Marvin Allan Crawford was born at Glenelm, Quebec, on 4 November 1910, the son of William Henry Crawford and Florence Seward. He attended school in the Huntingdon area and studied electrical work at the Canadian School of Electricity in Montreal. Before the war he worked in electrical trades and became a self-employed electrical contractor. Crawford enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force on 16 July 1940 as an aero engine mechanic. He served at stations and detachments across Canada and Newfoundland, including St. Thomas, Calgary, Ucluelet, Halifax, Cape Bauld, St. Georges de Malbaie and Sydney, and rose from Aircraftman Second Class to Sergeant. While stationed at Ucluelet, British Columbia, he married Ellen Arlene Evans on 1 May 1943. He was honourably released from the RCAF on 28 September 1945. His service certificate records entitlement to the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and clasp. After the war he returned to the Huntingdon area, where he worked as an electrician and refrigeration expert. He died on 31 January 1992 and was buried in Huntingdon Protestant Cemetery.
Conflict:
WW2
Regimental No.:
R62675
Cause of Death (in war):
Survived
Branch:
Air Force
Regiment:
Royal Canadian Air Force
Battalion:
Company:
Date of Birth :
Place of Birth:
Glenelm, Quebec
Date of Enlistment:
Age at Enlistment:
29 years 8 months
Date of Discharge:
Age at Discharge:
34 years 10 months
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
81 years 2 months
Country Born:
Canada
Trade or Calling:
Electrician
Next of Kin:
Mrs. Ellen Arlene Crawford (née Evans)
Address at Enlistment:
Huntingdon, Quebec
Religion:
United Church of Canada
Place of Enlistment:
St. Johns, Quebec
Was a Prisoner of War:
Height:
5 ft 9.0 in / 175 cm
Weight:
158 lbs / 72 kg
Chest:
36.0 in / 91 cm
Expansion:
3.0 in / 8 cm
Marital Status:
Single
Prior Military Experience:
No
Saw Service in:
Canada
Place of Discharge:
Discharge Type:
Regular/End of Service
Discharge Notes:
Honourably released from the RCAF on 28 September 1945 under K.R. (Air) 195(17), on completion of a term of voluntary service during an emergency. Service was entirely in Canada; release documents give Huntingdon, Quebec as his address on release.
Battle Died/Wounded:
Length of Service:
1900 days in service
Buried at:
Ranks
| Conflict |
Rank |
Regiment |
Branch |
Unit |
Company |
Date From |
Date To |
| WW2 |
Sergeant |
Royal Canadian Air Force |
Air Force |
|
|
|
|
| Acting Sergeant (paid) effective 1 Nov 1944; final paid rank Sergeant at release. |
| WW2 |
Corporal |
Royal Canadian Air Force |
Air Force |
|
|
|
|
| Acting Corporal effective 1 Sep 1943; subsequently Temporary Corporal (paid). Promotion documentation confirms substantive duties at corporal level. |
| WW2 |
Leading Aircraftman |
Royal Canadian Air Force |
Air Force |
|
|
|
|
| LAC |
| WW2 |
Aircraftman First Class |
Royal Canadian Air Force |
Air Force |
|
|
|
|
| AC1 |
| WW2 |
Aircraftman Second Class |
Royal Canadian Air Force |
Air Force |
|
|
|
|
| AC2 |
Awards
| Conflict |
Award |
Action |
Date of Award |
Date of Citation |
Source |
| WW2 |
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and clasp |
|
|
|
|
Service Chronology
1910-11-04 — Born
1933-1934 — Studied electrical work / Junior Engineering at the Canadian School of Electricity
1938-1940 — Self-employed as an electrical contractor before enlistment
1940-07-16 — Enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force as AC2; trade Aero Engine Mechanic
1940-07-17 — Taken on strength, No. 1 Manning Depot
1940-11-20 — Taken on strength, Initial Training School
1940-12-23 to 1940-12-28 — Absent without leave; awarded 168 hours detention and forfeiture of six days' pay
1941-04-05 — Reclassified Aircraftman First Class (AC1)
1941-04-25 — Taken on strength, No. 3 SFTS
1941-10-01 — Reclassified Leading Aircraftman (LAC); AEM trade advanced
1941-12-12 — Posted to RCAF Ucluelet / 4 BRD
1942-05-05 to 1942-05-26 — Hospitalized with mumps; improved and returned to duty
1942-06-17 to 1942-07-07 — Hospitalized a second time with mumps; improved and returned to duty
late Oct 1943 to 1943-11-14 — Suffered right-leg/sciatic injury while working around a dock/floating barrel; treated and improved
1943-05-01 — Married Ellen Arlene Evans at RCAF Station Chapel
1943-05-16 — Posted to No. 1 YD
1943-07 to 1944 — Served with No. 30 Detachment and related detachments in Newfoundland; assessments describe him as reliable and suitable for promotion
1943-09-01 — Appointed Acting Corporal; later Temporary Corporal (paid)
1944-11-01 — Appointed Acting Sergeant (paid)
1945-06-28 to 1945-06-29 — Hospitalized for facial impetigo; discharged to parent unit after treatment
1945-08-08 — Posted from No. 25 Radio Unit, St. Georges de Malbaie
