Company Sergeant Major James Crossan

Company Sergeant Major James Crossan, 1st/4th (Border) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. ( The civil records spell his name Crosson). He died from wounds in France, aged 42, on the 7th October 1918 during the “Advance to Victory”. He had been born in Selkirk and was the son of the late Catherine and James Crossan formerly of 22 Church Street, Galashiels and the husband of Christina Crossan of 156 Halliburton Place, Galashiels. He had been a Regular soldier and had served in the Second Anglo Boer War in South Africa. On discharge he joined the Territorial K.O.S.B. and was posted to them in Egypt in December 1916. He survived the sinking of the troopship “Ivernia” and went on to serve in Palestine and France when the Battalion as part of the 52nd (Lowland) Division was sent to France to help stem the German Spring Offensives. He may have been wounded in the attempt to capture the the Cambrai suburb of Faubourg de Paris on the 4th October which cost the Battalion 150 casualties. He is buried in Sunken Road Cemetery, Boisleux-St. Marc, France where his Headstone is inscribed ” They Miss You Most Who Loved You Best”. The photos show Allied troops advancing after the retreating German Army during the final 100 days of the War.