Ronald Herbert Crossley was the son of Herbert and May (Bristow) Crossley, of Canterbury, Kent. He enlisted in The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) and went with the British Expeditionary Force to France. After Dunkirk he was posted to Africa and Malta. He volunteered for airborne forces and completed his para training on course number 50 at Kabrit, Egypt and was  posted to 11th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment and sent to Palestine. Tragically Ronald was killed, aged 22, in an accident when his parachute failed to properly open.