In 1985, ex POW, the late Keith \nFlanagan, a West Australian journalist and a member of Dunlop Force on \nthe Burma Thailand Railway, organised a return journey to Java, \nSingapore & Thailand. The party included Sir Edward “Weary Dunlop”, \nBill Haskell and their wives, a number of ex POWs as well as several \nwell known journalists including the late Hugh Schmitt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was not an ordinary sight-seeing \ntour. As well as reuniting mates (many of whom had not seen each other \nsince the end of the war) to relive their war and POW experiences, the \njournalists sent back daily reports on the trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following this initial tour and on his \nown initiative, the late Keith Flanagan organised and led the ensuing \ntours, Bill Haskell, also on the railway with Weary Dunlop, joined Keith\n and became the story teller on the tours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The original objective was to pass on \nthe inspiring legend of Weary Dunlop, during and after the war, to young\n people. Since 1997 when organised parties of high school students \nbecame a regular feature, over 200 have participated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As age and ill health gradually took its\n toll on the survivors of the Railway and to ensure its continuity, a \nnew generation of volunteers became involved and in 2002 the Burma \nThailand Railway Memorial Association Inc was formed. The new \norganisation, which still included the ex POWs such as the initial \ninstigator, the late Keith Flanagan, as well as Bill Haskell and Neil \nMacPherson, took over the organisation of the annual pilgrimage still \nknown as the Quiet Lion Tour.\nThe aim of subsequent tours was to pass on the legend of Weary Dunlop \nand provide young Australians with a role model who represented virtues \nas honour, courage, compassion and devotion to duty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the tour grew in fame and size, other\n ex-POWs, friends and family members interested in the story of Weary \nDunlop and involved in the Burma-Thailand Railway in general joined Bill\n and Keith to support and expand what had become known as the Quiet Lion\n Tour. The purpose of the tour also expanded to honour not only Weary \nDunlop’s achievements and example, but to pass on the story of the \nBurma-Thailand Railway and remember the sacrifices of all who slaved on \nit – those who paid the ultimate price at the time and since – and the \nsurvivors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During an early tour, while travelling \ndown the Kwai Noi river, the tour party called in to what they thought \nwas a restaurant and met Kanit and the late Oonjai Wanachote, who were \nliving on a moored houseboat while building a home on land at Phu Toey, a\n few kilometres from Hellfire Pass. Kanit and Oonjai\u2019s offer of \nhospitality on that first visit led to a life-long friendship with Weary\n Dunlop and the Wanachote\u2019s home grew to become a large resort. The \nQuiet Lion Tour stays at Kanit\u2019s Home Phu Toey resort each year now – \nour home away from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why the \u201cQuiet Lion Tour\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among those interred in the POW camps in\n Java were black Ambonese soldiers of the Dutch army. They named Weary \nDunlop Singa yang Diam \u2013 the Quiet Lion in their Malay language for his \ngreat heart and soft voice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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