Dennis Meirville's Story.
EARLY LIFE
Dennis Meirville Crew was born in 1895, the son of Elsie Frances (nee Craig) and Edwin Crew, a silk finishing company owner who was Mayor of Macclesfield during the last two years of the Great War. In 1901, five-year-old Dennis was living at Meadow Bank, Chester Road, Macclesfield with his parents and sister Esmé Muriel, aged two. Elsie died in 1908 and by 1911 Dennis and his father were living at 337 Park Lane, Macclesfield, while Esmé was a boarder at Miss Dodd's school, The Grange, The Park, Buxton, Derbyshire.
Dennis was educated at Shrewsbury School between 1909 and 1912 and completed his education in Switzerland. In January 1914 he joined his the family firm of Messrs T Crew and Sons, Vincent Street, Macclesfield.
Edwin Crew was Mayor of Macclesfield in 1917 and 1918, with his daughter Esmé acting as Mayoress; at that time they lived at Beech Hall, Tytherington, near Macclesfield. Esmé later lived at Park Villa, Macclesfield.
WW1 SERVICE
Dennis joined the local 7th Cheshire Regiment soon after the start of the war, gaining a commission. He did not go with the battalion to Gallipoli but took a draft of men to Egypt for the Manchester Regiment. There he contracted rheumatic fever and was repatriated to England, spending some time in a Manchester hospital and later convalescing at the family home at Beech Hall, Tytherington, Macclesfield. After his recover he was sent to Belgium in October 1916 and attached to the 6th Cheshire Regiment.
Lieut. Crew was reported missing in the Macclesfield Times on 13 July 1917:
PAINFUL TIDINGS FOR THE MAYOR
Heavy toll continues to be exacted by the war upon the young manhood of Macclesfield and district, and the local casualty list this week includes the name of Lieut. Dennis M Crew, the only son of the Mayor Alderman E Crew J.P., who is officially reported "missing, believed killed." A letter from the commanding officer of the battalion of the Cheshire Regt to which the young officer was attached testifies to his gallant and devoted services... Lieut Crew had been in France since last October, prior to which he took out a draft to Egypt and contracted rheumatic fever.
The sad intimation was contained in [a] wire: "Regret to inform you Lieutenant Dennis Meirville Crew, 7th Cheshires, attached 6th Cheshire Regt, reported missing." This was followed on Tuesday morning by a letter from the commanding officer of the battalion... conveying the graver announcement that Lieut Crew was "missing, believed killed," and the painful intelligence was confirmed in an official telegram received by the Mayor on Wednesday morning... "deeply regret to inform you Lieut D M Crew, previously reported missing, now reported missing believed killed July 5th 1917. The Army Council express their sympathy."
Colonel Stanway's letter, dated the 6th inst., was as follows: "...I have to inform you that your son... is missing, believed killed. He went out with his company, which took part in a minor operation in the hostile trenches on the night of 4-5th July, 1917. He was believed killed as they were returning to our trenches. I regret that his body could not be recovered...." It will be observed that the operation in which Lieut Crew was engaged took place on the night of July 4-5th, and a day or two ago his Worship had a letter from his son which was dated July 4th... "My dear Father, Thank you very much for your letter... I was glad to hear you were having a pleasant stay at Blackpool and I hope the change has done you good. I am afraid I have very little news again today, but I am glad to say I am still keeping in the very best of health and spirits. We are at present out of the trenches, but we shall be in them and out again before you receive this..."
Lieut Crew is the Mayor's only son, and celebrated his 22nd birthday last month. He was educated at Shrewsbury and in Switzerland, where he studied for the last two years of his school career. In January 1914 he joined his father's firm of Messrs T Crew and Sons, Vincent Street, and was actively engaged in the conduct of the business at the outbreak of the war. He immediately joined up and, securing a commission in the 1/7th Cheshires (the local Territorial battalion), went into training with them... Some time after the departure of the battalion to the Dardanelles, Lieut Crew took out a draft of the Manchesters, and while in Egypt unfortunately contracted a severe attack of rheumatic fever. He was brought back to this country and spent some time in hospital in Manchester. During his convalescence, he remained for a period with his father at Beech Hall and was present on the occasion of the entertainment given by the Mayor in his grounds to the wounded soldiers in Macclesfield. Lieut Crew also attended the funeral of his grandfather, the late Mr T Crew, of Park Villa, Park Lane. Upon his recovery the gallant young officer returned to his military duties and was drafted to France last October, since which time he has not been home.... Lieut Crew was gazetted full Lieutenant last month, his promotion to the rank being dated back to June 1916.
On 9 November 1917 the Macclesfield Times reported that the death of Lieut Crew had been presumed to have taken place on or since 5 July 1917.
COMMEMORATION
Lieut. Dennis Crew has no known grave and is commemorated on memorial Ref. Westroosebeke Com. Cem. Mem. 2. (I. E. 15B.) in Divisional Collecting Post Cemetery and Extension, Belgium. His memorial reads:
TO THE MEMORY OF LIEUTENANT D M CREW
5TH JULY 1917
WHO WAS BURIED BY THE ENEMY
IN WESTROOSEBEKE COMMUNAL CEMETERY
BUT WHOSE GRAVE WAS DESTROYED
IN LATER BATTLES
THEIR GLORY SHALL NOT BE BLOTTED OUT
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds casualty details for Lieut. Dennis Crew, and he is listed on the Imperial War Museum’s Lives of the First World War website.
In Macclesfield, Lieut. Dennis Crew is commemorated on the the Park Green, Town Hall, St Michael's Church, St George's Church, Park Green Club and Macclesfield Golf Club war memorials. He is also commemorated on a stained glass window in St George's Church, and on a family grave (plot number B1022) in Macclesfield Cemetery.
Elsewhere, he is commemorated on the Shrewsbury School war memorial.
SOURCES
Shrewsbury School website
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Macclesfield Times: 13 July 1917, 9 November 1917, 23 September 1921 (photo supplement)
Research by Rosie Rowley, Macclesfield.