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According to his Royal Naval Service record Francis W Craven was born on the 29th Feb 1889 in Manchester. His address at the time of joining was given as Carlton Lodge, Dudley Rd, Whalley Range, Manchester; where he lived with his mother. He joined his first ship in May 1903 and served throughout the war with a very good record.
Between 1914 and 1917 he served on the super-dreadnought HMS Queen Elizabeth, flagship for the naval operations in the Dardanelles campaign.

By 1918 he was commanding HMS Mounsey, an M-Class Destroyer. In October 1918 HMS Mounsey was off the Western Isles when she was called to the aid of HMS Otranto, an armed merchant cruiser used as a troopship and ferrying American soldiers to the Front. Otranto had collied in rough seas with an escort ship, struck rocks, and was sinking fast. 351 American troops were lost, together with 80 British crew; however Craven, in command of HMS Mounsey, managed to rescue almost 350 Americans and landed them at Belfast.

For his seamanship and gallantry during the rescue operations Craven was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, the American Distinguished Service Medal and the American Navy Cross (second only in importance to the Medal of Honour).

He retired from the Navy in April 1920. It is not clear whether this was due to the general demobilisation following the War, or whether the fact that a receiving order in bankruptcy was made against him around this time. In any event the bankruptcy order was annulled shortly after and by December 1920 Craven had joined the Auxiliary Division RIC. He was posted to 'M' Company in Longford.

On the 3rd February 1921 two lorries of Auxiliaries were travelling at speed on the road between Granard and Ballinalee. At a place called Clonfin, and ambush had been prepared by Sean McEoin's Longford Flying Column. A mine had been laid which exploed under the first lorry, wounding and disabling all within it. The second lorry, which had been travelling too close behind then ran into the ambush and its occupants were engaged by the IRA attackers and quickly subjugated. Only when their ammunition was exhausted did the Auxiliaries surrender.
Although other members of the Flying Column wanted to kill the remaining Auxies out of hand, McEoin gave orders that the wounded were to be seen to; his actions were noted by the survivors and several were later to pay tribute to him.

Francis Craven had initially wounded in the leg, he was bandaging it when a further bullet struck him in the neck. Also killed at the scene was Cadet John Houghton, aged 26. He had previously served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Sussex Regt and the Sussex Constabulary. He had been married 2 months.

Two more of the wounded were to die in hospital on the 4th February. They were Cadets George Bush and Harold Clayton. Bush was 24 and from Hertfordshire. Clayton was 25 and had served with the Royal Field Artillery, being awarded the DCM. He was commissioned as an officer in the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Clayton left a pregnant wife and one child, he was buried on 10th February 1921 at his home in Tynemouth.

 .I. Craven's grave

The other Auxiliaries seriously wounded in the ambush were Cadets Chesterton, Greenfield, Lambert, Lee, Moyles, Richardson, Taylor and Weeble. Cadet T J Wilford was the lone survivor of the party of 18; he managed to escape and went for assistance.