Unit/ Formation: Memorial
Location: Trincomalee
Period/ Conflict: World War II
Year: 1948
Date/s: April 1948
Trincomalee is a seaport on the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and was formerly a naval station.
After the fall of Singapore it became a naval base of importance to our command of shipping in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. The cemetery was originally the Combined Services Cemetery, but was taken over by the Admiralty from the military authorities in April 1948 for use as a permanent naval cemetery.
On the withdrawal of United Kingdom Forces from Ceylon it became the property of the Ceylon Government who have granted the Commission security of tenure in perpetuity. Save for a few post-war and non-war graves it is purely a war cemetery, and service war graves were transferred to it from Trincomalee (St. Mary) Churchyard; Trincomalee (St. Stephen's) Cemetery, Kottadi Cemetery, Jaffna; and Vavuiyna Combined Cemetery.
A special memorial commemorates a naval man buried in Trincomalee (St. Stephen's) Cemetery whose grave could not be found. The non-war graves are those of men of the Merchant Navy whose death was not due to war service, and of civilians, of whom some were employees of the Admiralty; while the post-war graves were dependents of servicemen, civilian employees of the Admiralty and dependents of such employees.
Royal Marines
ARTHUR CLIFFORD CHERRY. Sergeant, RME/10217, Died 14 March 1943, 25 years old, Royal Marine Engineers
CECIL LESLIE NORMAN, Colour Sergeant, RME/10105, Died 11 July 1944, 27 years old, Royal Marine Engineers
DAVID VERNON JONES, Lance Corporal, RME/10567,Died 14 March 1943, Royal Marine Engineers
WILLIAM GORDON SUTCLIFFE, Marine, PO/X111312, Died 28 January 1945, 22 years old, H.M.S. Bambara.
RONALD JOHNSON, Marine, CH/X110795,Died 07 June 1945, H.M.S. Highflyer.
WILFRED WILLIAM BUGLER, Marine, PO/X732, Died 09 April 1942, 31 years old, H.M.S. Erebus.
HERBERT WILLIAM HANSELL, Marine, PO/216931, Died 09 April 1942, 39 years old, H.M.S. Erebus.
SAMUEL KENNETH HARRIS, Marine, PO/X1641, Died 09 April 1942, 25 years old, H.M.S. Erebus.
ALBERT EDWARD PAGE, Marine, EX/1434, Died 14 August 1942
RICHARD MUNN, Marine, PLY/X3309, Died 16 February 1947, 25 years old, H.M.S. Highflyer.
THOMAS PORTER, Marine, EX/5482, Died 24 March 1943, 25 years old, 2nd R.M. A.A. Regt., R.M. Group, M.N.B.D.O.1.
LAWSON ALEXANDER MCGREGOR SALTER, Marine, PO/X121652, Died 28 January 1946, 19 years old, H.M.S. Glenroy.
FREDERIC WALTER SMITH, Sergeant, PO/X781, Died 09 April 1942, 35 years old, H.M.S. Erebus.
JOHN ALBERT SPERRING, Corporal, FX1608, Died 26 March 1942, 24 years old 1 H.A.A. Regt.
JOHN WILLIAM TELFORD, Marine, PO/X103885, Died 26 July 1945, 23 years old, H.M.S. Lanka.
ERIC BROAD, Bugler, PO/X101588, Died 09 April 1942, 18 years old, H.M.S. Erebus.
THOMAS HENRY CABLE, Marine, PO/X101843, Died 06 August 1944, 31 years old, H.M.S. Valiant.
THOMAS CHARLTON, Colour Sergeant, PO/21897, Died 14 February 1942, 37 years old, 1 H.A.A. Regt.
RONALD COOPER, Marine, PLY/X 108945, Died 15 February 1944, 18 years old, H.M.S. Illustrious.
AUSTIN CHARLES BUTCHER, Marine, CH/X2427, Died 11 July 1945, H.M.S. Cumberland.
THE LIGHT FROM OUR HOUSE IS GONE, BUT HIS MEMORY WILL NEVER FADE
Inscription on the grave of Colour Sergeant NORMAN, CECIL LESLIE.
Read More/ Web Link: Commonwealth Graves Commission
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