1945-08-09 — Reported to RCAF Station Sydney
1945-08-16 — Personnel counselling before release; planned to resume self-employment as an electrician in Huntingdon
1945-08-19 to 1945-09-23 — Annual and special leave before discharge/release-centre reporting
1945-08-23 — Posted to RCAF Station Moncton for accounting purposes only while on discharge process
1945-09-24 to 1945-09-25 — Medical board/release examination completed
1945-09-25 — Declared intended post-service residence as Huntingdon, Quebec and was found fit for any type of employment
1945-09-28 — Honourably released/discharged from the RCAF
1992-01-31 — Died
1992-02-06 — Funeral; interment in Field of Honor
Notes
Before enlistment Crawford trained in electrical work at the Canadian School of Electricity in Montreal; a certified education extract states that he graduated in Junior Engineering. His attestation employment history records work with his father William H. Crawford, electrical work for Stanley J. Currie and C. K. Goodfellow, and self-employment as an electrical contractor from 1938 until enlistment. A 1945 personnel counselling report recorded his intention to return to Huntingdon and resume self-employment as an electrician after discharge; he also planned to complete a Canadian Legion Educational Services course. Release paperwork states that he intended to reside at Huntingdon, Quebec after service.
[Previous notes - manual reconciliation required]
Enlisted July 17, 1940. Stationed at Calgary, Alta,
ATIP Request confirmation number EA2026_0170690
Marvin Allan Crawford, R.C.A.F, formerly of Huntingdon, Que. who was united in Marriage to Miss E. A. Evans formerly of Vancouver B.C., in a ceremony at Ucluclet, B.C. on May 1st, 1943,
Additional Service Notes
RCAF aero engine mechanic/fitter diesel. Served entirely in Canada, including Toronto, St. Thomas, Calgary, Ucluelet, Halifax, Cape Bauld, St. Georges de Malbaie, Sydney and Moncton-area release processing. Rose from Aircraftman Second Class to Sergeant and was honourably released on 28 September 1945.
[Previous notes - manual reconciliation required]
Additional Next of Kin Notes
Parents: William Henry Crawford and Florence Seward Crawford, Glenelm, Quebec. Married Ellen Arlene Evans (of Ottawa, Ontario) on 1 May 1943 at the RCAF Station Chapel, Ucluelet, British Columbia. Obituary reports twin daughters Laurene and Lauraine, born 1954.
[Previous notes - manual reconciliation required]
Research Notes
Born 4 Nov 1910. Most service records give Glenelm, Quebec as birthplace (attestation, discharge certificate and medical history), while a certified baptismal extract from the United Church at Huntingdon gives Huntingdon, Quebec; Glenelm is retained as the best-supported principal value. Parents were William Henry Crawford, a carpenter, and Florence Seward. Prewar records show electrical/technical training at the Canadian School of Electricity in Montreal, including a certified extract stating graduation in Junior Engineering; his attestation employment history records work with his father, Stanley J. Currie and C. K. Goodfellow, followed by self-employment as an electrical contractor from 1938. A July 1940 reference from James W. Ross, M.L.A. for Huntingdon County, described him as an electrician of strong physique and exemplary habits. Personnel counselling in August 1945 recorded interests/skills in mechanics, woodworking and skating and an intention to resume self-employment as an electrician in Huntingdon and complete a Canadian Legion Educational Services course. Medical history includes two separate mumps admissions at RCAF Station Ucluelet (5-26 May 1942 and 17 Jun-7 Jul 1942); a late-1943 right-leg/sciatic injury associated with working around a dock/floating barrel, treated while attached in the Cape Bauld area; and a one-day admission at RCAF Station Gaspé 28-29 Jun 1945 for facial impetigo. The 1945 medical board noted residual limitation of left-elbow/arm extension from an old 1928 fracture but otherwise found him fit for release. Service conduct sheets record one disciplinary incident at No. 1 ITS: absent without leave from 0200 hrs 23 Dec 1940 to 0715 hrs 28 Dec 1940 (5 days 15 minutes), punished with 168 hours detention and forfeiture of six days' pay. Later confidential assessments consistently describe him as dependable, reliable and efficient, with promotion recommendations. In August 1945 he was authorized 28 days special leave on discharge plus 7 days annual leave before reporting to the release centre; release authority was granted under K.R. (Air) 195(17). Release/gratuity records state no service outside Canada, while the Certificate of Service records entitlement to the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and clasp; both statements are retained as recorded rather than reconciled.
