William Cremor
Encyclopedia
Brigadier
William Edward Cremor CBE
(12 December 1897 – 11 April 1962) was an Australian army officer and schoolteacher.
Cremor was born at Sandringham
in Melbourne
to railway porter William Edward Cremor and Jane, née Phelan, and educated at Footscray State School. He left in 1914 to become a clerk in the Victorian Public Service and in 1915 was transferred to the Commonwealth Department of Trade and Customs. On 11 December 1917 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force
and served briefly in France in late 1918 with the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade. He was discharged on 8 November 1919 and obtained a commission in the Militia in November 1920. He studied at the University of Melbourne
, from which he would eventually receive a Bachelor of Arts
in 1945.
In 1923 he began working as an English teacher at Footscray Technical School, and in 1927 became secretary of the Victorian Teachers' Union, rising to president in 1930. He resigned from the union in 1934 and was appointed secretary of the Victorian Dried Fruits Board. He continued serving in the Militia and was promoted lieutenant colonel
on 1 May 1936, with command of the 10th Field Brigade of the Royal Australian Artillery.
In October 1939 he rejoined the AIF and commanded the 2nd/2nd Field Artillery Regiment in the Middle East
from April 1940. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1941 for his service in the Western Desert Campaign
; the regiment served in Greece
and Crete
from March to May 1941 before returning to Australia in August 1942, when he was given command of the 3rd Artillery Division and promoted temporary brigadier. He contested the seat of Fawkner
at the 1943 federal election
as an independent
candidate advocating a unified army, winning 22% of the vote. On 12 April 1945 he was transferred to the Reserve of Officers and appointed CBE for his services in the South-West Pacific.
In 1945 he became the University of Melbourne
's guidance officer for ex-service students, and wrote a regular column in The Argus
. In 1949 he was appointed to the Teachers' Tribunal as government representative, and he edited the history of his regiment, Action Front, in 1961. He died at Heidelberg
in 1962 and was cremated.
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
William Edward Cremor CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(12 December 1897 – 11 April 1962) was an Australian army officer and schoolteacher.
Cremor was born at Sandringham
Sandringham, Victoria
Sandringham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Sandringham had a population of 8693.-History:...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
to railway porter William Edward Cremor and Jane, née Phelan, and educated at Footscray State School. He left in 1914 to become a clerk in the Victorian Public Service and in 1915 was transferred to the Commonwealth Department of Trade and Customs. On 11 December 1917 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
and served briefly in France in late 1918 with the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade. He was discharged on 8 November 1919 and obtained a commission in the Militia in November 1920. He studied at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, from which he would eventually receive a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1945.
In 1923 he began working as an English teacher at Footscray Technical School, and in 1927 became secretary of the Victorian Teachers' Union, rising to president in 1930. He resigned from the union in 1934 and was appointed secretary of the Victorian Dried Fruits Board. He continued serving in the Militia and was promoted lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
on 1 May 1936, with command of the 10th Field Brigade of the Royal Australian Artillery.
In October 1939 he rejoined the AIF and commanded the 2nd/2nd Field Artillery Regiment in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
from April 1940. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1941 for his service in the Western Desert Campaign
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
; the regiment served in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
from March to May 1941 before returning to Australia in August 1942, when he was given command of the 3rd Artillery Division and promoted temporary brigadier. He contested the seat of Fawkner
Division of Fawkner
The Division of Fawkner was an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was created in 1906 , and was abolished itself in 1969. It was named for John Pascoe Fawkner, one of the founders of Melbourne. It was located in the inner southern suburbs of Melbourne, including at various...
at the 1943 federal election
Australian federal election, 1943
Federal elections were held in Australia on 21 August 1943. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Prime Minister of Australia John Curtin easily defeated the opposition Country Party led...
as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
candidate advocating a unified army, winning 22% of the vote. On 12 April 1945 he was transferred to the Reserve of Officers and appointed CBE for his services in the South-West Pacific.
In 1945 he became the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
's guidance officer for ex-service students, and wrote a regular column in The Argus
The Argus (Australia)
The Argus was a morning daily newspaper in Melbourne established in 1846 and closed in 1957. Widely known as a conservative newspaper for most of its history, it adopted a left leaning approach from 1949...
. In 1949 he was appointed to the Teachers' Tribunal as government representative, and he edited the history of his regiment, Action Front, in 1961. He died at Heidelberg
Heidelberg, Victoria
Heidelberg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule....
in 1962 and was cremated.