Brigadier General Frank Percy Crozier, (1 January 1879 – 31 August 1937) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

officer. His first military experience was in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

(1899–1902) and with the

Royal West African Frontier Force The West African Frontier Force (WAFF) was a multi-battalion field force, formed by the British Colonial Office in 1900 to garrison the British West Africa, West African colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast, Sierra Leone ...

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he commanded the 9th (Service) Battalion of the

107th (Ulster) Brigade The 107th Brigade, later 107th (Ulster) Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army which saw service in the First World War. The brigade was later reformed during the Cold War and finally disbanded in 2006, following the drawdown of ...

in the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...

, earning him the promotion to brigadier general and command of the 119th (Welsh) Brigade in the Battle of Cambrai and

German spring offensive The German spring offensive, also known as ''Kaiserschlacht'' ("Kaiser's Battle") or the Ludendorff offensive, was a series of German Empire, German attacks along the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the World War I, First Wor ...

. After the war, he briefly served as an advisor of the newly established

Lithuanian Army The Lithuanian Armed Forces () are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Navy, the Lithuanian Air Force and the Lithuanian Special Operations Force. In wartime, the Lithuan ...

and commander of the

Auxiliary Division The Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary (ADRIC), generally known as the Auxiliaries or Auxies, was a paramilitary unit of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) during the Irish War of Independence. It was founded in July 1920 by Majo ...

of the

Royal Irish Constabulary The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC, ; simply called the Irish Constabulary 1836–67) was the police force in Ireland from 1822 until 1922, when all of the island was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom. A sep ...

at the time of the

Partition of Ireland The Partition of Ireland () was the process by which the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (UK) divided Ireland into two self-governing polities: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland (the area today known as the R ...

. However, he quickly became disillusioned with the conduct of the auxiliaries during the conflict. Crozier became a pacifist and published several controversial autobiographical books.

Military career

Crozier was born in

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

into a family of military traditions. Both of his grandfathers served in the army and his father was a major in the

Royal Scots Fusiliers The Royal Scots Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1678 until 1959 when it was amalgamated with the Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Ma ...

. Crozier was not accepted into the military due to his short height and low weight. In 1898, seeking adventure, he travelled to Ceylon (

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

) and briefly worked at a tea plantation. At the outbreak of the

, Crozier travelled to South Africa and joined a mounted infantry regiment as the recruitment standards had been lowered. He saw action in the British colonies of

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...

and

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name ''Transvaal''. * South African Republic (1856–1902; ...

, including the

Battle of Spion Kop The Battle of Spion Kop (; ) was a military engagement between British forces and two Boer Republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, during the campaign by the British to relieve the besieged city Ladysmith during the ...

. He also served in the

. Military duties took their toll and Crozier started drinking. In 1905, after a bout of

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

, he returned to England and joined first the

Manchester Regiment The Manchester Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1958. The regiment was created during the 1881 Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 63rd (West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot and the 96th R ...

as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

and then the part-time

3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (dis ...

as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the

Special Reserve The Special Reserve was established on 1 April 1908 with the function of maintaining a reservoir of manpower for the British Army and training replacement drafts in times of war. Its formation was part of the military reforms implemented by Ri ...

. However, in 1908, he was forced to resign due to repeated dishonoured cheques and became bankrupt. Discredited at home, he sailed to Canada and took up farming. That did not last long and Crozier returned home in 1912 amidst the

Home Rule Crisis The Home Rule Crisis was a political and military crisis in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that followed the introduction of the Government of Ireland Act 1914, Third Home Rule Bill in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom ...

. In

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

, Crozier joined the

Ulster Volunteers The Ulster Volunteers was an Irish unionist, loyalist paramilitary organisation founded in 1912 to block domestic self-government ("Home Rule") for Ireland, which was then part of the United Kingdom. The Ulster Volunteers were based in the ...

as a mercenary (his own description).''A Brass Hat in No Man's Land'', p. 15.

First World War

At the outbreak of the First World War in June 1914, many of Ulster Volunteers, including Crozier, joined the

and formed the

36th (Ulster) Division The 36th (Ulster) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, part of Lord Kitchener's New Army, formed in September 1914. Originally called the ''Ulster Division'', it was made up of mainly members of the Ulster Volunteers, who f ...

. Crozier was appointed second in command of the 9th (Service) Battalion of the

Royal Irish Rifles The Royal Irish Rifles (became the Royal Ulster Rifles from 1 January 1921) was an light infantry rifle regiment of the British Army, first created in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot and the 86th (Royal ...

