Mystery crash, S. Burma, 6 Sept 1946 ('45?)

[Matt Poole]

At Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery in southern Burma there are 20 unknown soldiers and RAF airmen who, I'm told, were killed in a plane crash near DUYINZEIK, Burma (16° 58' 47N, 97° 26' 59E), located northeast of THANTON. Unfortunately the resolution in a photo of one grave marker sent to me is not quite good enough for me to confidently make out the final digit in the year of the crash. It is either 1945 or 1946. The date of the crash clearly is 6 September.

The wording on the grave marker:

A SOLDIER OR AN AIRMAN
OF THE
1939 – 1945 WAR
THE QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT
OR
ROYAL AIR FORCE
6TH SEPTEMBER 1945 [1946?]
KNOWN UNTO GOD.

I don't know if all 20 are identical, though I have a hunch that they are.

Before I ask the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to verify the year of death, I thought I'd ask if anyone has any information on this crash. I would like to learn which names can be linked to these particular graves.

Thanks,

Matt

[lauriebe]

Matt, in his latest book, The Price of Peace, Colin Cummings gives the following detail for a loss on 6 September 1946:

6 Sep 46 KK118 Dakota IV 117 Sqn 20 miles south of Binhli 26 fatalities

The aircraft was carrying 21 soldiers from the 1st Battalion of The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) for garrison duty at Saigon. The aircraft entered a cu-nim cloud and broke up in the air; either due to overstressing in heavy turbulence or because the pilot lost control.

He lists the casualties thus:

RAF:

Fg Off R H T Squire
Flt Sgt E W Trail
Fg Off J M Ross
Fg Off E M Sissons
Believed to be: AC2 J Brown

Army:

Pvt D J Auburn
Pvt L Bass
Pvt H W Crankshaw
Pvt L Finch
WO II (CSM) V J Goodchild
Pvt J Hillier
Pvt B E Jones
Lance Sgt R H B Kemp
Pvt R L Munt
Pvt W W Oliver
2nd Lt B P Pattie Royal Fusiliers attached
Lance Cpl C E Pritchard
Lance Cpl G A Rackett
Pvt S J Reed
Pvt W S Reed
Pvt E C Smith
Pvt W J Stokes
Pvt F J Stone
Pvt E J Sullivan
Pvt A C Swinchatt
Pvt S G T Vickery.

Hope that helps.

Laurie.

[Amrit]

The CWGC gives the date of all those killed as 1945, not 1946.

[Dick]

Hi Matt
The RAF casualties on Lauries list are all on the Singapore Memorial suggesting no known grave.This includes AC2 J Brown who died on the same day but is not given a Unit where the others are all 117 Sqn.From the description of the loss of the a/c it must have been difficult to locate any bodies at all let alone in a recognisable condition, so it is not inconsistent with a batch of "Unknown" burials in a Burmese Cemetery and a set of known lost personnel on a Central Memorial in the Theatre.
A check on the 1st 4 Army personnel has them on the Rangoon Memorial
Regards
Dick

[paulmcmillan]

There is a death notice for 2nd Ltd Pattie Royal Fusiliers in the Times for 3rd October 1945, which says he was killed in an aircrash in Burma fon 6th Sept 1945

So 1945 it si then

BTW Flight OCTOBER 3RD, 1946 has deaths as 'PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING, NOW PRESUMED KILLED IN ACTION" - Including Brown, which may have confused Cummings

[Errol Martyn]

"Matt, in his latest book, The Price of Peace, Colin Cummings gives the following detail for a loss on 6 September 1946:"

'The Price of Peace' records losses between VE-Day and end of 1945 (not 1946).

Errol

[lauriebe]

My apologies for the typo. The date should indeed read 1945.

Laurie.

[Matt Poole]

Thanks to all, starting with Laurie, for solving this one, in excellent detail.

I have forwarded the info to Rangoon, and it will make its way to the manager of Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery. I have also forwarded it to Burma-Siam Railway historian Rod Beattie in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Rod walked the entire Thanbyuzayat cemetery a couple of years ago and has endeavored to find a name associated with every unknown grave there, and also at the two war cemeteries he manages in the Kanchanaburi area. While the individual identities of the KK118 victims' graves will remain unknown, at least we know that there are only 26 possibilities for the 20 graves.

It's almost certain that the kin of the 26 airmen and soldiers killed in the loss of KK118 were never officially notified of the existence of the 20 graves in Thanbyuzayat. They would only have been told that their particular loved one, missing, was commemorated on the Singapore Memorial. Not quite full disclosure...

My very best,

Matt

[Stewart McLoughlin]

Matt
Is your friend Mr. Beattie amenable to approaches about the Kanchanaburi cemetery?

One of our village's casualties is buried there, and a photo of the grave would go with the other research we are doing to build up a bio. of our casualty.

Many thanks

Stewart McLoughlin

[Matt Poole]

Stewart,

Absolutely Rod would be happy to take a photo. I've not heard from him in a few months, but I'm sure a photo can be arranged through the museum Rod founded. You can contact Rod through his website:

http://www.tbrconline.com/

Do mention my name. I'll also write to Rod. Contact me at feb2944 AT aol DOT com (make the obvious changes) if you have any questions.

Cheers,

Matt