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Quiet Lion Tour Information View the Tour Program Visit our Testimonials section
This annual 10 day pilgrimage to Thailand organised by the BTRMA Inc, includes some mainstream sightseeing, but the main focus is the story of the Burma Thailand Railway and much of the tour is spent learning about the Railway. ANZAC Day is the highlight. The day starts with the Dawn Service at Hellfire Pass, followed by the 11am commemoration service at the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, and it is now a feature of these ANZAC Day services that Australian military cadets take an active part. As well as Defence Force Cadet involvement, up to 25 high school students can participate. RSL Sub-branches, service clubs, high schools and other sponsors work to raise funds to facilitate the students’ involvement. The tour is also open to members of the general public and the limited-number of places are keenly sought by family members of ex POWs and others interested in Australian history. The presence of a number of ex-POWs who worked on the Railway is a unique and integral part of the tour. These remarkable men are volunteers who pay their own expenses and do so to tell of their experiences and keep alive the story of courage and sacrifice. The opportunity to get to know them and listen to their stories is a privilege not found on commercially-orientated commemorative trips.
The two cemeteries in Kanchanaburi (Don Rak and Chungkai) accommodate nearly 8700 graves of Commonwealth and Dutch servicemen who died during the building of the Railway - nearly 7000 in the main cemetery and 1700
at Chungkai.
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