| William Edward Cremor | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 December 1897 Sandringham, Victoria |
| Died | 11 April 1962 (aged 64) Heidelberg, Victoria |
| Allegiance | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Service/branch | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1917–1945 |
| Rank | Brigadier |
| Unit | 3rd Field Artillery Brigade (1918) |
| Commands held | 10th Field Artillery Brigade (1936–1939) 2nd/2nd Field Artillery Regiment (1940–1942) 3rd Artillery Division (1942–1945) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
Brigadier William Edward Cremor CBE (12 December 1897 – 11 April 1962) was an Australian army officer and schoolteacher.
Cremor was born at Sandringham in Melbourne to railway porter William Edward Cremor and Jane, née Phelan, and educated at Footscray State School. He left in 1914 to become a clerk in the Victorian Public Service and in 1915 was transferred to the Commonwealth Department of Trade and Customs. On 11 December 1917 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and served briefly in France in late 1918 with the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade. He was discharged on 8 November 1919 and obtained a commission in the Militia in November 1920. He studied at the University of Melbourne, from which he would eventually receive a Bachelor of Arts in 1945.[1]
In 1923 he began working as an English teacher at Footscray Technical School, and in 1927 became secretary of the Victorian Teachers' Union, rising to president in 1930. He resigned from the union in 1934 and was appointed secretary of the Victorian Dried Fruits Board. He continued serving in the Militia and was promoted lieutenant colonel on 1 May 1936, with command of the 10th Field Brigade of the Royal Australian Artillery.[1]
In October 1939 he rejoined the AIF and commanded the 2nd/2nd Field Artillery Regiment in the Middle East from April 1940. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1941 for his service in the Western Desert Campaign; the regiment served in Greece and Crete from March to May 1941 before returning to Australia in August 1942, when he was given command of the 3rd Artillery Division and promoted temporary brigadier. He contested the seat of Fawkner at the 1943 federal election as an independent candidate advocating a unified army, winning 22% of the vote. On 12 April 1945 he was transferred to the Reserve of Officers and appointed CBE for his services in the South-West Pacific.[1]
In 1945 he became the University of Melbourne's guidance officer for ex-service students, and wrote a regular column in The Argus. In 1949 he was appointed to the Teachers' Tribunal as government representative, and he edited the history of his regiment, Action Front, in 1961. He died at Heidelberg in 1962 and was cremated.[1]