In 1910, together with Goddall and Coldham, he formed one of the trio of Head Boys and it was said of them at the time “we have a trio, than which nothing better has ever been seen at St Ronan’s; their general influence has been splendid and it is very largely due to them that there is, at this moment, a far greater spirit of unselfishness in the school than is usual among boys”.
Also in 1910 he went on to Lancing College. Upon his departure from Saint Ronan’s, it was reported: “if he does as well there as he has done with us, that school will have every reason to be proud of him.” He caught chicken pox there in his first term.

At Lancing he was in Olds House from September 1910 and in Sandersons House from September 1914 until April 1915.

He was a Corporal in the Officer Training Corps, where he achieved Certificate A, and was Financial Editor of the school magazine from September 1913. He was appointed as a House Captain in September 1914, Head of House in September 1914 and as a Prefect in January 1915.

He was in the Classical Sixth and was a prominent member of the Debating Society. He won the School Essay Prize in 1914 and passed his Higher School Certificate in the same year.

He was offered an Open Scholarship in Modern History at St John’s College Cambridge but was also offered a History Exhibition to Magdalen College Oxford, which he accepted. In the event he did neither, deciding instead to join the Army.

Lancing, 1914 - Walter is sitting on the front row on the far right

While still at school he applied for a commission in the 4th Battalion Dorset Regiment on the 21st March 1915 in an application that was supported by the Reverend Bowlby, Headmaster of Lancing College. He had undertaken a medical examination at Hove on the 18th March at which he was declared as fit for general service.

He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 4th Battalion Dorset Regiment as soon as he left school on the 9th April 1915. He was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant on 4th April 1916 and acted as Adjutant of the Reserve Battalion of his regiment while serving in the UK.

He joined the 2/4th Battalion Dorset Regiment when they were in India where they had been since 1914. On 15th August 1917 the Battalion embarked at Bombay on board the SS ”Multa”. They disembarked in Egype at Suez on 29th August and moved into camp at Kantara.

On 17th September 1917 they entrained for the front in Palestine. There they saw action at the Battle of Gaza in the first week of November and the advance on Jerusalem that followed. They also saw action at the storming of Deir Ballut in March 1918.

Once Deir Ballut had been taken on 12th March, attention turned towards the high ground which ran parallel to Ballut Ridge, known as Three Bushes Hill. It was decided that this position, which was still occupied by the Turks, should be taken. With this in mind a patrol of the Dorsets was sent to reconnoitre the hill on the 15th but was driven back by Turkish fire. Another probe on the 24th gathered more information and on the 27th a general advance was made to the base of the ridge.

Early on the morning of 9th April the Dorsets moved forward to the attack with the intent of taking the hill. After a sort sharp fight they were established on top of the hill by 6:00am and 7:00am in the morning. “D” Company, under Lieutenant Crick, was holding the centre and right shoulder of the hill. The Turkish counter attack began at 7.45am and by 9:00am enemy pressure on the left flank held by “B” Company became such that “A” Company, who were in reserve, were called upon to assist. Twenty minutes later “D” Company reported their position as “serious” with the enemy threatening their right flank and personnel from Battalion Headquarters were rushed forward to reinforce them. Enemy shelling was heavy and it was at about this time that Walter Crick was struck by a shell and killed.

The Battalion clung on to its gains until the night of the 10th/11th when they were relieved by an Indian Regiment.

The regimental history described him thus: “Kind and courteous, he was much beloved by all ranks.”

He is also commemorated on the Oving war memorial.

His cousin and schoolfriend, Holford Charles Fourdrinier Plant (1895-1917) also served and perished in World War I, aged just 22.