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.
Our group at Chung Kai.
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.
Our two wreaths at Chung Kai.
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.
Gez Tracey prepares to lay our wreath.
A moment to reflect.
The Defence Attaché’s Wife joins Derek and Richard for a drink after the service.
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.
