Page 24 - Sylvia Malt - Side by Side v1

Ian Osborne Crombie, James MacHattie Crombie, William Maurice Crombie

Born in Scotland, Dr. James Crombie, was a very well known family doctor and a regular member of
Sidcup’s Military Tribunal. He and his Irish born wife, Mary, lived in Sidcup with their daughter and
three sons.

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Ian Osborne CROMBIE born in Sidcup in 1895, was a Captain with the 11 Battalion, Middlesex
Regt. which was raised at Mill Hill in August 1914 as part of Kitchener’s First New Army. They trained
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at Colchester before the Division proceeded to France between the 29 May and 1 June 1915, landing
at Boulogne.

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The 11 Battalion took part in the notorious Battle of the Somme which commenced on 1 July 1916
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and by mid morning the 11 Battalion, Middlesex Regiment went into the reserve at Hencourt and
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Millencourt. They relieved the 8 Division at Ovillers-la-Boisselle that night and attacked at 3.15am the
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following morning with mixed success. The 11 Division took part in various actions during the next
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few weeks and unfortunately on 28 July 1916 Captain Ian Crombie was one of the many thousands
killed in action. He was just 21 years-of-age.

In Memoriam: Ian Crombie is buried in the Bouzincourt Communal Cemetery extension, France.

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James MacHattie CROMBIE, born 1897, was a 2 Lieutenant. in the 10 Battalion, Queens Own
(Royal West Kent Regiment). He was educated at Merton Court, (established in 1899 in Sidcup) and
then from about 1908 he attended Epsom College which was originally founded to help the sons of
medical practitioners.

James belonged to the Epsom College Officer Training Corps for five years and was a cadet officer and
head prefect during his last year there. In June 1916 he gained a Military Exhibition at Christ Church,
Oxford. Following officer training at the cadet school he was gazetted to the Royal West Kent
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Regiment as a 2 Lieutenant and went to the Front in January 1917. His Battalion took part in fighting
at Messines, Belgium.

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Sadly, James Crombie was seriously wounded on 25 June and was immediately taken to the nearest
Military Field Hospital at Lijssenthoek where dedicated voluntary nurses and Army doctors did their
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utmost to provide treatment for his injuries. But despite their best efforts, James died on the 2 July
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1917, just a few days after his 20 birthday.

In Memoriam: James Crombie was buried in the Ljissenthoek Military Cemetery in Belgium.

William Maurice CROMBIE born 1893, attended Epsom College and from 1911-1916 trained as a
doctor at St.Thomas’ Hospital in London. After taking the position of House physician in 1916, William
took a temporary commission in the Royal Army Medical Corps and subsequently served in India and
Mesopotamia with the Indian Army Medical Service.

Early in 1917, Captain William Crombie married Grace Franks and a son, Ian MacHattie Crombie,
was born to them later that year. Unfortunately, in February 1919, Captain Crombie died at the Albert
Docks Hospital, London, from influenza following illness contracted in Baghdad.

In Memoriam: Captain Crombie was buried in Sidcup Cemetery, Foots Cray Lane, Sidcup.