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.
-
SURNAME
Abdullah Khan
FORENAME
UNIT
152 (Indian) Bn
RANK
Sepoy
NUMBER
P/1189
DATE OF DEATH
27th March 1944
AGE
22
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 54
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
son of Sultan
husband of Mehar Bhari,Mochh,Mianwali,Pakistan
KIA Burma
-
SURNAME
Abdullah Khan
FORENAME
UNIT
152 (Indian) Bn
RANK
Lance Naik
NUMBER
P/654
DATE OF DEATH
27th March 1944
AGE
25
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 54
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
son of Mehar Khan and Charag Bibi,Shin Bhatti,Gurdaspur,India
KIA Burma
-
SURNAME
Abdul Satar
FORENAME
UNIT
152 (Indian) Bn
RANK
Sepoy
NUMBER
P/467
DATE OF DEATH
27th March 1944
AGE
19
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 54
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
son of Muhammada
husband of Fatma,Chak No. 20E/B,Montgomery,Pakistan
KIA Burma
-
SURNAME
Abdul Jabar
FORENAME
UNIT
152 (Indian) Bn
RANK
Sepoy
NUMBER
P/1028
DATE OF DEATH
27th March 1944
AGE
25
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 54
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
son of Jamal Din and Jan
husband of Anwar,Samu,Campbellpore,Pakistan
KIA Burma
-
SURNAME
Abdul Ghafur
FORENAME
UNIT
152 (Indian) Bn
RANK
Sepoy
NUMBER
P/580
DATE OF DEATH
27th March 1944
AGE
18
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 54
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
KIA Burma
-
SURNAME
Abdul Aziz
FORENAME
UNIT
152 (Indian) Bn
RANK
Sepoy
NUMBER
P/887
DATE OF DEATH
27th March 1944
AGE
17
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 54
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
son of Rehman Khan,Rang Mahal,Lahore,Pakistan
KIA Burma
-
SURNAME
Suminski
FORENAME
Arthur Jan Marcin Maria
UNIT
HQ V Force
RANK
Lieutenant
NUMBER
204779
DATE OF DEATH
25th December 1944
AGE
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 2
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Artillery
born Poland
resided Poland
died Burma
-
SURNAME
Archambault
FORENAME
Jean Paul
UNIT
Force 136 SOE
RANK
Captain
NUMBER
DATE OF DEATH
19th May 1945
AGE
36
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial, Myanmar Face 19
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
born 13.11.1908, Acton Vale, Quebec, Canada...
-
SURNAME
Sowden
FORENAME
Alfred Claude Brenton
UNIT
Force 136 SOE
RANK
Sergeant
NUMBER
841889
DATE OF DEATH
7th September 1945
AGE
27
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 3
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Corps of Signals
born 12.3.1918 St Columb,Cornwall...
-
SURNAME
Bolton
FORENAME
Ronald Lewis
UNIT
152 (Indian) Bn (Hampshire Regiment,attached)
RANK
Lieutenant
NUMBER
197203
DATE OF DEATH
19th March 1944
AGE
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 14
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born London E
resided London E
son of L.W. and Mrs...
-
SURNAME
Hughes
FORENAME
Reginald Hugh
UNIT
HQ 50 Indian Parachute Brigade (Royal Army Medical Corps,attached)
RANK
Corporal
NUMBER
7370578
DATE OF DEATH
28th March 1944
AGE
27
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 18
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Liverpool
son of Hugh...
-
SURNAME
Ball
FORENAME
Robert Emmett John
UNIT
HQ 50 Indian Parachute Brigade (5 Bn 15 Punjab Regiment,IA,attached)
RANK
Major
NUMBER
IA/1066
DATE OF DEATH
24th March 1944
AGE
27
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 47
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
son of R.E.J. and Mary E...
-
SURNAME
Worsley
FORENAME
Edward
UNIT
13 Bn King's Regiment (Liverpool)
RANK
Private
NUMBER
5119056
DATE OF DEATH
24th April 1943
AGE
27
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 6
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Salford,Lancashire
resided Salford,Lancashire
-
SURNAME
Witheridge
FORENAME
William Henry
UNIT
13 Bn King's Regiment (Liverpool)
RANK
Private
NUMBER
5107917
DATE OF DEATH
18th April 1943
AGE
32
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 6
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Birmingham
resided Birmingham
husband of Grace...
-
SURNAME
Wilson
FORENAME
John Fraser
UNIT
13 Bn King's Regiment (Liverpool)
RANK
Warrant Officer Second Class (CSM)
NUMBER
3186646
DATE OF DEATH
30th April 1943
AGE
29
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 5
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Gateshead,Co.Durham
son of John...
-
SURNAME
Williams
FORENAME
Thomas Edward
UNIT
13 Bn King's Regiment (Liverpool)
RANK
Lance Corporal
NUMBER
3959534
DATE OF DEATH
1st March 1943
AGE
26
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 5
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Cardiff
son of Thomas Henry and Millicent...
-
SURNAME
Williams
FORENAME
Raymond Edward
UNIT
13 Bn King's Regiment (Liverpool)
RANK
Captain
NUMBER
148867
DATE OF DEATH
23rd April 1943
AGE
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 5
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Shropshire
resided Birkenhead,Cheshire
former Royal Artillery
-
SURNAME
Williams
FORENAME
Ralph
UNIT
South Staffordshire Regiment,attached 13 Bn King's Regiment (Liverpool)
RANK
Lieutenant
NUMBER
153850
DATE OF DEATH
24th June 1943
AGE
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 14
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Glamorgan
resided Middlesex
-
SURNAME
Williams
FORENAME
John
UNIT
13 Bn King's Regiment (Liverpool)
RANK
Private
NUMBER
3865864
DATE OF DEATH
8th May 1943
AGE
26
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 6
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Lancashire
son of John and Ruth Williams
husband of Emma...
-
SURNAME
Williams
FORENAME
Ernest Walter
UNIT
13 Bn King's Regiment (Liverpool)
RANK
Private
NUMBER
4197586
DATE OF DEATH
11th April 1943
AGE
25
GRAVESITE
Rangoon Memorial,Myanmar Face 6
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Pembrokeshire
resided Pembrokeshire