BTRMA, Quiet Lion Pilgrimage Thailand 2004

Neil MacPherson WX16572 Williams Force, BTRMA Inc Committee Member

Another successful 10-day pilgrimage to Thailand led by Chairman Lt Col Peter Winstanley DRA ret. Our party numbered 63 included 25 Students, and four Defence Services Cadets, three cadets selected by RSL H.Q. and with two nurses from Hollywood Hospital were sponsored by Hollywood Private Hospital. Mandurah RSL Sub Branch sponsored a fourth cadet, and the EDA Society of W.A sponsored a student. Our group contained four ex POWs who worked on the railway, and sadly they were the only ex POWs attending the Anzac Services this year, a reflection on the thinning ranks of survivors. Our veterans included Bill Haskell and Ernie Redman of the 2/3rd Machine Gunners, 94-year-old George Wiseman of the Malay Volunteers and myself representing the 2/2nd Pioneers. Our students all of whom were sponsored by country RSL Clubs, Service Clubs and volunteer fundraisers, came from Carnamah, Mingenew, Three Springs, Esperance, and Wagin, and were accompanied by teachers from Esperance & Carnamah High Schools. The programme followed the well-proven trail along the Railway to the Three Pagoda pass, and for the first time visited the Chungkai Railway Cutting built by British POWs. The Anzac Dawn Service and the morning Service at Kanchanaburi was again well attended, over 600 people attended the morning service, our W.A. Police Chaplain Barry May contributed to the religious part. It was a real privilege and honour to be invited to give the third annual POW address, which has become an important segment of the Anzac Service. The organising committee of the BTRMA, all volunteers, are to be congratulated on continuing their long running annual pilgrimage, when so many other regular tours failed to operate this year.