I am fundraising to go to Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia to show respects on behalf of the British Army. The tour takes place from 12th to 23rd of February 2017 with Frank Taylor’s Australian Military History Tours (Kokada treks and tours PTY LTD). The trip would have, unconfirmed but suggested, Norfolk and Suffolk Army cadets attending. The trip includes 12 days 11 nights fully escorted tour from arrival at Singapore to departure at Bangkok at the end of the tour. Brake down as follows: 4 days in Singapore, 3 days in Malaysia, 5 days in Thailand. (itinerary attached). I will get to experience researched historical commentary with geographical accuracy and supported with explanatory true detail; Helping me to have a further understanding on the events.
Visiting these destinations is important to me because it plays a part in my past, our past because the decision to build the Burma –Thailand railway was decided after the Japanese defeat at the Battle of Midway in June 1942 after which the Japanese navy could no longer guarantee the safe passage of supplies to its armies in Burma and New Guinea. It was expected to enable the Japanese to move 3,000 tons of supplies each day from Singapore and Bangkok to the Indian border. Prisoners of war were used to construct the railway. Around 1,000 prisoners of war started work on it in April 1943; by its completion in August, only 100 had survived.
By going on this trip not only am I learning what happened in my history I will get to see how people in other countries live and how it has affected their lives today. As well as representing the British and paying our respects to the countries involved in this tragic event. We will be the sole UK representatives at the 75th anniversary in Singapore.