Jack Stanley Crosier (sometimes 'Crozier') was born and brought up in the Moulsham area of Chelmsford. After working for the Chelmsford bearings company he joined the army and ultimately served with the S.A.S. In August 1944 he was parachuted into north-eastern France, and was captured by the Germans. The following month he was executed by them.

Jack was born on 13th September 1923 in Chelmsford, the son of Ivy Ellen Crozier (born in 1899). He was baptised at St. John's Church, Moulsham on 17th October 1923. At the time his mother was a single woman of 77 Upper Bridge Road, Chelmsford.

In 1918 Jack's mother had given birth to another son, Leslie Gordon Crosier who was to lose his life in Italy early in 1944.

Jack, like many male members of his wider family, worked for the Chelmsford bearings firm Hoffmann's.

In 1942 Jack joined the army where he served as Private 14402126 in A Squadron, 2nd Special Air Service (S.A.S.) Regiment, Army Air Corps.

In 1944 Jack participated in Operation Loyton, an ill-fated, S.A.S. mission in the German-held Vosages department in north-eastern France. The mission was only intended to last two weeks, but lasted almost two months. On 12th August 1944 and 30th August 1944 two parties of the S.A.S. force was parachuted into the area.

Unfortunately, the Germans, who had unexpectedly heavily reinforced the area against an attack by General Patton's American Third Army, became aware of the presence of the S.A.S. and began to track them down. Eventually the outnumbered S.A.S. began to withdraw, but during that operation 31 of their number were captured and subsequently executed by the Germans. Among them was Jack who was captured on 11th September 1944 and was was executed on the 20th or 21st September 1944 near St. Die in France. He was 21 years' old. News of his execution reached home in August 1945.

At the time of his death Jack's maternal grandmother, Mary Ann Crosier, was living at 77 Upper Bridge Road in Chelmsford.

Today Jack lies in Durnbach War Cemetery (grave 3. K. 16) approximately 30 miles south of Munich in Germany. The cemetery was created after the Second World War, bringing together burials from graves across Germany and Austria.

150310