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1882 Jan 25. born Maldon, Essex
1900 Jan 13. Wounded at Poplar Grove a farm in the Orange Free State (Petrusburg district; Free State), 30 km north-east of Perdeberg railway station. In order to block the British advance on Bloemfontein , Chief-Cmdt C.R. de Wet adopted a defence line across the Modder River on either side of the drift at Poplar Grove farm. On 7 March 1900, Field Marshal Lord Roberts ordered Maj-Gen J.D.P. French's cavalry division to outflank the Boer left flank to the south of Seven Kopjes. This forced the Boers there to retire towards Poplar Grove, but the whole of the line was thereby exposed. President S.J.P. Krüger was present expecting to address the burghers later that day, but the enveloping move by the cavalry made him return to Bloemfontein. The Winburg commando holding a line from Slaag Kraal Hill* to Schuinshoek and a detachment of 40 burghers from Petrusburg held off Brig-Gen R.G. Broadwood's 2nd cavalry brigade and thus the whole division from completing the outflanking movement for several hours during the morning. Without any significant fighting, the Boer forces retired eastwards during the day and by nightfall the British held the line of Poplar Grove drift. British losses were 8 killed and 49 wounded; Boers casualties were estimated at 50; no prisoners were taken by the British.
1900 Oct 3. He enlisted as a Trooper in 51 Company (Paget's Horse) 19 battalion Imperial Yeomanry;
1900 Oct 3. The undermentioned Candidates, nominated by the Field-Marshal Commanding-in- Chief, South Africa, to be Second Lieutenants. 21st Lancers, Trooper Claude Vierville Champion De Crespigny, from the Imperial Yeomanry, on augmentation
1901 Feb 16. 21st Lancers, Second Lieutenant Llewellyn W. H. Tringham, from the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment), to be Second Lieutenant, vice C. V. Champion De Crespigny, who exchanges.
The Queen's South Africa (QSA) Medal Clasps: Paardeberg, Dreifontein, Relief of Kimberley
Lieutenant Claude Champion De Crespigny is 27 years of age. He entered the 2nd Life Guards from the militia five years ago, and got his lieutenant's commission in the following year. His recent gallant deed in rescuing a wounded trooper under a heavy fire has rightly been recognised as one of "most distinguished bravery." He will probably be one of the new V.C.'s The gallant Colonel, his father, has just started for the front.
1903 Jul 18 . The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment), Second Lieutenant C. V. Champion de Crespigny, to be Lieutenant, vice E. S. Kimber, resigned.
1904 Jul 24. Lieutenant C. V. Champion de Crespigny, The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment), to be Aide-de-Camp to Sir D. W. Stewart, K.C.M.G., Commissioner, Commander-in-Chief, and Consul-General, East Africa Protectorate.
1904-1905 On the Nandi Punitive Expedition. The Nandi were incensed at the new railway that thrust through their traditional grazing grounds in the Nyando Valley. Between 1895 and 1905 five military expeditions were sent to deal with them. Their resistance lasted until 1905, when the Nandi Field Force, the largest "punitive expedition" ever assembled in Kenya, was mounted against them. At a meeting arranged for negotiations their politico-religious leader(orkoiyot) Koitalel (arap Samoei) was shot by an Army officer, Colonel R. Meinertzhagen.
1906 Jan 7. The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment), Lieutenant Claude V. Champion de Crespigny is seconded for service under the Colonial Office. He served with King's African Rifles for 2 years
1906 Oct 1. - Lt. C.V.C. de Crespigny appointed to act as an Asst. Collector for the Nandi district of the Province of Kisumu
1908 Apr 17 Drumkey - Lieut. C.V.C. de Crespigny was tried and acquitted of the charge of causing the death of his native servant by a rash and negligent act. When young Claude de Crespigny was on safari he chased with a hog spear an African who had brought him a warm rather than a cold beer and accidentally killed him. At his trial, to the cheers of the court, the white jury acquitted him of culpable neglect in using weapons, saying that they knew their duty to a white man.
