ambon war cemetery

AMBON WAR CEMETERY

Ambon-War-Cem_DSCN6397.JPG

AMBON WAR CEMETERY​

HISTORY INFORMATION
The town of Ambon, situated on Laitimor Peninsula on the southern shore of Ambon Bay, was severely damaged during the war, first by the Japanese who bombed it heavily in January 1942 and later by the Allied forces who attacked it in 1943 and 1944.

After the fall of Ambon in February 1942, a former Dutch army camp on the island was used to hold Australian, American and Dutch prisoners of war, captured during the invasion. The War Cemetery was constructed on the site of this camp (known as Tan Touy) after the war. The cemetery contains Australian soldiers who died during the Japanese invasion of Ambon and Timor, plus those who died in captivity in one of the many camps constructed by the Japanese on the Moluccas Islands, including many British prisoners who were transferred from Java to the islands in April 1943. Soon after the war, the remains of prisoners of war from Haruku and other camps on the island were removed to Ambon and in 1961, at the request of the Indonesian Government, the remains of 503 graves in Makassar War Cemetery on the island of Celebes were added to the cemetery.

The total number of graves in the cemetery is over 2,000. Of this total over half are Australians, of whom about 350 belonged to the 2/21st Australian Infantry Battalion. Most of the 800 British casualties belonged to the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force; nearly all the naval dead were originally buried at Makassar. The cemetery is laid out in a series of terraces approached by short flights of steps on the central axis. The Ambon Memorial, which is in the form of a shelter, stands on the first terrace. It commemorates over 450 Australian soldiers and airmen who died in the region of Celebes and the Molucca Islands and have no known grave. The Stone of Remembrance stands on the highest terrace in a wide expanse of lawn; the terrace below it contains most of the burials from Makassar. All the graves are marked with bronze plaques mounted on concrete pedestals and set in level turf. Tropical trees and shrubs are planted throughout the cemetery and around its boundaries. There are 1,959 Commonwealth burials of the 1939-1945 war here, 357 of these are unidentified. There are 186 Dutch burials here, 15 being unidentified, and 1 American Airman. The American airman was killed with 7 Australian airmen in July 1945; all were buried in a collective grave in Plot 28. The non-war grave is that of a seaman of the Merchant Navy, whose death was not due to war service. The cemetery was designed by Ralph Hobday.
  1. AUSTRALIAN COMMANDOS McCandlish, Jack

    SURNAME McCandlish FORENAME Jack UNIT M. Special Unit RANK Sergeant NUMBER VX 80269 DATE OF DEATH 31st August 1943 AGE 27 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia 7.A.15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 2.10.1915 Leeds,Yorkshire,England son of John William and Marion McCandlish,Sea...
  2. AUSTRALIAN COMMANDOS Sheldon, Charles Richard

    SURNAME Sheldon FORENAME Charles Richard UNIT M. Special Unit RANK Captain NUMBER NX 130227 DATE OF DEATH 15th June 1943 AGE 51 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia 7.A.14 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 29.11.1891 Potts Point,New South Wales son of LtColonel Richard Edward and...
  3. AUSTRALIAN COMMANDOS Yeates, Arthur Edward

    SURNAME Yeates FORENAME Arthur Edward UNIT 2/2 Independent Company RANK Private NUMBER VX59976 DATE OF DEATH 12th August 1942 AGE 19 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia 19.D.1 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION son of George James and Vera Helen Yeates,West Brunswick,Victoria...
  4. AUSTRALIAN COMMANDOS Waller, David Charles

    SURNAME Waller FORENAME David Charles UNIT 2/2 Independent Company RANK Private NUMBER WX13501 DATE OF DEATH 12th August 1942 AGE 21 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia 19.C.8 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION son of Francis John and Lydia Florence Dinah...
  5. AUSTRALIAN COMMANDOS Mitchell, Henry Eric

    SURNAMEMitchell FORENAMEHenry Eric UNIT2/2 Independent Company RANKPrivate NUMBERWX9344 DATE OF DEATH2nd March 1942 AGE35 GRAVESITEAmbon War Cemetery,Indonesia 19.C.7 ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONson of Charles and Frances Emily Mitchell,Katanning,Western Australia died Timor
  6. AUSTRALIAN COMMANDOS Cotsworth, Henry James

    SURNAME Cotsworth FORENAME Henry James UNIT 2/2 Independent Company RANK Private NUMBER NX23164 DATE OF DEATH 20th February 1942 AGE 28 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia 19.C.15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION son of George and Deborah Alice Cotsworth,Bedlington...
  7. 200 FLIGHT RAF Riley, Harry

    SURNAME Riley FORENAME Harry UNIT R.A.A.F. RANK Sergeant NUMBER 14457 DATE OF DEATH 17th May 1945 AGE 30 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia Coll.grave 11.C.1-15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION son of William Bede and Alice Valinda Riley,Darlinghurst,N.S.W.,Australia Liberator...
  8. 200 FLIGHT RAF Manning, Colin Montague

