Remembering the RNZAF Killed in Burma

[Dave Homewood]

Gerry T. Pringle has kindly sent these photos and information on the graves of several RNZAF personnel who were lost in Burma.

He says:
"Dave,

It has taken sometime to locate and recover some of the graves that I took in Burma. There are 13 graves of New Zealand service personnel buried here - all RNZAF.

This place is beautifully kept and the graves are located at the south east section of this cemetery - fittingly the closest corner to New Zealand.

In Rangoon - now Yangon - there are two CWG cemeteries. One is in Prome Road in the city and this one which is about 40 kilometres east of the city, at a place called Taukkyan.

I first visited the graves in 1988 - just after the "revolution" and have been closely associated with the country of many decades.

Incidentally there are two Americans buried there - both of whom flew for the RCAF.

When the Japanese fled Rangoon in 1945 - as Slims 14th Indian Army was poised to take Rangoon - an RAAF officer called Wing Commander Dutton ( or Hutton) was interned in the infamous jail at Insein. He was the senior allied POW - and when he woke up there was a note on his door from the Japanese commandant say in effect - you are in charge - we have left.

It was after this the POW's wrote on the roof of the jail - Extract digit - Japs gone"

I also believe that another Mosquito pilot flying over Rangoon the same day noticed that the place was sans any signs of the Japanese - so he landed his aircraft at Mingladon Airfield ( broke the u/c in the process.) He then took a bike and pedaled into the town and met up with the POW's.

This pilot - was also RNZAF - and I think his name was Abbot or Ebbot."




Grave of Pilot Officer Jack Garrett, killed 6 Jan 1944 in No. 31 Squadron RAF Douglas Dakota FD802 which crashed while dropping parachutes


Grave of Warrant Officer Hildebrand Alfred Johansson, killed 2 Aug 1944 in No. 62 Squadron RAF Douglas Dakota KG457 which crashed during a supply drop


Grave of Flying Officer Robert Alfred Turton, killed 2 Nov 1943 in No. 684 Squadron RAF Mosquito PR.II KG457


Grave of Warrant Officer Clifford John Goodenough, killed 12 July 1945 in No. 607 Squadron Spitfire LF.VIII MT991


Grave of Flying Officer John David Rudling, killed 29 Apr 1944 in No. 136 Squadron Spitfire F.VIII JF619/H

[Andy Wright]

Great photos, Gerry, of a lovely cemetery. My wife visited Burma for work back in 2008 and loved the people and the countryside.

The RAAF chap was W/C Lionel Hudson. He wrote about his time as a POW in The Rats of Rangoon.

[Calum]

Interestingly the grave markers are different to those normally used by the CWGC.

[Dave Homewood]

A good point there Calum. I think these ones look rather nice. The bronze plaques last so much better than the marble headstones which erode very quickly by comparison, maybe the weather there is a consideration in choosing bronze?

[Calum]

Jan 19, 2016 16:04:06 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

A good point there Calum. I think these ones look rather nice. The bronze plaques last so much better than the marble headstones which erode very quickly by comparison, maybe the weather there is a consideration in choosing bronze?

In Europe at least, I think the original headstones were sandstone but are being replaced by marble when they need it. Certainly the vast majority of the ones I saw last year in France and Belgium weren't marble

[Dave Homewood]

Here in Leamington, Cambridge, around ten years ago around five new marble CWGC headstones were unveiled for old soldiers' graves that had been unmarked previously. Recently I took a look at them and they are really badly eroded in that short space of time already. Admittedly they are lying flat with the polished surface facing upwards where most stand upright but it was quite a surprise to see the damage the weather causes.