Henry Curtis "Burma Star"

Henry Anthony Curtis

Lieutenant Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge’s Own)

Royal Welch Fusiliers

service number 130473

Died 18/03/1943

Henry has no known grave but is remembered with honour at Rangoon War Memorial Face 9, Myanmar.

He was the son of Mr. Oliver James Curtis and Mrs Emma Curtis, of North Fields, Totteridge Lane,

Henry Anthony Curtis entered military service as the Second World War escalated. On May 17, 1940, his appointment as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Welch Fusiliers was published in the London Gazette. This commissioning came at a critical time, as Britain was facing the imminent fall of France and the evacuation of Dunkirk.

By 1943, the 1st Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers was deeply engaged in the Burma Campaign, which had begun following the Japanese invasion of Burma in 1942. The battalion faced extremely challenging conditions, fighting not only against a determined enemy but also against the harsh jungle environment, tropical diseases, and rugged terrain.  British and Commonwealth forces were engaged in defensive operations following the retreat from Burma in 1942, preparing for what would eventually become offensive operations to reclaim the territory.

The Burma Campaign was one of the longest campaigns of World War II, characterised by arduous jungle fighting, extreme weather conditions, and the challenges of disease and supply. When Lieutenant Curtis died in March 1943, Allied forces were preparing for operations that would eventually lead to the recapture of Burma from Japanese forces.