'For Your Tomorrow'
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‘For Your Tomorrow’ Anzacs laid to rest in India Compiled by the Defence Section Australian High Commission, New Delhi with information or assistance from: Commonwealth War Graves Commission Defence Section, New Zealand High Commission Department of Veteran Affairs, Australia National Archives of Australia New Zealand Army Archives Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum Royal New Zealand Navy Museum Sqn Ldr (Retd)Rana T.S. Chhina, MBE - This edition published April 2021 – This work is Copyright © but may be downloaded, displayed, printed or reproduced in unaltered form for non-commercial use. 2 CONTENTS Foreword 4 Introduction 5 Map of Commonwealth War Cemeteries and 6 Memorials (Australians or New Zealanders registered) Roll of Honour 7 Biographies of the Fallen - First World War 10 a. Delhi Memorial (India Gate) 12 b. Deolali Government Cemetery 14 c. Kirkee 1914-1918 Memorial 16 Biographies of the Fallen - Second World War 21 d. Calcutta (Bhowanipore) Cemetery 30 e. Delhi War Cemetery 38 f. Gauhati War Cemetery 54 g. Imphal War Cemetery 60 h. Kirkee War Cemetery 69 i. Kohima War Cemetery 83 j. Madras War Cemetery 88 k. Ranchi War Cemetery 108 Commonwealth War Graves Commission 125 National War Memorial of India - New Delhi 126 3 Foreword This booklet provides an excellent insight into Australian and New Zealand service- personnel who died and were buried on Indian soil. There are ninety-one Anzacs from the First and Second World Wars buried in Commonwealth War Graves across India at nine locations including Delhi, Deolali, Imphal, Kohima, Ranchi, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune and Guwahati. From nurses who served in British hospitals in India, where their patients included Turkish prisoners of war and wounded British troops, to Air Force officers who died in action in major battles across India, including the battles of Kohima and Imphal. All are faithfully commemorated in the forthcoming pages. Special thanks to the Defence Section team at New Delhi Post for their efforts in bringing this document together. In particular Ms Jaspreet Sharma and Major Daniel White who together spent many hours researching, compiling, writing and editing. Sadly, the living relatives of the Anzac fallen are invariably separated by many thousands of kilometres from the gravesites of their loved ones here in India. It is my great hope that this small offering, in the way of a historical listing, serves to reduce the burden of the great distances separating our brave departed from their loved-ones and the lands they once called ‘Home’. Lest we forget Group Captain Terence Deeth Defence Adviser to India Royal Australian Air Force 4 Introduction It is difficult to relate to a soldier’s wartime experience by seeing a name and rank on a plaque. Our hope is that by reading about the Anzacs who served and died in India we might reconnect with their experiences and better understand their sacrifices, and for a moment imagine ourselves in their situation. Most of the names recorded are aviators who served in roles of tremendous responsibility for their age. Their dedication to duty irrespective of commonplace air crashes in barely minted airframes best describes the magnitude of their bravery. This booklet was structured to provide succinct information on the 65 Australian and 26 New Zealand service personnel who were laid to rest in India. It also serves as a guidebook for those who can physically visit India’s Commonwealth War Cemeteries and Memorials. For visitors, please note that access to some of the cemeteries requires military approval as they reside within Army cantonments. The scope of this booklet does not extend to describing the close links that existed between Indian and Anzac personnel. It is commonly known that Indian’s fought shoulder to shoulder with the Anzacs at Gallipoli. Less well known is that the very first operational sortie carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Burma was a bombing raid by the Commanding Officer of No. 1 Squadron, 'Jumbo' Majumdar, in an modified Lysander aircraft escorted by two Kiwis flying Brewster Buffalos. Or that one of the first Distinguished Service Orders awarded by the IAF went to the Australian Commanding Officer of No. 4 Squadron. Nor does this booklet make mention of Flying Officer 'Chacha' Manmohan Singh, who was killed when the Japanese attacked his Catalina aircraft in Broome, Australia. Nor the Indian soldiers rescued from captivity in Papua New Guinea by Australians at the end of the war. There is depth to our shared military history which stretches far beyond the following pages. Our information was gathered from publicly available records and therefore often lacks the detail we would like to have provided. For corrections or feedback in support of future