John Alfred Crosby

Jersey's Great War heroes:

John Alfred Crosby

This is one of a number of articles published by the Jersey Evening Post on 10 November 2018, the day before the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War. They tell the stories of a number of Jerseymen and Jerseywomen who were distinguished by their bravery during the war. Some survived to recount their own experiences, others perished in the conflict and never saw their native island again.

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At the height of battle in the Great War it was John Alfred Crosby's role to work with a group of men to steady the team of horses pulling the heavy field guns.

This difficult work was undertaken against the background of overwhelming noise and explosions and the constant risk to the men's lives and those of the horses they cared for.

Skilled horse handler

Mr Crosby's knowledge of horses, and his skill in handling them, led to him being assigned the role after he joined the Royal Field Artillery at the age of 29.

He was born in Jersey in 1885 and worked on farms, at Le Villot Farm in St Martin before enlisting.

A tough man, he and the team he worked alongside on the battlefield had to manoeuvre the big guns and the horses into place, often in very heavy mud and under constant fire. When he returned to the island after the war he was partially deaf after having been kicked in the head by a horse. He was married to Eva Webber and they had three children. He died in 1976, aged 91.