. He travelled in Ireland, Scotland, England recruiting soldiers and officers. He also dealt with morale issues: alcohol abuse (which was also a personal issue as he was a recovering alcoholic), casual sex, sexually transmitted diseases, looting. Due to these morale issues, in November 1915, the 107th Brigade was attached to the 4th Infantry Division and Colonel Crozier was made the commander of the 9th Battalion. The battalion was sent to its first battle near

Thiepval Thiepval (; ) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Thiepval is located north of Albert at the crossroads of the D73 and D151 and approximately northeast of Amiens. Population First World War The ...

on 1 July 1916 as part of the larger

. On 20 November 1916, he was promoted brigadier general and given the command of the 119th (Welsh) Brigade of the 40th Division. The brigade suffered particularly heavy losses, some half of the men, in the

Battle of Estaires The Battle of the Lys, also known as the Fourth Battle of Ypres, was fought from 7 to 29 April 1918 and was part of the German spring offensive in Flanders during the First World War. It was originally planned by General Erich Ludendorff as Op ...

on 9–11 April 1918. He commanded the 119th Brigade until he was demobilised on 16 August 1919, nine months after the

armistice with Germany {{Short description, none This is a list of armistices signed by the German Empire (1871–1918) or Nazi Germany (1933–1945). An armistice is a temporary agreement to cease hostilities. The period of an armistice may be used to negotiate a peace t ...

which ended the war.

Lithuania

On 19 September 1919, along with several other British officers, Crozier joined the new

as an advisor to the

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

during the

Lithuanian Wars of Independence The Lithuanian Wars of Independence, also known as the Freedom Struggles (), refer to three wars Lithuania fought defending its independence at the end of World War I: with Bolshevik forces (December 1918 – August 1919), Bermontians (October ...

. An exception was made for him and he was granted the rank of major general of the Lithuanian Army. The

British Foreign Office The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is the ministry of foreign affairs and a ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom. The office was created on 2 September 2020 through the merger of the Foreign an ...

sought to organise an unified army of Lithuanian, Latvians, Estonians, and Poles commanded by Crozier to drive out any remaining German forces, including the

Bermontians The West Russian Volunteer Army or Bermontians was a pro-German White Russian military formation in Latvia and Lithuania during the Russian Civil War from November 1918 to December 1919. History The , unlike the pro- Entente Volunteer Army ...

, from the area. The plan failed when Lithuanians refused to allow Polish troops into their territory. On 1 March 1920, Crozier resigned his duties with the Lithuanian Army. While there was an increasing resentment of foreigners' influence within the Lithuanian Army, Crozier left on good terms with the Lithuanian government.

Irish War of Independence

After the brief stint in Lithuania, Crozier returned to Ireland and became commander of the

of the

(RIC) in July 1920. Crozier and his men guarded

Kevin Barry Kevin Gerard Barry (20 January 1902 – 1 November 1920) was an Irish Republican Army (IRA) soldier and medical student who was executed by the British Government during the Irish War of Independence. He was sentenced to death for his part in a ...

before his execution. He quickly became disillusioned with the conduct of

Black and Tans The Black and Tans () were constables recruited into the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) as reinforcements during the Irish War of Independence. Recruitment began in Great Britain in January 1920, and about 10,000 men enlisted during the conflic ...

and Auxiliary Division of the RIC. In February 1921, he dismissed 21 auxiliaries under his command after their raids on

Trim, County Meath Trim () is a town in County Meath, Ireland. It is situated on the River Boyne and, as of the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, had a population of 9,563. The town is in a Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of the same name. The town ...

and

Drumcondra, Dublin Drumcondra () is a residential area and inner suburb on the Northside (Dublin), Northside of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is administered by Dublin City Council. The River Tolka and the Royal Canal flow through the area. History Th ...

that left two young men dead. His superior, the Chief of Police in Ireland Henry Tudor, ordered the auxiliaries reinstated and Crozier resigned in protest. This made it impossible for him to find other official employment.

Civilian life

Crozier unsuccessfully ran in the 1923 general election for the Labour Party in Portsmouth Central. He turned to writing and lecturing to earn a living, though unpaid bills and dishonoured cheques continued to follow him. Crozier's books were politically controversial, viewed by the Government they criticised as inaccurate, and dismissive toward Crozier as "discredited". He became a pacifist, an active member of the

Peace Pledge Union The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) is a non-governmental organisation that promotes pacifism, based in the United Kingdom. Its members are signatories to the following pledge: "War is a crime against humanity. I renounce war, and am therefore determine ...

, and a speaker for the

League of Nations Union The League of Nations Union (LNU) was an organization formed in October 1918 in Great Britain to promote international justice, collective security and a permanent peace between nations based upon the ideals of the League of Nations. The League o ...

. He died in 1937 in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Bibliography

* * ''Impressions and Recollections'', 1930 * ''Five Years Hard: being an account of the fall of the

Fulani Empire The Sokoto Caliphate (, literally: Caliphate in the Lands of Sudan), also known as the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fulani jihads after defeating the Haus ...

and a picture of the daily life of a Regimental Officer among the peoples of Western Sudan'', 1932 * ''Ireland for Ever'', 1932 * ''The Men I Killed'', 1937

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crozier, Frank Percy 1879 births 1937 deaths Royal West African Frontier Force officers Lancashire Militia officers Loyal Regiment officers Manchester Regiment officers British military personnel of the Second Boer War Ulster Volunteers British Army generals of World War I Lithuanian generals British Army brigadiers Bermudian military personnel Royal Irish Constabulary officers Companions of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Companions of the Distinguished Service Order British expatriates in Nigeria