1909 Sep 23. The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment), Lieutenant Claude V. Champion de Crespigny is restored to the establishment
1909Oct 13. Hull Daily Mail, ,Captain Claude Vierville Champion de Crespigny was summoned at Witham (Essex) on Tuesday, for assaulting Ernest Sorrell, a butcher, of Hatfield Peverel, on September 26th. Complainant stated that he was driving in a trap with a friend past the entrance gates to Champion Lodge, when the defendant accused him of having with a whip struck his dog, which was playing in the road. Sorrell denied that he had touched the dog, but Captain Champion de Crespigny took hold of his coat and pulled him out of the trap. While he was on the ground the captain struck him three times, and blackened his eye. For the defence, Captain Champion de Crespigny said his dog was slashed by the driver of the trap, and he considered he had a right to hit the man. Defendant's mother and a sister gave evidence that there was provocation through the defendant's dog being hit with a whip. Captain Champion de Crespigny pleaded guilty to the assault, and was fined £2 and £2 14s costs.
1910 Mar 19. The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment), The undermentioned Lieutenants to be Captains. Claude V. Champion de Crespigny, vice B. Evans, D.S.O.
1910 He was with 1st Wilts Regt in South Africa. at A black and white photograph showing those officers of the Battalion who formed part of the 2nd Mounted Infantry at Harrismith, South Africa, 1910 with Lieutenants Kirwin and de Crespigny, Captain Timmis, Lieutenants Davis and Seagrave.
1910 Jul 14 Arrives in UK from Cape Town. Travels 1st Class.
1911 census at Champion Lodge, Heybridge, Essex
1911 Jul 19 Married in London at the Oratory, Kensington to Mary Nora Catherine Macsloy
1912 Jul 17. 3rd Battalion, The Essex Regiment, Captain Claude Vierville Champion de Crespigny, retired pay, late The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment), to be Captain under the provisions of Article 510, Royal Warrant for Pay and Promotion, 1909, with seniority as from 19th March, 1910.
1914 Nov 30. On the 30th the 8th Brigade marched to billets in Scherpenberg and Locre, where on the following day General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien inspected and addressed the and Battalion, the company commanders being Captains C. V. Champion de Crespigny, A. H. W. Temple, E. F. Hausburg, and H. L. Cautley.
1915 Dec 18. Evacuated back to UK with frostbite
1916 Dec 28. Asst. Prov. Marshals (Graded for purposes of pay as a Staff Capt.).—Capt. C. V. Champion de Crespigny, Essex R., Spec. Res.
1917 Nov 19 Promoted Major
1918 Water Hose incident
1919 Jun 29 Left UK for Canada with wife and child. His occupation is "official". After the war went to Wilmer, Columbia Valley, British Columbia
1919 Jul 12. Special Appointment . Dep. Asst. Prov. Marshal.—Maj. C. V. Champion de Crespigny, ret. pay.
1921 Jan 6 . He returned to UK living wife and child in Canada. He traveled 2nd Class, occupation "nil"
1921 Feb 8 Joined ADRIC with service number 1649. He gave his regiment as "21st Lancers".
1921 Feb 9 Posted to C Coy
1921 Feb 17. Posted to O Coy. Promoted "2nd in Command "Special" and DI2
1921 Mar 3. Posted to A Coy
1921 Mar 4. A Coy Commander.
1921 Sep 17. Relinquishes command of A Coy . Posted to Depot
1921 Sep 28 Reverts to T/Cadet
1921 Oct 13. Permitted to resign on compassionate grounds
He then goes to Ulster Special Constabulary
1922 Jul 25. His wife and daughter arrive back in UK. They travel 1st Class.
1923 Divorce from Mary Nora Catherine Macsloy. she was granted custody of their daughter
1924 Dec 6. marries Elspie Madge Salmon (One World tree, does not give place)
1926 May 11. Essex R.—Maj. C. V. Champion de Crespigny, from Res. of Off. Wilts R., to be Maj., with seniority 19th Nov., 1917.
1927 Jul 17 Died in Singida, Tanganyika aged 47. His widow died 10 Jul 1959. He had been a game ranger there. Some reports said it was a "huntng accident" but no details were given
1947 His daughter marries
