Our
group at Chung Kai.
Bert Elson
Once again we joined our Australian and Kiwi Friends at
the River Kwai for the Anzac Day Service. We had a slight change of plan
this year in that myself, our Standard Bearer, Richard Holmes and a number
of others arrived a day early to prepare for the parade and just as
important the BBQ under the supervision of “Lambshank Ritchie”.
That plan worked well, as everything was ready for the
main party on their arrival. We were joined again by members from Korat and
Chiang Mai. We hope that next year we can book every room in the Noble
Nights Guesthouse, stay an extra day and have our own Royal British Legion
Thailand “Get Together”. This of course depends on our members but I feel
sure it would be a fantastic few days with members from all over Thailand
getting to know each other.
The Defence Attaché’s Wife
joins Derek and Richard for a drink after the service.
After the main service we once again visited Chung Kai
War Cemetery, which is only five minutes away yet has few visitors or
wreaths laid. The graves of those who died during the construction and
maintenance of the Burma-Siam Railway (except for the Americans, whose
remains were repatriated) were transferred from camp burial grounds and
isolated sites along the railway into three cemeteries at Chung Kai and
Kanchanaburi in Thailand and Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar. Chung Kai was one of
the base camps on the railway and contained a hospital and church built by
Allied prisoners of war. The war cemetery is the original burial ground
started by the prisoners themselves, and the burials are mostly of men who
died at the hospital. There are now 1,427 Commonwealth and 314 Dutch burials
of the Second World War in this cemetery, 50 of these are known only to God.
The cemetery was designed by Colin St Clair Oakes.
After both services were over we went out and about the
small town of Kanchanaburi and were amazed at the amount of people from
Pattaya who had travelled up for the day. One of those we met was Stuart,
the manager of Shenanigans Jomtien, who certainly made the most of his time
off!
We will be there again next year, with our extra wreaths
for Chung Kai so why not join the Legion and come along. It costs only 600
baht and you do not have to have served in the Armed Forces to join.
We meet every Saturday from 2 p.m. at Tropical Bert’s next to Soi 6/1.
Our next trip is to Malaysia in June for the Malay Emergency Remembrance in
Ipoh and we have one seat left.
Our two
wreaths at Chung Kai.
Gez
Tracey prepares to lay our wreath.
A moment
to reflect.
Members
of the Pipe Band join us for the BBQ.
Tropical
Bert, Standard Bearer Richard Holmes and Managers Rob (1 More Bar) and
Stuart from Shenanigans Jomtien enjoy a few cold ones.
Lambshank Ritchie and his staff prepare the BBQ.
