Gordon David Rackham

A Private with the 13th Battalion, Gordon died on 7th of April 1943 aged 20. 

Gordon was born at Lowestoft on 11 April 1922, a son of James and Lilian Florence Rackham. In 1939 his family lived at Peacehaven, Normanston Drive, and Gordon was a cycle mechanic. 

Gordon enlisted in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and was subsequently transferred to The King’s Regiment (Liverpool). 

Gordon served with the 13th Battalion which was a ‘Chindit’ unit, and he was part of 7 Column that marched into Burma, crossing the Chindwin River on 13 February 1943 as part of Operation Longcloth. For the next three months they operated in the Burmese jungle cutting Japanese supply lines and harassing the enemy. In late March 1943 Column 7 were on the Hehtin Chaung and a decision was taken that they would head for China, on the way they had to cross the Irrawaddy River which placed them in an area where the Japanese were able to easily reinforce and attack the column.  

Gordon was reported missing on 7 April 1943, and it was later concluded that he died of his wounds on that date. It is likely that Gordon died in an area between the Irrawaddy and Shweli Rivers. 

Of 3,000 men involved in Operation Longcloth almost one third became casualties and of the 2,000 that returned to India around 500 were unfit for further service.