Attack on Rangoon & Assualt on the Dallah Stockades

Unit/ Formation: Royal Marines Location: Burma Period/ Conflict: Second Anglo-Burmese War Year: 1852 Date/s: 10th April 1852

During the Second Anglo-Burmese War, Major General Henry Godwin was commander in chief of the British expeditionary force into Burma, known as the "Army of Ava", as well as commanding the force's Bengal Division.

On 5 April 1852 the naval forces bombarded and captured Martaban. Godwin then moved to capture Rangoon.

Storming of Rangoon, 14 April 1852. Here the Fox frigate is coming to her moorings astern of the Moozuffer. The time is ten minutes after ten, and shows the enemey's magazine blowing up after a shell from the Sesostris. Ships L-Rː Moozuffer, H.M.S. Fox, Sesostris, Feroze, Rockliffe, H.M.S. Rattler, Atalanta. Moozuffer (paddle steamer), H.M.S. Fox, Sesostris (INS Sesostris 1839 steamer), Feroze (HMS steamer), Rockliffe, H.M.S. Rattler, Atalanta. The Indian Navy (IN) contributed the wooden paddle-steamers frigate Moozuffer (6), Sesostris (4), Ferooz (8), Atalanta (6) Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 26 June 1852.

On 12 April 1852, after a further naval bombardment, HMS Fox, Rattler, Serpent, Sphinx, Salamander, Hermes, Winchester and a gunboat, together with 22 ships from H.E.I. Naval force, landed the force comprising Royal Marines, the 51st Light Infantry, the 18th Royal Irish, the 40th Bengal Native Infantry, and some artillery. Fighting continued until the 14th, when the capture of Rangoon was completed with the storming of the Great Dagon Pagoda.

The Great Pagoda at Rangoon, Photograph by Surgeon John McCosh (1805-1885), Burma, 1852. [National Army Museum]

The Great Dagon Pagoda, or Shwedagon, is a sacred stupa in Rangoon (Yangon) that is believed to hold relics including strands of hair from the Buddha.

The Great Dagon Pagoda, Rangoon, where Godwin's capture of the city in 1852 was completed.

Date/s: 10th June 1852.

Assault on the Dallah Stockades

The British next moved on the biggest stockade, Kemmendine (the soldiers called it jocularly, "Come an' dine") , defended by 20,000 Burmese.

On June 3, a combined naval and military attack collapsed rather ignominiously.

The British reached the stockade's high walls only to discover they had left their scaling-ladders behind, and during their retreat suffered battering fire both from their own ships in the river and from their reserve units to the rear, who thought they were the enemy trying to break through.

On June 11 they tried again this time remembering their ladders and were victorious.

Seamen and marines who took part received the India General Service Medal 1854.

Related Royal Marines 'Dits'

Storming of Martaban - Burma 1852

References/ Further Reading:

National Army Museum - Second Burmese War