Thomas Crowley (soldier)
Thomas Crowley | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Tomislav Kraulić |
| Born | 20 April 1949 Ireland |
| Died | 10 June 1995 (aged 46) Near Dubrovnik, Croatia |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  UK Croatia |
| Service/ | British Army Croatian Defence Forces |
| Years of service | 1967–1991 (British Army) 1991–1995 (Croatia) |
| Rank | Major (Bojnik) |
| Service number | 006968 (Croatian Defence Forces) |
| Unit | Special Air Service Ante Paradžik First Battalion |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War (claimed) Gulf War Croatian War of Independence Siege of Dubrovnik Operation Maslenica Siege of Mostar |
| Awards | Order of Petar Zrinski and Fran Krsto Frankopan |
Thomas Crowley (20th April 1949 – 10 June 1995) was an Irishman who fought in the Croatian War of Independence.[1]
Initially a member of the British Army,[1] he travelled to Croatia in 1991 and joined as a volunteer with the Croatian Defence Forces.[2] He was assigned to the Ante Paradžik First Battalion, and participated as a commando in battles at Dubrovnik, Livno, Mostar, Popovo Polje, Operation Maslenica, and the liberation of Skabrnje. He was wounded at Zemunik.[citation needed]
In 1994 he led a training camp for the 114th brigade which trained more than 2,000 soldiers.[3]
Tomislav Kraulić (his other nickname which would be Croatian version of Thomas Crowley) was shy and rarely talked about himself. In his request for Croatian citizenship he wrote: "I came to Croatia to fight for its freedom. I would like to stay here after the war is over and live here if I survive. I like Croatia and Croatian people. This is my home."
He was killed in action near Dubrovnik in 1995 and is buried near Split.[4] Upon his death he held the rank of Major in the Croatian Defence Forces and in 2012 was posthumously awarded the Croatian Order of Petar Zrinski and Fran Krsto Frankopan.[5][6]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Prije 21 godinu Irac Thomas Crowley život je dao za Hrvatsku". hrt.hr (in Croatian). Hrvatska radiotelevizija. 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ "Thomas Crowley – Hrabro srce umrlo za Hrvatsku". vecernji.hr (in Croatian). Večernji list. 25 December 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ ""Irish Braveheart" Thomas Crowley posthumously awarded Croatian Medal of Honour". inavukic.com. 13 December 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ "Grabar-Kitarović prisjetila se Irca koji je poginuo za Hrvatsku: 'Mi smo dvije prijateljske zemlje'". vecernji.hr (in Croatian). Večernji list. 4 April 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ "Thomas Crowley 1949-1995 profile". croatia.org. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ "Vidio je snimku kako tenk gazi fiću i došao braniti Hrvatsku". 24sata.hr (in Croatian). 24sata. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2020.