rangoon memorial

RANGOON MEMORIAL

RANGOON MEMORIAL​

HISTORY INFORMATION
The RANGOON MEMORIAL bears the names of almost 27,000 men of the Commonwealth land forces who died during the campaigns in Burma (now Myanmar) and who have no known grave.

The memorial was designed by Mr. H.J. Brown, ARIBA and unveiled by General Sir Francis Festing, GCB, KBE, DSO on 9 February 1958.

The memorial stands in TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY, which is the largest of the three war cemeteries in Burma. It was begun in 1951 for the reception of graves from four battlefield cemeteries at Akyab, Mandalay, Meiktila and Sahmaw, which were difficult to access and could not be maintained. The last was an original 'Chindit' cemetery containing many of those who died in the battle for Myitkyina. The graves have been grouped together at Taukkyan to preserve the individuality of these battlefield cemeteries.

Burials were also transferred from civil and cantonment cemeteries, and from a number of isolated jungle and roadside sites. Because of prolonged post-war unrest, considerable delay occurred before the Army Graves Service were able to complete their work, and in the meantime many such graves had disappeared. However, when the task was resumed, several hundred more graves were retrieved from scattered positions throughout the country and brought together here.

The cemetery now contains 6,374 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 867 of them unidentified.

In the 1950s, the graves of 52 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War were brought into the cemetery from the following cemeteries where permanent maintenance was not possible:- Henzada(1); Meiktila Cantonment(8); Thayetmyo New(5); Thamakan(4); Mandalay Military(12) and Maymyo Cantonment(22).

Taukkyan War Cemetery also contains:

The TAUKKYAN CREMATION MEMORIAL, which commemorates more than 1,000 Second World War casualties whose remains were cremated in accordance with their faith.

The TAUKKYAN MEMORIAL, which commemorates 45 servicemen of both wars who died and were buried elsewhere in Burma, but whose graves could not be maintained.
  1. SOE Aganoor, Aram (Bunny)

    SURNAME Aganoor FORENAME Aram (Bunny) UNIT SOE attached Det 101 OSS (A Group) RANK Lieutenant NUMBER EC 4397 DATE OF DEATH 23rd February 1943 AGE 30 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 20 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit General Service Branch, GHQ (India),Indian Army...
  2. SOE Redwood, Albert C.

    SURNAME Redwood FORENAME Albert C. UNIT Force 136 SOE RANK Sergeant NUMBER 5727778 DATE OF DEATH 27th January 1945 AGE 25 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 14 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Dorsetshire Regiment born 28.4.1919 Bristol son of Samuel and Kate Redwood,St...
  3. SOE Weir, Thomas Ritchie

    SURNAME Weir FORENAME Thomas Ritchie UNIT Oriental Mission RANK Captain NUMBER 211179 DATE OF DEATH 8th June 1942 AGE GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 19 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit General List born c.1883 mining engineer,Penang drowned while attempting to...
  4. SOE Little, Samuel McCammont

    SURNAME Little FORENAME Samuel McCammont UNIT Force 136 SOE RANK Second Lieutenant NUMBER 359740 DATE OF DEATH 7th September 1945 AGE 27 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 19 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit General List former Gordon Highlanders born 24.6.1918 6 Park...
  5. SOE Hatton, Walter John

    SURNAME Hatton FORENAME Walter John UNIT Oriental Mission RANK Lieutenant NUMBER 216424 DATE OF DEATH 16th June 1942 AGE 45 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 19 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit General List born 1897 Greenwich,London son of Thomas and Emma Marion Hatton...
  6. INDIAN PARA Kynoch-Shand, Robert William

    SURNAME Kynoch-Shand FORENAME Robert William UNIT 2 Bn Indian Parachute Regiment RANK Captain NUMBER EC/10077 DATE OF DEATH 1st May 1945 AGE 22 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 56 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 23.9.1922 educated Loretto School,Musselburgh September 1936 -...
  7. CHINDITS 1943 Edwards, Noel William

    SURNAME Edwards FORENAME Noel William UNIT Royal Corps of Signals RANK Signalman NUMBER 2325793 DATE OF DEATH 1st - 30th June 1943 AGE 24 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 4 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 6.4.1920 Newcastle-on-Tyne son of William and Mary Margaret...
  8. ARMY CDOS Hodges, James Reginald

