 Crawford 's wages caused the OCA some financial difficulty and were the cause of extended negotiations in 1915 . Part of the settlement involved Crawford receiving a lower salary in return for freedom to offer his services to other clubs on a freelance basis . As a consequence , he represented different teams throughout the season in local cricket . He was also paid to coach at Otago Boys High School . There were other difficulties ; the association complained about the lateness of Crawford 's report on the Otago team , and were unhappy that he also coached golf . Crawford in turn told the association that several Otago players were late for practice . After further complaints about Crawford 's coaching in 1916 , the OCA decided to terminate his contract . Crawford initially offered to continue for less money — £ 245 . The OCA bargained , suggesting a payment of £ 200 , whereupon Crawford insisted that he should be paid £ 300 . The OCA then proposed to terminate his contract immediately for a payment of £ 150 but he refused . He was eventually paid £ 200 in June to leave Otago . That November , with the First World War into its third year , New Zealand brought in conscription . Crawford was called up in July 1917 , and was posted to a training camp near Wellington in late 1917 . During this time , he played twice for Wellington 's cricket team in first @-@ class matches during early 1918 . When given weekend passes , he visited his wife who was left alone in Dunedin . He travelled to England prior to a posting to the Western Front , although he arrived too late to join the fighting . He was part of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade but it is unclear what his rank was . The Repton School War Register states that he was a rifleman but New Zealand press accounts named him as a quartermaster sergeant . According to a 1992 article in Wisden Cricket Monthly by Jim Sullivan , Crawford was demoted while he was in the army . The reasons are unknown , but Burns speculates that his " independent and obstinate nature " made it difficult for him to accept military discipline . While Crawford was in the army , his wife moved to Adelaide . According to Anita , the marriage became unhappy in 1916 and Crawford left her in November of that year . She claimed that he had not supported her financially from that point . When the war ended , she returned to live in Australia with her parents . Her subsequent career as a dress designer and fashion buyer necessitated a move to London , where Crawford was living , in 1921 but the couple never reconciled . They were divorced , with some publicity in Australia , in 1923 ; in court , she gave evidence that he had an affair with a " third party " . She went on to remarry and to have a successful career as a designer and orchestral conductor . 
