James Crouch 15 Dec 1911 -

In May 2010 I blogged about the Deptford Born King's jockey John Crouch who was killed in an air crash 20th June 1939. On 15th Dec 2011 John's older brother James celebrated his 100th birthday at Werribee, Victoria, Australia. In 1911 the family was living at 66 Speedwell Street, Deptford, which is where I presume Mr Crouch was born.

The photograh above and the article below appeared in the Werribee, Hoppers Crossing and Point Cook Star in November. I reproduce both by kind permission of Star News Group whose terms and conditions apply. Mr Crouch's medals are (l-r) the 1939-45 Star, the Italy Star, the Defence Medal and the War Medal.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Forever young
By XAVIER SMERDON
22nd November 2011 11:39:59 AM

James Crouch is set to become Wyndham’s latest centurion.

WERRIBEE resident James Crouch is modest about everything he has achieved in his life, despite seeing more than most people can dream of. Almost 100 years ago to the day Mr Crouch was just born in the South London district of Deptford, since then he has travelled the world, fought in a world war, married twice and raised a family. The centurion is still very healthy, still living alone and only giving up driving last year. He complains that he only started using a walking stick three months ago because his doctor made him.

“I don't want to lose my independence. I do all my cooking and cleaning by myself,” Mr Crouch said. “I still get up at 6.30 in the morning. Once the papers arrive I'm up.”

Like anyone, Mr Crouch has had his fair share of battles, losing his first wife in 1974 and then caring for his second wife in the final years of her life after she was left with injuries following a car accident. One of 11 children growing up, Mr Crouch has only one sibling left, an older sister back in England who recently turned 102. He also has a daughter, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren who all live in England.

When he moved to Werribee in 1977 it was a town of 30,000 people and was known as the “garden suburb”. Mr Crouch said there was no great secret to a long life, but attributes his longevity to staying as active as possible.

“I never expected that I would make it as long as I have, but these days you can't count on anything,” he said. “I'm quite pleased to still be here. I've always been active all my life.”

It is this simple approach to everyday life that has allowed Mr Crouch to stay as healthy as he is.

“The last time I went to hospital was for an operation in 1991 and the doctor sat on my bed and asked me if I had ever been in hospital before,” he said. “I told him the last time I was in hospital was in 1918 when I had scarlet fever. “When he heard that he almost fell off the bloody bed.”

The humble senior citizen said he prefers not to think about the past and instead focuses on the future.

“It's been a good life interspersed with a few bad sessions,” he said. “Overall it's paid dividends.”

Mr Crouch will celebrate his 100th birthday on 15 December.

JOHN CROUCH 1915-1939, THE KING'S JOCKEY

Wally Crouch was born Walter Thomas Crouch in Portsmouth in 1877, the son of a shipwright. After his father died his mother remarried and he took the name of Armstrong. By the time of his Peckham marriage on 10th June 1899 to Blanche Phillips he had reverted to the name Crouch and gave his occupation as a Public House Manager. Wally and Blanche moved to Deptford firstly at 6 Lucas Street, then 29 Charles Street, but subsequently settling at 66 Speedwell Street. Various jobs as a labourer and painter (for the London County Council) came and went, interspersed with periods of unemployment.

By 1911 Blanche had given birth to eight children, but two had since died. More children were born and in 1915 a son John Lionel Crouch was born. After John’s death The Times carried a story that Wally had been a greengrocer and that John had looked after his father’s ponies. Perhaps Wally’s fortunes improved after the 1st World War, perhaps the story was made up, but John had a talent with horses.

As a teenager John was apprenticed to Australian trainer Stanley Wootton at Epsom. In 1933 his name started to appear in the lists of runners and riders in the newspapers. In 1936 he rode 31 winners and in October it was announced that, at the age of 21, John was to be the King’s jockey. He was to receive a retainer so that he would always be available to ride the King's horses in preference to other owners. That winter John went to India to race in Madras.

Although Britain was preparing for war in the summer of 1939, things were looking good for John Crouch. He had bought and furnished a house in Epsom and was due to marry 19-year-old Barbara Hives (the daughter of the head stable lad to trainer Walter Nightingall) on 1st July.

On Monday 19th June John and Barbara posted the wedding invitations and the next morning John made his way to Heston Aerodrome to fly to Newcastle to ride that afternoon. The British American Air Services DH.89A Dragon Rapide John was flying in reported its position by radio when passing York at midday, but it never arrived in Newcastle. The weather in the northeast of England was poor that morning and the rain kept many race goers at home, but there was surprise when John Crouch failed to arrive.

That Tuesday evening the BBC broadcast appeals for news of the missing aeroplane. The following day the Royal Air Force searched for the plane but it was not until 5.00pm that Robert Redfearn, a postman, and his friend Richardson, a newsagent spotted the burned out wreckage near the summit of Dora’s Seat, Ettersgill Fell, County Durham, miles from the nearest habitation. The bodies of John Crouch, Glaswegian pilot F.S. Appi and wireless operator J. Elmslie were found close to the wreckage.

John Crouch’s funeral took place on Monday 26 June 1939 at Epsom Parish Church and he is buried in Epsom cemetery.

Barbara eventually married in the spring of 1945.