Crispin Asahel De Pass was born on 1 June 1893 in Finchley, Middlesex (now Greater London), the third of the five children of Alfred Aaron De Pass (1861-1952) and Ethel Phoebe De Pass née Salaman (1860-1910). His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1893 in the Barnet registration district, Middlesex (now Greater London).
The 1901 census return shows him aged 7 years living at Cliffe House, Cliff Road, Falmouth, Cornwall, with his parents, three siblings: Dorothea Emelye De Pass, (1890-1938), David De Pass (1891-1963) and Myrtle Allegra De Pass (1897-1993), together with a governess, a nurse, a cook, a parlour-maid and two housemaids. His father was listed as having no occupation and living on his own means. Previous records had shown him to be a merchant.
He attended Uppingham School, High Street, Uppingham, Rutland and the 1911 census shows him there as one of 29 boarding pupils in Farleigh House.
He left Liverpool, Lancashire, aboard the RMS Empress of Britain of the Canadian Pacific Railway line and disembarked in Quebec, Canada on 31 July 1914.
On 8 December 1914 he enlisted as a private in the 2nd Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, service number 107179, giving his occupation as a rancher. He entered France as part of the Canadian Expedition Force on 22 September 1915 later gaining promotion to Corporal. The London Gazette confirms that he was commissioned as a Temporary Second Lieutenant on 17 April 1917 and he was serving as a Second Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, Tank Corps when he was killed in action, aged 24 years, on 22 March 1918. As he has no known grave he is commemorated on Stone 94.A. on the Pozieres Memorial to the Missing, Pozieres, Ovillers-la-Boisselle, France.
Probate records show that his Canadian address had been Salmon Arm, Yale, British Columbia and that when probate was granted to his father on 9 January 1920 his effects totalled £9,361-5s-5d. On 11 February 1920 his father was sent his army effects that totalled £60-7s-6d. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
In addition to being shown as Crispin A. De Pass on the Bevis Marks war memorial on the Beavis Marks Synagogue, Beavis Marks, London, EC3 and on the Lauderdale Road Synagogue, Lauderdale Road, London, W9, he is also commemorated as C A dePass on the peace memorial shrine in the Uppingham School Chapel, on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial, on page 596 in the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance, on the Falmouth War Memorial, Kimberley Park, Kimberley Park Road, Falmouth, TR11 2DB, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website and on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website that incorrectly gives his age as 26 years.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