    SURNAME Manning FORENAME Colin Montague UNIT R.A.A.F. RANK Flying Officer NUMBER 409282 DATE OF DEATH 17th May 1945 AGE 29 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia Coll.grave 11.C.1-15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 18.06.1915, Goulburn, Goulburn Mulwaree Council, New South...
  9. 200 FLIGHT RAF Gamble, Clarence Augustine Reginald

    SURNAME Gamble FORENAME Clarence Augustine Reginald UNIT R.A.A.F. RANK Flight Sergeant NUMBER 439646 DATE OF DEATH 17th May 1945 AGE 19 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia Coll.grave 11.C.1-15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION son of Clarence Vivian and Margaret Ellen...
  10. 200 FLIGHT RAF Brown, Lionel James

    SURNAME Brown FORENAME Lionel James UNIT R.A.A.F. RANK Flying Officer NUMBER 413536 DATE OF DEATH 17th May 1945 AGE 26 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia Coll.grave 11.C.1-15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 13.08.1918, Scone, Upper Hunter Shire, New South Wales...
  11. 200 FLIGHT RAF Rice, John William

    SURNAME Rice FORENAME John William UNIT R.A.A.F. RANK Flight Lieutenant NUMBER 412186 DATE OF DEATH 17th May 1945 AGE 28 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia Coll.grave 11.C.1-15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION son of William and Margaret Ethel Rice husband of Elizabeth Hodgson...
  12. 200 FLIGHT RAF Jones, Herbert Archibald John

    SURNAME Jones FORENAME Herbert Archibald John UNIT R.A.A.F. RANK Flying Officer NUMBER 411222 DATE OF DEATH 17th May 1945 AGE 26 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia Coll.grave 11.C.1-15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION son of William and Alice May Jones husband of Doris May...
  13. 200 FLIGHT RAF Clark, Archibald McLaren

    SURNAME Clark FORENAME Archibald McLaren UNIT R.A.A.F. RANK Flying Officer (pilot) NUMBER 402309 DATE OF DEATH 17th May 1945 AGE 24 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia Coll.grave 11.C.1-15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION son of John McLaren and Alice Clark husband of Marjorie...
  14. 200 FLIGHT RAF Clark, Herbert James (Bert)

    SURNAME Clark FORENAME Herbert James (Bert) UNIT R.A.A.F. RANK Flying Officer (Navigator) NUMBER 413153 DATE OF DEATH 17th May 1945 AGE 24 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia Coll.grave 11.C.1-15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 16.3.1921 Grenfell,New South Wales,Australia...
  15. 200 FLIGHT RAF Campbell, Henry Rupert

    SURNAME Campbell FORENAME Henry Rupert UNIT R.A.A.F. RANK Flight Lieutenant NUMBER 411860 DATE OF DEATH 17th May 1945 AGE 22 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia Coll.grave 11.C.1-15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION son of Rupert Leslie and Stella Katie Campbell husband of Edna...
  16. 200 FLIGHT RAF Biltoft, Tom Tate

    SURNAME Biltoft FORENAME Tom Tate UNIT R.A.A.F. RANK Flying Officer NUMBER 404525 DATE OF DEATH 17th May 1945 AGE 28 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia Coll.grave 11.C.1-15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 31.03.1917, Mackay, Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia son of...
  17. ZSU Williams, Desmond Maurice

    SURNAME Williams FORENAME Desmond Maurice UNIT A.I.F. RANK Lieutenant NUMBER NX 72314 DATE OF DEATH 5th July 1945 AGE 23 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia 19.D.12 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION son of Charles Fredrick and Clare Magdeline Williams,Dulwich...
  18. ZSU Wilkins, Alan Francis

    SURNAME Wilkins FORENAME Alan Francis UNIT A.I.F. RANK Lieutenant NUMBER VX 61840 DATE OF DEATH 17th May 1945 AGE 24 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia Coll.grave 11.C.1-15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION son of William John and Audrey Violet Wilkins,Toorak,Victoria,Australia...
  19. ZSU Nicol, James Anthony

    SURNAME Nicol FORENAME James Anthony UNIT A.I.F. RANK Corporal NUMBER WX 16796 DATE OF DEATH 17th May 1945 AGE 22 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia Coll.grave 11.C.1-15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION son of James and Mary Nicol Op.Sunbaker - Liberator of 200 Flight RAAF...
  20. ZSU Marshall, Kenneth Murray

    SURNAME Marshall FORENAME Kenneth Murray UNIT A.I.F. RANK Sergeant NUMBER SX 18561 DATE OF DEATH 17th May 1945 AGE 41 GRAVESITE Ambon War Cemetery,Indonesia Coll.grave 11.C.1-15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 6.4.1898 Leeds,Yorkshire son of William and Mrs Marshall,East...
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