44RM Commando

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3 Commando Brigade, Burma Operations

Location

Myanmar
21° 54' 50.274" N, 95° 57' 22.4028" E
Saturday, January 1, 1944
The reports at the foot of this page relate to the operations of the Commando Units attached to 3 Commando Brigade that took place after the 1st January 1944.
 
Link of interest
There were a large number of casualties in the Burma Campaigns, both battle and illness.
Lieutenant Colonel R. Wigglesworth, M.B., B.S. Lond., Royal Army Medical Corps, wrote an excellent article titled

BOLAM, Edward Charles

Edward Bolam 44 Royal Marine Commando
Marine Edward Bolam, from Low Fell in Gateshead, died during operations at Kangaw.
 
Sources
CWGC.
[Image] Newcastle Evening Chronicle - Wednesday 14 February 1945,  © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of The British Library Board.
 

DOOLEY, Arthur

Corporal Arthur Dooley died in training at the Commando Basic Training Centre. 
 
Extract from the  No. 44RM Commando War Diary
19th September 1943.
p.m. 2" mortar accident resulting in death of Sgt Gibson and Cpl A. Dooley, both of C Troop.  
 
Extracts from personal Service Record 
See this Forum message for more:  RM44 Arthur Dooley
 

FARRELL, William Henry

Marine William Farrell died [1] after an accident during during the Strong Point exercise in the final week of commando training at the Commando Basic Training Centre [2].
 
The cause of death at the Military Hospital at Onich is recorded as a "gunshot wound to the neck."  His unit is recorded on the Register of Deaths as 44RM Commando [3].
 
Sources
[1] CWGC
[2] The book '44 Commando, Achnacarry to the Arakan'

FOOT, Frank

Lance Corporal Frank Foot died during operations at Kangaw.
 
Sources
[1] CWGC
[2] ROH in the book '44 RM Commando, Achnacarry to the Arakan', author Tony Mackenzie.
 

GIBSON, Eric Hookway

Sergeant Eric Gibson died in training at the Commando Basic Training Centre. The War Diary for 19th September 1943 states, "p.m. 2" mortar accident resulting in death of Sgt Gibson and Cpl A. Dooley, both of C Troop". 
 
His former occupation was "assistant golf professional"  and the cause of death is recorded as "multiple injuries head, neck, and chest."  He was seen after death by Capt. J.E. Symondson RAMC, Medical Officer at the CBTC.  

HAW, Charles Walter

Marine Charles Haw, 'A' Troop, died [1] at Fakir Point near Akyab after being accidentally shot as his section prepared to carry out a patrol to the Baronga Islands."[2].
 
Sources
[1] CWGC
[2] ROH in the book '44 RM Commando, Achnacarry to the Arakan', author Tony Mackenzie.
 

HEATH, Alfred

Lance Corporal Alfred Heath died during operations at Kangaw.
 
Sources
[1] CWGC
[2] ROH in the book '44 RM Commando, Achnacarry to the Arakan', author Tony Mackenzie.
 

KIRBY, Peter

Corporal Peter Kirby died during operations at Kangaw.
 
Sources
[1] CWGC
[2] ROH in the book '44 RM Commando, Achnacarry to the Arakan', author Tony Mackenzie.
 

MARTIN, Arthur

Captain Arthur Martin, Signals Troop, and one of the original 3rd RM Bn., officers, was killed during operations at Kangaw. He received a MiD for distinguished service while operating with the Army in Burma and on the Eastern Frontier of India.
 
Sources
CWGC​
London Gazettes Supp. 36925,page 757
44RM Commando Achnacarry to the Arakan by Tony Mackenzie.
 

NELSON, Desmond

Marine Desmond Nelson, 'A' troop, died [1] at Silchar as a result of contracting cerebral malaria. This was the first fatality brought about by disease. Rev. F.W. Cornwall R.N.V.R. conducted his funeral at Silchar Cemetery (Gauhati). The escort, firing party, and pallbearers, were all from his troop. [2].
 
Sources
[1] CWGC

O'REILLY, John

Marine John O'Reilly died in service the full circumstances of which are not known to this Archive. His death is recorded in a Royal Marines Historical society booklet as "died of other causes during war service, such as road accidents, accidental drowning, etc."
 
Sources
CWGC.
RM Historical Society booklet "A Register of Royal Marines War Deaths 1939-1945.
 

OWEN, Alan Roger

Marine Alan Owen, X troop, died [1] in a traffic accident whilst the Commando were based at Ashurst just a few days after their redesignation as a Commando unit, and the day before the whole Commando moved to Achnacarry for their Commando training. He was hit by a jeep driven by an American serviceman [2].
 
Sources
[1] CWGC
[2] The book '44 RM Commando, Achnacarry to the Arakan', author Tony Mackenzie.
 

OWEN, John Ivor Headon

Captain John Owen served with 44RM Commando during operations in the Far East [1]. Post war he served with 42 Commando RM in Borneo and commanded 45 Commando RM in Aden [2]. 
  • 1st January 1963 (Major) appointed O.B.E. (Military Division) [3].
  • 1968 (Lieutenant Colonel) received a Mention in Despatches for gallant and distinguished service in Aden [4].
Sources
[1] Commando Association (WW2) newsletter 109 issued Sept. 1999.

POLKINGHORNE, Eric

Marine Eric Polkinghorne died [1] on active service during operations in Burma [2]. 
 
Sources
[1] CWGC
[2] ROH in the book '44 RM Commando, Achnacarry to the Arakan', author Tony Mackenzie.
[3] ROH in the 3 Cdo Bde Third Jungle Book issue 9 (below).
 

SCOTT, Douglas

Marine Douglas Scott 44 Commando
Marine Douglas Scott, from Hexham, died during operations at Kangaw.
 
Sources
CWGC
ROH in the book '44 RM Commando, Achnacarry to the Arakan', author Tony Mackenzie.
Newcastle Journal - Monday 12 March 1945 - via The British Newspaper Archive. Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of The British Library Board.
 

STOCKLEY, Gordon Herbert

Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Stockley died whilst serving at RMB Eastney.
 
He had previously served as officer commanding 44 RM Commando from December 1944 to June 1945.  In 1945 the then Captain ( acting Lieut. Colonel)  Stockwell received a mention in despatches for gallant and distinguished service whilst attached to the Allied Land Forces, South East Asia.
[Sources: London Gazettes supp. 37318, page 5181 & rank amended in supp. 37346 page 5532.]
 

STOCKWELL, John Neville

Marine John Stockwell, 3 Cdo Bde Signal Troop, died during operations at Kangaw.
 
In the Third Jungle Book Issue 9 page 57 at the end of an article on the Brigade Signal Troop (BST) the following is written, "To complete this story of the B.S.T. it is well to remember the BEM and three MiD's that have been awarded the troop, and to deplore the loss in action of an old member - Jack Stockwell. To his wife go the troop's deepest sympathy and sincerest wishes for the future."
 
Sources
CWGC.

WATTS, Ernest, J.

Marine Ernest Watts died of illness.
 
Notes
The Commando service of Mne. Watts has not as yet been fully established. The CWGC main entry shows Royal Marines, however their Grave Concentration report has this scored out and writen over as Marine Command. The Morthoe and Woollacombe 1939 - 1945 War Memorial, shows Royal Marine Light Infantry. The Naval History website records that he served in 44RM Commando.  

 

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