editions, please email <[email protected]> Major Daniel White Assistant Defence Adviser to India Australian Army 5 MAP OF COMMONWEALTH WAR CEMETERIES AND MEMORIALS Australians or New Zealanders registered 6 ROLL OF HONOUR Service personnel laid to rest in India Australia First World War 1914-1918 Australian Imperial Force / Australian Army O’Grady A.V. Sister No 1 Australian General Hospital Power K. Sister No 1 Australian General Hospital Moreton L.G. Sister No 2 Australian General Hospital Clare E. Staff Nurse No 11 Australian General Hospital Civilian Jones R. War Worker Australian Munitions Worker Second World War 1939-1945 Royal Australian Navy Deans W.H. Lieutenant HMAS Tamworth Barker C.W.P Petty Officer HMAS Hobart Ladd H.W. Leading Seaman HMS President III Australian Imperial Force / Australian Army Crouch R.T.J. Lance Corporal 2/16 Australian Infantry Battalion Royal Australian Air Force Cecil M.L. Pilot Officer 3rd Tactical Air Force Strachan R.H. Warrant Officer 3 Squadron Whitehurst D.A. Flight Sergeant 3 Refresher Flying Unit Proudfoot S.G. Squadron Leader 11 Squadron Morphett P.H. Pilot Officer 11 Squadron Westhoff N.F. Pilot Officer 22 Ferry Control Thomson J. Flight Lieutenant 27 Squadron Evatt G.A.L. Flight Lieutenant 28 Squadron Knodler K.J. Warrant Officer 30 Squadron Jeffreys G.R. Warrant Officer 34 Squadron Hopper J.A. Warrant Officer 34 Squadron Rowe J.H. Flying Officer 45 Squadron Levey J.M. Flying Officer 45 Squadron Cargill H.J.S. Flying Officer 45 Squadron Pritchard B.M. Warrant Officer 60 Squadron Deester H.J. Warrant Officer 62 Squadron Foody J.P. Warrant Officer 62 Squadron McClure J.D. Flying Officer 70 Squadron Day L.K . Flight Sergeant 79 Squadron Reis E.L. Flying Officer 82 Squadron Stower C.J. Flying Officer 82 Squadron Thynne E.A. Flying Officer 82 Squadron Tufnell W.C. Flying Officer 82 Squadron Abel V. Pilot Officer 82 Squadron Tolliday W.J. Flying Officer 96 Squadron 7 May J.D. Sergeant 99 Squadron Thorpe H.E. Warrant Officer 110 Squadron Pearce B.F. Warrant Officer 113 Squadron McRae M.A. Flying Officer 135 Squadron Ulrick B.L. Warrant Officer 146 Squadron Haley A.H. Flying Officer 155 Squadron Bishop J.J. Flight Sergeant 159 Squadron Crowley R.A.P. Warrant Officer 159 Squadron Richardson P.W.W. Flying Officer 194 Squadron Pearce W.D. Warrant Officer 194 Squadron Britten-Jones A.E. Flight Sergeant 194 Squadron Brady N.W.B. Flying Officer 215 Squadron Garnet P. Warrant Officer 215 Squadron Hayter H.E. Flight Lieutenant 227 Group Hender E.K. Flying Officer 308 Maintenance Unit Trenberth J. Flying Officer 308 Maintenance Unit Ellers F.L. Flight Sergeant 308 Maintenance Unit Forman D.C. Flying Officer 353 Squadron Beebar J. Pilot Officer 353 Squadron Handley F.W. Warrant Officer 353 Squadron Shanahan J.P. Warrant Officer 353 Squadron Blumer P.J. Pilot Officer 355 Squadron McCormick F.A. Flight Lieutenant 356 Squadron Corbett W.J. Flight Lieutenant 357 Squadron Porter F. Flight Sergeant 358 Squadron White J.W. Flight Sergeant 358 Squadron Allen J.J. Flight Lieutenant 466 Squadron McCormack D.W. Squadron Leader 615 Squadron McKerracher W.J. Flight Lieutenant 615 Squadron Hewetson R.T. Flight Sergeant 1572 Gunnery High Allen J.F. Flight Sergeant Attached Royal Air Force Station Poona 8 ROLL OF HONOUR Service personnel laid to rest in India New Zealand First World War 1914-1918 Royal Navy Adlam V. Able Seaman HMS Philomel Second World War 1939-1945 Royal Navy (New Zealand Division) Fenwick T.C.R. Lieutenant 797 Squadron Taylor F.N.H Stoker 2nd Class HMS Leander New Zealand Military Forces (Army) Patten B.J. Lieutenant Royal Engineers Todd E.G.C. Second Lieutenant 2 Battalion, 19th Hyderabad Regiment Murray K.C. Corporal 20 Battalion Royal New Zealand Air Force Webster H.W. Warrant Officer 3 Refresher Flying Unit Ever-Swindell F.H. Flying Officer 20 Squadron Murphy S.B. Flight Sergeant 21 Ferry Control Kay H. Sergeant 34 Squadron Reeves J.H. Flight Lieutenant 45 Squadron McQueen J.S. Warrant Officer 45 Squadron Shannon W.A. Sergeant 60 Squadron Daniel N.B. Flying Officer 62 Squadron Pederson E.E. Pilot Officer 67 Squadron Kronk C.T. Sergeant 67 Squadron Parker A.E. Flying Officer 82 Squadron Wachar D.W. Pilot Officer 84 Squadron Ingram M.R.B. Squadron Leader 152 Squadron Simmons J.F. Warrant Officer 159 Squadron Sutherland A.G. Warrant Officer 326 Maintenance Unit Hargreaves S.R. Flight Sergeant 353 Squadron McCormack C.C. Flying Officer 354 Squadron Bullen R.M. Pilot Officer 358 Squadron Sadler S.E. Flight Sergeant 358 Squadron McConnel E.O.W. Flying Officer 1673 Heavy Conversion Unit 9 BIOGRAPHIES OF THE FALLEN FIRST WORLD WAR 10 Rank & Date of Death & Grave Ser Service Name Regiment Inscription Age Number Number DELHI MEMORIAL (INDIA GATE) Australian LETTITIA 11 November Army A1 Sister GLADWYS 1916 Face 23 - Nursing MORETON Age 34 Service DEOLALI GOVERNMENT CEMETERY Australian SHE MADE Plot RC.