 Crombie completed his final patrol with No. 176 Squadron on 28 April 1943, before moving to Air Headquarters, Bengal four days later. Later that month, Crombie carried out two raids over Akyab, Burma, the first a strafing attack on Japanese troops in the area, and the second assaulting Japanese shipping. On 25 May, the announcement that Crombie had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross was published in a supplement to the London Gazette. The decoration came as a result of his "High standard of courage and keenness whilst flying" with No. 89 Squadron in the Middle East, carrying out "... Intruder patrols and ... low level attacks on enemy bases" in addition to his personal destruction of Axis aircraft.
