sarfent
7377. Private William Smith R.M.L.I., Plymouth
168261. Able Seaman John Fredrick Wiltshire
176756. Able Seaman John Wolley
148436. Able Seaman Charles Henry Wollocott
Army
1/Highland Light Infantry
Source: C9086 Turkey No. 7 1898. Further Correspondence respecting the Affairs of Crete.[1]
Killed
Lieutenant Robert John Alwynne Haldane
Wounded
Second Lieutenant William Henry-Erik Segrave
Source: The North British Daily Mail – Thursday 15 September 1898 p5. (Details of wounds given The Scotsman 1st October 1898 p.11)
Killed.
6462. Piper Murdoch Campbell, enlisted at Lanark on 17 June, 1897, and was in his 20th year.
6035. Private James Edwin Cox, enlisted at Hounslow on 10th October, 1895, and was within one month of 21 years of age. (Killed in harbour en route to S.S. Turquoise.[2])
6484. Robert M’Neill [MacNeill], enlisted at Hamilton on 26th August, 1897, and was in his 20th year.
6495. Private William Weston, enlisted at Edinburgh on 27th September 1897, and had just turned 19 years; a native of Edinburgh.
6259. Private Alexander Allison, enlisted at Hamilton on 17 December, 1896, and was in his 21st year.
6547. Private John Bell, enlisted at Hamilton on 29th January, 1896, and was nearly 23 years
5012, Private Robert Fiddler, enlisted by Sergeant-Major D. B. Mackenzie at Edinburgh and was in his 29th year; born at Buttevant, Cork, while his father was serving with the H. L. I., where the regiment was stationed. (Killed while returning from No.2 outpost.[4])
6310, Private George Rayne, enlisted at Aberdeen on the 31st December, 1896, and was in his 21st year. (Killed while returning from No.2 outpost.[5])
WOUNDED.
4448, Sergeant Crawford Ferguson, enlisted at Hounslow on 20th November, 1891, and is nearly 26 years of age. Wound on right arm.
3896 Sergeant Abraham Gray, enlisted at Edinburgh on 13th March, 1891, and is in his 27th year. A native of Edinburgh.
5352. Corporal James Rae, enlisted at Edinburgh on 28th June, 1894, and is in his 23rd year. By trade a plasterer and a native of Edinburgh. Wound on knee.
6482. Private Joseph Cassidy, enlisted at Hamilton on 20th August, 1897, and is 19 years of age.
6271. Private Frederick Henry Davey [Dovey], enlisted in London on 29th December 1896 and has just turned 20 years. Wounded on buttock.
4896 Private Duncan Fraser, enlisted at Glasgow on 22nd May, 1893, and has turned 23 years.
6848 [6498]. Private James Gordon, enlisted at Edinburgh on 30th September, 1897, and is in his 21st year. A native of Edinburgh.
6409, Private William Guthrie, enlisted at Hamilton on 16th January, 1897, and is 21 years of age.
6273. Private Frank Harding, enlisted in London 30th December, 1896, and is in his 21st year. Wounded on hip(dangerous).
6552. Private Charles Hargreaves, enlisted at Hamilton on 5th February, 1896, and is in his 21st year.
6233. Private Arthur Hunt, enlisted in London on 190 December 1896 and is barely 20 years of age. Wounded on left shoulder.
6589, Private Alexander Kay, a native of Armiston, Mid-Lothian, and a cabinetmaker by trade, enlisted at Edinburgh on 23rd March 1898, and is barely 20 years of age. Wounded on right shoulder, left side and foot.
5937. Private Ernest Larcombe, enlisted in London on 12th September 1895, and has just turned 21 years. Wounded on head and leg.
6080. Private [Piper] John Maclean [M’Lean], enlisted at Glasgow on 5th November, 1896, and is in his 22nd year.
5694 [5894], Private George Maskall, enlisted in London on 7 September 1895, and is in his 22nd year. Wounded on leg.
4793, Private Kenneth M’Donald, enlisted at Hamilton on 11th January, 1893, and is in his 24th year.
5891. Bugler Kenneth M’Kenzie, enlisted in London 5th September, 1895, and is in 22d year. Wounded on left forearm.
4863. Private James Murphy, enlisted at Hamilton on 14th April, 1893, and is in his 25th year. Wounded on knee.
6383. Private Hoy Nash, enlisted in London on 13 January, 1897, and was within a few months of 20 years. Wounded on leg.
6337. Private Joseph Perkins, enlisted at Birmingham on 6th January, 1897, and has nearly completed his 20th year. (Wounded in the leg while carrying the body of Lt. Haldane to S.S. Turquoise.[6])
4384. Private [Bandsman] Andrew Watson, enlisted at Glasgow as a boy on 25th September, 1891, and is in his 23rd year. Wounded on both thighs.
3160 [3140]. Private William Welsh [3140 Webb?], enlisted at Hamilton on 9th November, 189? And is 18 years of age.
Source: The Scotsman 1st October 1898 p.11
6415. Private A. Campbell. Wounded on back and ankle.
5525. Private J. Caldwell.
5520. Private D. Maule.
Other Soldiers wounded. Source: Edinburgh Evening News Saturday 10th September p.4.
Royal Army Medical Corps.
Lieutenant Thomas Henry Matthews Clarke. (Wounded at the British hospital attempting to save Private MacNeill.[7])
11,177 Private G. Biddiscombe.
Royal Engineers.
26,601 Sapper Richards.
The total dead and wounded:
Navy and marines – Four dead, seven wounded.
Army – Ten dead, 28 wounded
One final British casualty to be added to the list is No.2423, Colour-Sergeant J. Craig who was in the hospital when it was attacked. ‘Being in a very weak state from fever, the shock of removal proved too great, and he died in hospital in Malta.’[8]
Private Robert Fiddler.
The Edinburgh Evening News. Friday 16 September 1898.
ANOTHER EDINBURGH VICTIM OF THE CRETAN RIOTS. The portrait is that of Private Robert Fiddler, native of Ireland, but who resided the Stockbridge district of the city for a number of years. Fiddler was a member of the Highland Light Infantry, and was murdered Bashi-Bazouks while returning from the outposts at Candia, Crete. His father was also a soldier the regiment.
The number of British civilian casualties is unknown, but relatively small. British Consul Biliotti reported that he was only aware of three British subjects killed: Lyssimachus Calcherino, the British Vice-Consul in Candia, Vincent Carabott, the father of the Superintendent of the Eastern Telegraph Company office and Marie Camillieri, a Maltese washerwoman.[9] However, in his report Biliotti makes no mention of Calocherino’s family who also perished on that day.
Vice Consul Calocherino and his daughter.
The number of Cretan casualties, in particular Cretan Christians, killed or injured is also unknown and probably unknowable. No accurate figures are available of the population of Candia at that time; the town was full of Cretan Muslim refugees who had fled from the interior and there had been a continuing exodus of Cretan Christians from the town taking place over the previous months. It is, however, believed that up to 800 Cretans may have died on that day, all but a handful of them Cretan Christians.
[1] Parliamentary Command Paper C9086, Turkey No. 7, 1898. Further Correspondence respecting the Affairs of Crete. (Hereafter C.9086) Inclosure 2 in No. 91. Lt. Colonel Reid to Captain Hallett, 7th September 1898.
[7] Obituary in Journal of Royal Army Medical Corps.: First published as 10.1136/jramc-76-05-16 on 1 May 1941. http://militaryhealth.bmj.com. Accessed 12.15 hrs. June 20, 2021
The British in Crete, 1896 to 1913. 