Name
David George Crombie-Ro(d)gers
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/10/1916
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
36443
Royal Berkshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 11 D.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
High Wych Village Memorial, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Born at Camberwell in Surrey, the son of Alexander Crombie-Rodgers and Maud Emma Crombie-Rodgers (nee Gibbons), of High Wych, Sawbridgeworth. Herts. His father was an agent for ‘milling staffs and stones’. Davis later worked as a ‘Clerk’ in the mill trade.
In the 1901 census, David was living at Low Hill, Roydon with his Scottish grandfather. The whereabouts of the rest of his family is obscure, although his younger brother Hector was born at Roydon in 1905. It is possible some of his family lived abroad for a time. In 1914, they were apparently living in the High Wych area.
Enlisted in 1915 between 24th May 1915 and 2nd June 1915.
Wartime Service
Formerly 5001 in the Hertfordshire Regiment.
After initial service with the Hertfordshire Regiment, he was transferred to the 6th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment. This Battalion was holding trenches at the front near Thiepval 27 September-5 October 1916 during the Somme offensive. There were no major assaults, but the Battalion took 201 casualties in this time due to heavy shelling and raids.
The date given for David Crombie-Rodgers’ death is 5 October 1916. This was the day on which the Battalion withdrew from the front, although the war diary does not record any casualties on that date. As his body was not recovered it is likely that David was missing on from this, or an earlier date, and later this was presumed to be the date of his death.
David Crombie-Rodgers has no known grave and is named on the Thiepval Memorial. He was aged 23.
Additional Information
Appears as Rogers on the regimental memorial.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Douglas Coe
