Cyril Talbot Burney Croft was born on 28th January 1891 in Streetsville, Ontario, Canada. He was the only child of Dorset clergyman Otho Croft and his Canadian-born wife, Lucy.

Otho brought his young family back to England when Cyril was a boy. The 1901 census found him and Lucy living in South Cadbury, Somerset, where he had taken the role of the local rector. Their young son, meanwhile, was boarding at a school in St Leonard’s in East Sussex.

Education was key to Cyril’s development. He was sent to King’s College in Taunton and St Boniface College in Warminster, and enlisted in the Officer’s Training Corps for three years.

During this time, he and Lucy had travelled back to Canada, and there was an obvious draw for the young man as, in 1913, he made a move to Quebec, becoming the Assistant to the Commissioner of Harbour Works in the city.

When war broke out, Cyril was quick to step up and play his part. Joining the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 23rd September 1914, his service records show that he was 6ft 1in (1.85m) tall, with black hair, grey eyes and a dark complexion.

Cyril was initially assigned to the 12th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry, where he held the rank of Lance Corporal. On arriving in England, however, he took his leave of the Canadian force, and accepted a role in the King’s Royal Rifles. Within a few months, he transferred again, gaining the rank of Second Lieutenant in the 8th (Service) Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry.

Details of Cyril’s actual service are vague, however, as his British Army service records are no longer available. It appears that he did not serve any time overseas, as his battalion was raised in Taunton, Somerset, and did not move to France until the end of 1915.

Second Lieutenant Croft had made a further transfer by this point, joining the Royal Flying Corps in the summer. He gained his wings on 27th October 1915 at a Military School in Birmingham.

On 8th December 1915, he was a passenger in an aircraft being piloted by a Lieutenant McDonald at Castle Bromwich.

The weather was “bumpy” but not bad… They went towards Birmingham, and then made a turn to the left. [McDonald] noticed that the engine was missing fire when he was at a height of 1,500ft [460m], and decided to land. He turned off the petrol, but did not switch off the electric ignition. He made a right-hand turn, so as to reduce the height, the machine then being at a normal angle, when, owing to the wind, the aeroplane banked. To put the machine back again he put the control lever over to the left, but finding that the machine did not answer to the control, he put on the right rudder, and Lieutenant C Black, of the Royal Flying Corps, who had instructions to watch the aeroplane, stated that shortly after eleven o’clock in the morning it ascended to a height of 1,500ft. Shortly afterwards he saw the machine coming down: it made a short spiral, then a complete circle, and while turning to make another at a height of 500ft [150m], fell straight to the ground, nose downwards. The aeroplane was in proper working order, and the witness was of the opinion that the accident was due to wind disturbances.

De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour

Croft and McDonald were both killed. Cyril was just 24 years of age. His Colonel wrote to Otho and Lucy, noting that Cyril “did so well that it makes one feel the loss all the more of such a promising young officer. He is, indeed, a great loss to our country, especially in these times.” Cyril’s Major noted “he had a most charming, lovable character, and was thoroughly popular with all his brother officers. He was exceedingly keen at his work, and in him the service has lost a most promising and capable officer.”

Cyril Talbot Burney Croft was brought back to Somerset for burial. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of his father’s church: St Thomas a Becket’s in South Cadbury.

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