    SURNAME Hodges FORENAME James Reginald UNIT 5 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 5190088 DATE OF DEATH 23rd March 1944 AGE 28 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 12 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Gloucestershire Regiment died Burma
  9. SOE Saw Ah Din,

    SURNAME Saw Ah Din FORENAME UNIT Force 136 SOE RANK Recruit NUMBER DATE OF DEATH 14th September 1944 AGE GRAVESITE Rangoon War Cemetery,Myanmar Coll.grave 4.A.13-20 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit 1 Bn Keren Rifles POW - executed Rangoon
  10. SOE Steer, George Lowther

    SURNAME Steer FORENAME George Lowther UNIT SOE India (Field Propaganda Unit) RANK T/Lieutenant Colonel NUMBER 152641 DATE OF DEATH 25th December 1944 AGE 35 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 19 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Intelligence Corps born 22.11.1909...
  11. CHINDITS 1943 Hector, Stephen Frederick (Steve)

    SURNAME Hector FORENAME Stephen Frederick (Steve) UNIT 13 Bn King's Regiment (Liverpool) (South Wales Borderers,attached) (Column 7) RANK Lieutenant NUMBER 172208 DATE OF DEATH 11th April 1943 AGE 28 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 9 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born...
  12. SOE Shearn, Ronald Charles

    SURNAME Shearn FORENAME Ronald Charles UNIT Force 136 SOE RANK Captain NUMBER 322739 DATE OF DEATH 4th May 1945 AGE 20 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 19 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit General List born 9.7.1924 Marseilles,France British father,French mother...
  13. SOE Sexton, Dennis Alfred Richard

    SURNAME Sexton FORENAME Dennis Alfred Richard UNIT Force 136 SOE RANK Signalman NUMBER 14593076 DATE OF DEATH 17th April 1945 AGE 21 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 4 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Corps of Signals born 28.4.1923 Peckham,London...
  14. SOE Goodwin, Stanley Harold

    SURNAME Goodwin FORENAME Stanley Harold UNIT Force 136 SOE RANK Corporal NUMBER 2079363 DATE OF DEATH 7th September 1945 AGE 24 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 3 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Engineers born 1921 Chesterton,Cambridgeshire son of Laurie...
  15. SOE Goldsmith, Alan Leslie

    SURNAME Goldsmith FORENAME Alan Leslie UNIT Force 136 SOE RANK Captain NUMBER 243574 DATE OF DEATH 7th September 1945 AGE 29 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 3 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Engineers born 16.8.1916 Whitton,Suffolk Chartered...
  16. SOE Gillson, Godfrey Anthony

    SURNAME Gillson FORENAME Godfrey Anthony UNIT Force 136 SOE RANK Major NUMBER 40284 DATE OF DEATH 3rd March 1944 AGE 35 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 10 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit King's Own Scottish Borderers born 19.1.1908 Hanover Square,London son of...
  17. SOE Dufferin and Ava, Basil Sheridan Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood,4th Marquess of

    SURNAME Dufferin and Ava FORENAME Basil Sheridan Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood,4th Marquess of UNIT Force 136 SOE RANK Captain NUMBER 141136 DATE OF DEATH 25th March 1945 AGE 35 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 1 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Horse Guards...
  18. SOE Briant, John Ernest

    SURNAME Briant FORENAME John Ernest UNIT Force 136 SOE RANK Captain NUMBER EC/9623 DATE OF DEATH 1st August 1945 AGE 22 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 70 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit 8th Gurkha Rifles,Indian Army formerly Border Regiment born 29.11.1923...
  19. SOE Wigginton, Sydney Isaac

    SURNAME Wigginton FORENAME Sydney Isaac UNIT SOE RANK Lieutenant Colonel NUMBER 156630 DATE OF DEATH 7th September 1945 AGE 31 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) born...
  20. CHINDITS 1944 Hollis, Thomas

    SURNAME Hollis FORENAME Thomas UNIT Royal Engineers RANK Corporal NUMBER 1875764 DATE OF DEATH 25th May 1944 AGE 29 GRAVESITE Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 3 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION died Burma
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