b. 02/10/1923 Mottistone, Isle of Wight. d. 22/03/1945 Talaku, Burma.
Claud Raymond (1923-1945) was born on 2nd October 1923 in Mottistone, Isle of Wight. He was the son of Lieutenant Colonel Maurice Claud Raymond CIE, MC, and Margaret Lilias Nancy Raymond (née Brown), of Fulham. As a member of an old County Kerry family with strong links to the Indian Army, Raymond is also regarded as an Irish VC. Raymond grew up in Seaford, Sussex, and is remembered on the town’s war memorial. A road in the town is also named after him. He had one brother and two sisters. His brother, Antony Elliot Garden Raymond was killed in action three months after Claude whilst fighting in The Poona Horse, and is buried in the Rawalpindi War Cemetery.
Claud Raymond VC
After the outbreak of war, Claud was keen to enlist, and was commissioned into the Corps of Royal Engineers, and Lieutenant Raymond became heavily involved in the fierce fighting in the Burma jungles at the beginning of 1945.
On 21st March 1945 at Talaku, Burma (now Myanmar), Lieutenant Raymond was second-in-command of a reconnaissance patrol when they were fired on by a strongly entrenched enemy detachment and the lieutenant at once led his men towards the position. He was first wounded in the shoulder and then in the head, but continued leading his men forward, when he was hit a third time, his wrist being shattered. He still carried on into the enemy defences where he was largely responsible for capturing the position. In spite of the gravity of his wounds, he refused medical aid until all the other wounded had received attention.
Sadly, Claud didn’t recover from his wounds, and died the following day. He was laid to rest in Taukkyan War Cemetery, near Rangoon, Burma. His posthumous VC was announced in the London Gazette on 28th June 1945, and was presented to his parents by King George VI later that year. His medals were later donated to the Royal Engineers Museum, Chatham, Kent.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: ROYAL ENGINEERS MUSEUM, CHATHAM, KENT (NOT DISPLAYED).
BURIAL PLACE: TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY, BURMA.
PLOT XII, ROW G, GRAVE 9.
Acknowledgement:
Kevin Brazier – Cemetery Map.