Lt Alexander Robertson Gammack RNR HMS Braganza

A distant rellie of mine, Lt Alexander Robertson Gammack RNR died on 24 June 1945. He was part of HMS Braganza (a shore based unit at Bombay) and is buried at Rangoon. How might a chap from Bombay find himself near Rangoon at this point of the War?

Any ideas?

Roxy

 

Are you aware that someone (perhaps you?) has relatively recently posted Alexander’s naval record on the “unithistories.com” website? As always it is merely a list of postings but only after reaching officer rank, and does not include the date of volunteering for service. Given his service within the RNR this would suggest a pre-war seagoing experience, perhaps as a trawlerman or merchant seaman? His first officer rank was as a Lieutenant in September 1940, missing out Sub-Lieutenant so perhaps in civil life, he was a skipper of officer on a ship?

Some of his postings were to naval shore establishments, and all such bases are pre-fixed by HMS despite not being a ship. Servicemen are sometimes posted there for training or merely for payroll or administration purposes. Or they can be in a pool of servicemen awaiting drafting to a ship or flotilla. Sometimes they will actually be serving elsewhere even in another country, or even in transit, and this is particularly the case with HMS Braganza.

Are you aware that during WW2 the Royal Navy produced a record of all naval officers (not ratings) and their postings throughout the world, on a bi-monthly or quarterly basis. This information is free by searching the “Navy List” on the National Library of Scotland web site?

Alexander’s early postings suggest an involvement in minelaying as HMS Atreus was a merchant ship converted to a minelayer. His record also suggests time spent in the Far East, Australia, and the East Indies. However in 1943 he returned to the UK with a posting to a Combined Operations Shore Establishment HMS James Cook at Glen Caladh Castle in Scotland. It was here that the theory and practice of navigation for landing craft flotillas was taught but also the operation of troop landing craft, was Alexander being trained for assault landings? There follows a short posting to another shore establishment in Freetown Sierra Leone but then a return to HMS Lucifer a naval shore establishment in Wales. Lucifer is often referred to as a base in Swansea for Minesweepers but Lucifer covered several ports in the Bristol Channel, and the “Navy List” for April 1945 shows Alexander being based in Cardiff. With the caveat that this might be for payroll/administration purposes it likely included his transit to India as this took several weeks by sea. I am also aware that in 1945 some west coast naval ports were involved in “Operation Appian” the transfer of assault vessels (some ocean going) to the Far East. Might Alexander be involved in this?

Bombay was the main port in India for the transit of troops, armaments, and assault ships in the war against Japan. The Combined Operations Training Centre (CTCI) was also very close to Bombay, and Madh Island just 20 miles north of Bombay was used for assault training on the beaches for which HMS Braganza provided the naval element. By 1945 HMS Braganza was the most important naval shore establishment in India under the command of Rear Admiral Oliver Bevir, Senior Officer Royal Naval Establishments India. He was also involved in planning for the proposed naval involvement in the recapture of Burma and as such any Combined Operations Invasion Force was likely to be assembled at Bombay. Alexander’s posting to HMS Braganza does not coincide with the then quarterly “Navy List” before he died, and it may be that he was only posted there for payroll purposes. There were no named naval shore establishment in Burma.

My father was posted to HMS Salsette and HMS Braganza, both in Bombay for almost 2 years. We are certain this included a time in Burma (most likely 1943) but his naval record does not document this so you are very dependent on say a personal diary. Many Combined Operations planned for the Arakan Coast in Burma were cancelled as a result of insufficient assault craft. However in April/May 1945 a much-reduced operation (Dracula (ii) ) was launched in support of a major overland attack to recapture Rangoon the capital of Burma. In the event the Japanese evacuated the city prior to the landings on 2nd May. The large naval force included several landing craft and ships but also 20 minesweepers were involved from the 7th Minesweeper Flotilla (British) and 27th Minesweeper Flotilla (primarily Indian). So minesweeping remains an option but so does a connection with Combined Operations assault craft. I have no evidence to support either.

The 2nd May also coincided with the start of the Monsoon in Rangoon, a period of prolonged and exceptionally wet weather with potentially high seas and flooded rivers along the Arakan coast. It is noted that Alexander drowned on 24th June. There is no official record of a ship or craft being lost on the 24th. There are reports of 4 craft being lost on the Arakan Coast during June 1945 but no specific date, these being LCS(M) 148, LCS(M) 30 and LCM 354 and 493. I have no information linking Alexander with any of these losses however. Only one other sailor listed at HMS Braganza died in June 1945 but different date and circumstances.

Alexanders burial in Rangoon is a little unusual as naval servicemen tended to be buried in Chittagong or at the Kirkee War Cemetery near Bombay. It is however the case that some graves were moved to provide better protection. There is also the possibility that Alexander was drowned on the Arakan Coast and bought to Rangoon.

I hope this rather long reply at least answers your enquiry as to the link between HMS Braganza and Rangoon.

 

This record notes “accidental drowning”

 

Hi Temujin: Great post - In 6 years of researching HMS Braganza and HMS Salsette (both shore bases Bombay) I have not come across a record as complete as yours. Do you have a link, or at least a record of naval servicemen who died when posted to HMS Salsette in 1943? A Terence Dolan, James Robertson and Terence Gormley were all lost 25th April most likely on the Mayu River Burma but confirmation of this would be most helpful.

 

The record came from Ancestry.com and the original records are:

UK, British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960

I did find some info on Terence Dolan and James Robertson.






I couldn’t find anything on Terence Gormley……hopefully his name is spelled correctly, and other info you can give me would help

 

Info from Fold3.com

 

Thank you for the heads up- not used Ancestry for this type of enquiry. The records confirm my understanding that they both died in Burma while posted to a base in Bombay. As for Gormley his name came up on the commandoveterans.org web site way back in 2020. In response to a subject on HMS Salsette concerning the death of George Wild of smallpox on 13th March 1943, a forum member mentioned that when researching his family tree he found an able seaman Terence Gormley HMS Salsette was killed in action on 25th April 1943 in Burma. However I have not found any other record confirming this, and now nor have you. Given the passage of time perhaps we can leave this unresolved. Thank you.