Trooper Alfred Crouch, Special Boat Service, SAS Regiment, AAC, attached to 2 Commando Brigade, died during operations at Lake Comacchio, Italy [1][1a][2].

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Afred John Crouch was a Clerk before joining the Metropolitan Police in July 1938. During his training he achieved a remarkable 99 per cent marking and was assigned to 'P' Division, collar number 409P. In November 1941 Crouch married Raymonde Barbara Cully at Lewisham, and although he joined the Royal Armoured Corps (TA) on 31 January 1942 the Met would not release him for full time service until mid March. 

He volunteered for the 1st SAS on 14 February 1943 and was posted to the Special Boat Sqn., 'S' Detachment, when it was raised the following month. Crouch served in the Aegean islands until his unit in the SBS, now re-designated Special Boat Service, was deployed to Italy under the command of HQ Land Forces Adriatic carrying out operations within Yugoslavia and along the Dalmatian coast. Trooper Crouch died at Lake Comacchio on the night of 8/9 April 1945. Whilst his patrol was securing a narrow causeway that runs towards the town Crouch slipped into the mud alongside and drowned. It is commonly believed that he did not struggle as he knew that any noise would attract enemy machine gun fire. Posted missing believed drowned the Raiding Support Regiments' War Diary notes that on the afternoon of 21 April 'OP found two English dead at south bank. Pte Crouch of SBS at 592662 and a Lieut. of the Gds Bde at 595665. Both were buried on the spot that afternoon' [1a].