Crosby Standish “Bing” Morris

Major · NZ #1072 · T2 Patrol · MC

What this roll records

HE DIED IN THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY 1974, and the Press marked it on 13 February with an article headed “Noted oarsman was major in L.R.D.G.” THE EXACT DAY IS NOT ESTABLISHED HERE: the article says only that his death “occurred last week”, and this roll does not guess between the days it could have been. WHAT HE ALMOST WAS. Born at Fairlie and educated at Christ’s College between 1916 and 1921, he was an outstanding oarsman for the Canterbury Rowing Club in the late 1920s and was in the winning Canterbury crew in the first eight-oar contest at the 1928 inter-provincial championships. THAT SAME YEAR HE WAS SELECTED FOR THE NEW ZEALAND ROWING TEAM FOR THE AMSTERDAM OLYMPIC GAMES AND NEVER WENT: a week before the team was due to sail the travelling fund was £500 short and the crew could not leave. They were given their Olympic Games badges anyway. WHAT HE DID. In December 1941, commanding a patrol, he took part in the attacks on the German airfields; as a captain, with Special Air Service parachutists, he led his men to the deserted airfield at El Agheila, then with a captured Italian lorry leading his five patrol trucks drove nine miles along the main road, passing many enemy vehicles, and reached Mersa Brega, a small harbour used by enemy shipping. The party attacked twenty enemy lorries and sixty soldiers while the parachutists laid their bombs, then cut telephone lines and blew up poles, and came away without a casualty. FOR THIS HE WAS AWARDED THE MILITARY CROSS. In civilian life he was South Island manager for C. B. Norwood, Ltd, at Christchurch. Source: the Press, 13 February 1974, via Papers Past (National Library of New Zealand).

PATROL COMMANDER of T2 per W.B. Kennedy Shaw, "Long Range Desert Group", Appendix 4 Patrol Commanders.

March 1942 roll (courtesy Tarek el Mahdy): CO A Squadron

Full name Crosby Standish Morris; born 6 April 1905 at Fairlie. Military Cross. An LRDG patrol commander who became CO of A (NZ) Squadron, LRDG, in 1942, and chief instructor at the NZ AFV School, Waiouru, in 1944. A salesman/branch manager in civilian life, of Christchurch. (Source: Kay, "Long Range Desert Group in the Mediterranean", p.3.) Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

The Kiwi Scorpions (Brendan O'Carroll): Maj. C. S. Morris, MC — branch manager, Christchurch; born Fairlie, 6 Apr 1905; patrol commander LRDG; CO A (NZ) Squadron LRDG 1942; chief instructor NZ AFV School, Waiouru, 1944.

Patrol commander: commanded T2 Patrol. Kiwi Scorpions (Appendix II — Commanders of NZ Patrols).

The Kiwi Scorpions (Brendan O'Carroll): T2 Patrol commander (pictured with the patrol, Dec 1941, and among the survivors who returned in the sole surviving truck T10 after four of five vehicles were destroyed by Stukas near Karkur Murr, Jan 1942).

As commander of the New Zealand T2 patrol, took SAS parachutists to the El Agheila area, then ambushed enemy transport at Marsa Brega (December 1941), killing at least fifteen of the enemy without loss to his own men; awarded the MC. Later, as Major, commanded A Squadron and took it to Kufra after the fall of Tobruk. Source: ‘Raids Behind the Enemy Lines’, Episodes & Studies Vol. 1 (NZ official war history).

Branch manager, of Christchurch; born Fairlie, 6 Apr 1905. MC. Chief instructor NZ AFV School, Waiouru, 1944. Source: Episodes & Studies Vol. 1 (biographical notes).

His Military Cross was announced on 24 February 1942. The recommendation survives at The National Archives, Kew, in series WO 373 (War Office, Military Secretary’s Department: Recommendations for Honours and Awards for Gallantry), reference WO 373/18/102. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

Salesman in civilian life. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

Embarkation detail from his Cenotaph record: he embarked as embarked as a Warrant Officer. The rank held on this card, Major, is his LRDG rank; promotion after embarkation was the rule rather than the exception, so the two are not in conflict. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph, record C139169.

See him in the full roll →

Where this comes from

• Missing info added from the LRDG Preservation Society’s Troopers roll.
• AKA added from the LRDG Preservation Society’s Troopers roll (missing information).
• Honours & campaign medals from Online Cenotaph: MC, War Medal 1939-45, NZ War Service Medal. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.
• Additional sources (AWMM Online Cenotaph). Nominal Roll 2NZEF No. 1, p.128. External links: London Gazette, 24 February 1942, p.895 (Military Cross): http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/35465/supplements/895; The National Archives, Recommendation for Award (WO 373/18/102): http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D7358105

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Not By Strength But By Guile