Page 22 - Flaming Cauldron – Issue 61
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ACC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
A Far East Remembrance Journey – 2022
by Ian E Scott with Tom P Killilea
On the 6th November 2022 I departed UK via We based ourselves in Kanchanaburi where the
Dubai (where I met up with Tom Killilea), for our Bridge Over The River Kwai stands at a hotel on
onward flight to Bangkok to commence our Far the banks of the river. 80 years ago this town was
East tour of Remembrance. the home of the Japanese HQ for the railway con-
Having done two one day trips from Bangkok struction and held POW camps at Kanchanaburi
to the River Kwai on previous visits we decided that Base, Aerodrome Nos’1 & 2, Tha Makham and
a longer stay was needed to really take in the reality Chungkai both on the opposite bank of the river.
of what happened here nearly 80 years ago. Hospital Camps were also at Kanchanaburi &
For me personally I was following in the foot- Chungkai and both these locations are now the
steps of LCpl George Gerrard, The Manchester CWGC cemeteries, ( The Commonwealth War
Regiment, my Uncle George sadly did not Graves Commission | CWGC ), are the final rest-
return, he was part of the infamous F Force from ing place of over 8300 men and one woman.
Singapore, (many of whom were very sick prior to On the 11th November we laid a Corps wreath
leaving Singapore), he died after a 300km march in at the RBL Thailand Remembrance Ceremony
appalling conditions to a jungle camp at Ni Thea at Kanchanaburi CWG Cemetery. This was well
which was up near the Burmese border a week after attended by locals and ex Servicemen & Women
arrival there. Today, the sight of the camp lies under from UK, Australia, New Zealand and Holland along
the waters of the Khao Laem Dam & Reservoir. with the Military Attaches from those countries.
The Thai Burma Railway Centre, (TBRC Kanchanaburi has 8 Corps graves, Chungkai
Online: THE THAILAND-BURMA RAILWAY contains 3 and each man was visited and a cross
CENTRE ), in Kanchanaburi is the font of all placed on their final resting place.
knowledge regarding the history and records of Following the Remembrance Service on the
the men and camps throughout Thailand and 12th Tom and I embarked on a 2-day tour follow-
Burma and their input was invaluable in following Kanchanaburi War Cemetery ing my Uncle George’s 300km march to Ni Thea
George’s journey to Ni Thea. – 11th November 2022 with Andrew Snowdon as our Tour Guide from
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