Born: 1889 and died in India 14 November 1914.
Son of: Capt Duke Arthur Crofton RN (1850-1917) and Augusta Maude Lefroy (1854-1938).
Brother of:
1. Capt Hugh Lefroy Crofton (1884-1917).
2. Philip Duke Crofton OBE (1886-1951), Commander RN, died 4 August 1954.  Buried St Giles, Bradford-on-Tone.
3. Sir Richard Marsh Crofton (1891-1955).  Prime Minister of Bahawalpur State in British India 1942 to 1948.
4. Patrick George Crofton (1899-1938).
5. Amy Dundas Crofton (1893-1975).
6. Hilda Frances Boles (nee Crofton, 1894-1943) who married Cmmd Geoffrey Coleridge Boles (1887-1976?).

John Henry Crofton (Jack) is recorded as entering the service (the Army) 18 September 1909.  This would be as a 2nd Lieutenant.  He was promoted to a Lieutenant 18 December 1911.  By 16 August 1914 he had joined the 53rd Sikhs (Frontier Force) which consisted of four companies of Sikhs, two of Pathans, and one each of Punjabi Muslims and Dogras.  Most if not all of his fellow officers would have been English. 

The Regiment received orders to mobilize at Kohat on 11 October 1914 and left for Karachi on 14 November.  Lt John Henry Crofton is noted dying 14 November 1914, age 24 years old.  Presumably he died of an illness or in an accident.

The  53rd Sikhs later sailed for Suez on the Coconada and Arankola and arrived there 2 December.  During this time the regiment served as part of the 28th Indian Brigade. 

In July 1915 they went to Aden (Yemen) where on the 20 July they took part in an attack on Sheikh Othman.  They returned to Egypt in September and by December had made their way to Mesopotamia (Iraq).  They fought with great gallantry in the ill-fated battles for the Relief of Kut al Amara (1916-1917) on the Tigris Front.  Eventually the Turkish army was ground down and the 53rd Sikhs took part in the capture of Bagdad.