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QUIET LION TOUR THAILAND 2005
Our party of 80 led by Tour
Leader Eric Wilson and Assistant Tour Leader Neil MacPherson met up
in Bangkok on the 17th April. The tour included participants from Western
Australia, Queensland, Darwin, Victoria, Japan and Hong Kong. The demand
for our limited number of seats saw us having to close the bookings
before last Christmas. The 31 students of high school age came from
Esperance, Carnamah and Nambour High Schools; the W.A. State RSL sponsored
three Defence Service Cadets. Mandurah RSL Sub branch and the Peel Health
Centre each sponsored one cadet. The seven Nambour students included
three cadets, the War Veterans EDA Society of W.A. and the Wagin Lion’s
Club each sponsored a student. All students were partly subsidised by
the Burma Thailand Railway Memorial Association. Details of the Association
can be found on our web site www.btrma.org
Teachers from Esperance, Carnamah and Nambour High Schools led the students,
Leonie McGaw our BTRMA Queensland representative organised the Queensland
group. The Ramsay Group’s Hollywood Private Hospital selected
and sponsored two of their nurses for the tour, this has become a tradition
over the years. Four Railway Veterans, Bill Haskell, Neil MacPherson,
Ernie Redman and Owen Heron attended, paying their own costs to provide
an accurate story for the group. Both Bill and Neil are executive members
of the BTRMA Committee. On ANZAC Day ex POWs Jack White from Tasmania
and Doug Klose from Queensland joined the four West Australians for
the Dawn Service at Hellfire Pass and the Kanchanaburi Cemetery morning
service. Bill Haskell delivered the now traditional POW address, which
brought a standing ovation from the estimated 800 in attendance, Neil
MacPherson read the Ode. Federal Attorney-General Phillip Ruddock gave
the main speech at the morning service, also present were Justice Minister
Chris Ellison and Senator Sandy McDonald. The four ex POWs were given
the honour of laying the first two wreaths from the Quiet Lion Tour
and the W.A. Ex POW Association. In addition to the standard 10-day
program, which traversed the Railway through as far as the Three Pagoda
Pass on the Burma border, the Thailand Tigers played for the inaugural
ANZAC Commemorative Cup. This AFL rules football match was played at
the Kanchanaburi Stadium in 40 degree plus heat with the Quiet Lion
Tour as VIP guests. Also in attendance was Senator Sandy McDonald and
his young daughter. Warrant Officer Steven Reid of the Defence Attaché’s
office in Bangkok must be commended for his efficient organising of
the football match and the ANZAC Day program. The continuing interest
and support from both the student groups and the public is most heartening
and again we expect to fill the 2006 tour as soon as we announce final
costs and the final program in September.
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