1 and 5 Army Commandos,42 and 44 Royal Marine Commandos, and

901 Flotilla

Veterans Return to Burma10th to 20th March, 2005

after sixty years

THE PILGRIMAGEby

3 COMMANDO BRIGADE

1 Veterans Return to Burma after 60 years

TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY

A memorial service, attended by HMAmbassador Miss Vicky Bowmanand Vice Chairman Royal BritishLegion, Peter Cleminson, was heldat the Taukkyan War Cemetery inRangoon (Yangon) that nowcommemorates nearly 28,000 soulswho fought and died in the Burmaand Assam conflicts.

THE WREATH

Ted Ridley read the poem of Hill 170“ The Battle of Kangaw” on behalf of3 Commando Brigade. Thenrepresentative Veterans from eachof the 4 Commandos presented adedicated wreath. The Last Postwas played by two BurmeseBuglers.

PRIVATE

The Commandos rememberedtheir own fallen with an additionalprivate service including the RoyalMarine and Commando prayersand the Kohima Epitaph.

10th to 20th March, 2005 2

UNITED IN THOUGHT

All the Veterans from 3Commando Brigade in front of thememorial stone to the Reverand HC W Manger, RNVR Chaplain,HMRM Commando.

ANOTHER SIDE TO RANGOON

The fabulous gold bejewelledShwedagon Pagoda built in600BC, making it older than theTaj Mahal.

THE ‘RIVER CRUISE’

Government restrictions made itimpossible to approach Myebon bysea, as the Commandos hadso many years before. Instead, itwas all aboard an eighty-year-oldferry for a ‘luxury’ river cruise downthe Kalladin to Mrauk U, that wouldtake eight hours.

3 Veterans Return to Burma after 60 years

DINING ABOARD

What a surprise, there was rice onthe menu!

THE ROAD TO KANGAW

The three-hour trip by bus toKangaw Village was interruptedby a broken bridge where theVets walked the plank!

ARRIVAL AT KANGAW VILLAGE...AT

The welcome at Kangaw villagewas beyond our wildestimagination – quite literally thewhole village had come to seeus and laid on green tea.

10th to 20th March, 2005 4

THE FINAL LEG OF THE PILGRIMAGE

And so, after many miles and manyhours the Vets stopped at the exitof Kangaw Village, poised to beginthe final march to Pinner and Hill170.

PINNER SIXTY YEARS ON

Crosses were laid on Pinner in aprivate tribute to those who fellhere sixty years before.

THE LAST MARCH TO 170

The reason these hills were soimportant sixty years earlierbecomes obvious as you see theircommanding presence over thelandscape. It was sizzlinghot, around 40oC as theVeterans made their journeyacross the paddy fields fromPinner to Hill 170.

5 Veterans Return to Burma after 60 years

HILL 170

Three-and-a-half hours on a bus onvery rough tracks; a 40-minutewalk to Pinner in searing heat; atleast another hour’s march in theopen sun across paddy fields: itwas quite tough going for some ofthe Veterans but at last Hill 170was there.

THE WELCOME AT CAR DAUNG SWE

An incredible welcome was given byall the inhabitants of the village, CarDaung Swe, at the foot of Hill 170.The village Elders greeted us, wewere refreshed with coconuts andthese young girls from the villagesang songs and danced. It was anunforgettable spectacle.

TWO COMMANDOS ON TOP OF HILL 170

Pat Ready and ‘Timber’ Woodstand on top of Hill 170. Not muchhad changed in sixty years – therewas still an overgrown foxhole andthe remnants of an ammo-dump.The well was still at the bottom ofthe hill, and John Headley, 42Commando, could even identify thespot where his comrade had fallenand he was almost fatally woundedas he tried to help him.

10th to 20th March, 2005 6

CROSSES FOR THE FALLEN

On 170 crosses were banged inthe hard ground; there was two-minutes silence followed by theKohima Epitaph in memory ofthose who did not come home. Toour knowledge, the only othervisitor to these battlefields hadbeen a sole Marine in 2004.

LOOKING OUT FROM HILL 170

This view shows clearly thestrategic importance of Hill 170sixty years ago with itscommanding views.

JOURNEY DOWN THE CHAUNG

The Veterans were by now verytired and so the organizers hadlaid on six canoes to save thelong trek back across the paddyfields. The canoes leaked and forsome, it was tricky sitting so low –but what a blessing!

7 Veterans Return to Burma after 60 years

AKYAB (SITTWE)

Farewell to the Arakan. It was atAkyab that the Commandos hadmade an unopposed landing in1945.

ON THE BEACH SIXTY YEARS ON

All the veterans near where theylanded at Akyab sixty years before.Back row, l-r: Pat Ready (44),Jimmie Grahame (5), Ted Syms(44),John Headley (42), Les Wood(42), Ted Ridley (42), Jan Webber(44), John Street (42), TimberWood (44); Front, l-r: WillieFalconer (42), Tug Wilson (42), BillMoore (5), Alfred Clamp (901Flotilla), Henry Bernini (1), HaroldGrayson (44), Robert Taylor (5),John Wall (5).

FAREWELL AT THE

After all the rice, a farewell dinnerat The Strand Hotel, Rangoon.Luxury!

What a memorable trip, anemotional one too, but after sixtyyears...not forgotten...and never tobe so.