Within our Notable Members section is the story of Colonel Frederick Hugh Crawford, CBE, JP
Fred Crawford (21 August 1861 – 5 November 1952) was an officer in the British Army. A staunch Ulster loyalist, Crawford is most notable for organising the Larne gun-running which secured guns and ammunition for the Ulster Volunteers (UVF) in 1914, with shipments landing in Larne, Donaghadee, and Bangor in the early hours between Friday 24 and Saturday 25 April.
Major Crawford and arms dealer Benny Spiro, March 1914. The man on the far right of the back row is Richard Toomath, of John Milligan & Co. Coal Merchants. The firm was Crawford’s link to the Clydesdale Steamship Company. Image: By Undeclared – London Somme Association, PD-US
The story on our Notable Members page includes copies of correspondence between the Secretary of the Murray Club and Fred Crawford, on becoming an Honorary Member. This includes the story of the landing at Larne in his own words. A fascinating snapshot of an historical moment.