B117972 Rifleman Alfred Crocker was born in Toronto, Ontario on 12 October 1925, the son of Alfred Crocker and Alice Georgina Tilley. He had one brother and eight sisters and left school at 14 having completed grade 8.

Crocker worked as a “set up man” at York Arsenals, a munitions factory in Toronto when he enlisted with the active army on 12 October 1943.

He trained in Brantford and Toronto but was constantly charged with being absent without leave and once with drunkenness. This might be explained by remarks on his final training report which stated “Not very enthusiastic about army life. Lacks ambition and attentiveness in class. Very poor on parade. Failed gas hut badly. May be able to do much better.”

He arrived in the United Kingdom on 9 December 1944 as he wasn’t eligible for overseas service until he was 19, and was posted to The Queen’s Own Rifles in Europe on 30 Jan 1945.

Rifleman Crocker was killed in action during the battle for Mooshof farm on 26 February 1945. He is buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, grave reference VIII. D. 5. His family provided the following epitaph:

DISTANCE WILL NEVER PART US
FROM THE SON
THAT’S ALWAYS IN OUR HEART