The very fine Railway Engineers Companion of the Indian Empire, Companion of the Order of the Bath group awarded to Colonel S.J. Cra’ster, Royal Engineers who having elected for service in India would be first employed constructing the Sind-Pishin Railway on the North West Frontier. He would subsequently join the Military Works Department and be involved in the construction of Defence Works at Bombay and Sukkur. He would then return to railway construction serving in the Tirah campaign as a Field Engineer and being Mentioned in Despatches. In 1901-1902 he would be with the force in northern China as Deputy Director of the British controlled railway from Tientsin to Shanaikuan and would receive thanks from the Chinese Government for services in bringing the Court to Peking by railway. He would next serve in Africa where he would be present during the troublesome campaign in Somaliland for which he would receive another Mention in Despatches for his part in surveying for a railway line between Berbera and Harara. He would subsequently return to India where he remained involved in the railways, eventually becoming the Engineer in Chief o the Eastern Bengal Railway at Calcutta and then of the North Western Railway at Lahore. In 1915 and 1916 he was President of the Punjab Engineering Congress, finishing in 1916-17 as Agent to the North Western Railway which resulted in him being appointed a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire. His final appointment would be back in the U.K., where he was appointed Chief Mechanical Engineer to the Department for Works Office, a role which would result in him being appointed a Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1918, and one which he held until his retirement in July 1919
Group of 5: The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, Companion, C.I.E., neck badge, gold and enamels. On shortened length of neck ribbon; The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Companion, C.B., Military Division, neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; India General Service Medal 1895-1902, 2 Clasps: Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98; (Captn. S.L. Craster. R.E.) Africa General Service Medal 1899-1956, EVII, 1 Clasp: Somaliland 1902-04; (MAJ. S.L. CRASTER. R.E.) British War Medal 1914-1919; (COL. S.J. CRASTER.) The last three mounted loose for wear.
Condition: the last three mounted loose for wear, edge knock to BWM at 5 o’clock, one enamel chip to the C.I.E. otherwise Nearly Extremely Fine
Shafto Longfield Cra’ster was born on 31st July 1862, the son of Major General George Ayton Cra’ster, Royal (Bengal) Engineer. He was educated at the United Services College, Westword Ho! And the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and commissioned in the Royal Engineers on 22nd February 1882. Afte two and a half years at the School of Military Engineers he elected for the Indian Service and joined the group of engineer Officers who were constructing the Sind-Pishin Railway on the North West Frontier.
In 1888 he joined the Military Works Department and built Defence Works at Bombay and Sukkur, before reverting to railway work. From 1894, until he left the regimental list in 1911, he was employed on railway construction at a number of stations, including three new Frontier branch lines. This period of seventeen years was broken by three tours of active service.
In 1897-98 he served as a Field Engineer during the Tirah campaign and was mentioned in despatches. In 1901-1902 he was with the force in northern China as Deputy Director of the British controlled railway from Tientsin to Shanaikuan and received the thanks of the Chinese Government for services in bringing the Court to Peking by railway. From 1902 to 1904 there was a troublesome campaign in Somaliland to suppress the Mahdi and in 1903 Cra’ster was offered the job of making a survey for a railway line from Berbera to the town of Harara, occupied by the Abyssinians. He would receive another Mention in Despatches and a letter of thanks from the Foreign Office for this.
In 1911 Cra’ster was promoted to Substantive Colonel, and in 1912 was made Engineer in Chief, first to the Eastern Bengal Railway at Calcutta and then to the N.W. Railway at Lahore. In 1915 and 1916 he was President of the Punjab Engineering Congress and finished in 1916-17 as Agent to the North Western Railway. This would complete his Indian Service and result in him being appointed a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire.
Soon after returning home he was appointed Chief Mechanical Engineer to the Department for Works office. This branch was responsible for the purchase of all ‘non vocabulary’ engineer stores and machinery. The demands for these was enormous and the branch had grown from a Staff Captain’s charge to a large organisation Cra’ster took over this organisation and expanded it, and had the additional duty of supplying the Americans with engineer stores. He remained in charge until retirement in July 1919 being appointed a Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1918.
Cra’ster died on 21st December 1943 in his 82nd year, He married in 1888, Elizabeth Maude, the daughter of Charles King of Hampstead, They had two daughters, the eldest married Lt. Col. C.H.W. Owen D.S.O., C.M.G., R.A. and the younger, Brig M.E. Mascall D.S.O., O.B.E.
Cra’ster’s published works include ‘History of the Railway in the South African War’, ‘Mongoraphs on Railway in N. China, Somaliland, Abyssinia, Bermuda and N.W. India’ and his recreations were listed as rowing, yachting and big game hunting.
