Page 27 - Sylvia Malt - Side by Side v1

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Captain Robert Laurence PILLMAN, 10 Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment
1893-1916

Robert Pillman was the third son of Joseph Pillman JP, County Councillor, of the Cottage, Church
Road, Foots Cray. After leaving the world-renowned Rugby School, Robert was articled to solicitors
in London. Both Robert and his older brother, Charles, were enthusiastic sportsmen, and Robert
played rugby football for Blackheath for seven seasons, gaining his International Cap for England
against France in 1914. Charles was already established as an international rugby star and very well
known by the rugby fraternity and its enthusiastic supporters. Early in 1914, before the War, he had
played for England XV in a match against Scotland.

Enlisting in the 10th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, Robert Pillman was later transferred to the 10th
Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1915 and to Captain in
1916. In May 1916, Captain Pillman left with his Regiment for the Front and took part in the
notorious Battle of the Somme.

On 9th July 1916 he was tragically shot by a sniper whilst bringing his men back from a raid at night
and died from his wounds just hours later. The Evening Standard Newspaper mistakenly reported that
his brother, Charles, had died and had to retract the statement in the next day’s issue. In his will he left
the sum of £98.

In Memoriam: Buried in the Calvaire (Essex) Military Cemetery, France which was begun in
November 1914. It was established beside a building known as Essex House and is an example of a
regimental cemetery, many of which were made in 1914/1915.
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Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Trevor CRISPIN, Commander, 2 Battalion,
Royal Sussex Regiment 1868-1914

Inside St. James’ Church there is a memorial erected to the memory of Lt. Col. Hugh Trevor Crispin,
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who was commanding 2 Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Hugh Crispin was the nephew of Rev.
Johnston, the long-serving vicar of St. James Church, who grew up in Danson House.

Born 1868 in London, the son of Alfred Trevor Crispin (a Civil Servant in the Legal Department of the
Treasury), Hugh Crispin was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. He chose a career in the Army
and served principally with the Northumberland Fusiliers, a mounted infantry.

During the Boer War (South Africa) between 1899-1901 Hugh Crispin played a major part in the
battles, especially in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Diamond Hill. The Boer Wars were primarily about
who would rule in South Africa and gain the benefit of the gold fields. The Dutch Boer fighters were
basically a guerrilla army with intimate knowledge of the terrain. After several setbacks, particularly
the siege of Mafeking, the British Army brought in massive extra troops and outnumbered the Boer
fighters four to one. The battles primarily commenced late 1899, and Lt. Col. Crispin was
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recommended for a VC for action on 3 December 1899.

Setting out from Orange Grove with one of General Gordon's 3rd Cavalry Brigade, it was attacked
by Boer forces in the neighbourhood of Bapsfontein and forced to retreat. Lt. Col. Hugh Crispin was
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unfortunately severely wounded on 20 June 1900 at Bapsfontein and returned to the United
Kingdom for medical treatment. Once recovered, he was first based at Aldershot, Hampshire and
then from 1907 at the Army Officer Training Centre at Sandhurst in Surrey.