Pilgrimage to Burma Between Sunday 27th November, 2005 and Wednesday 7th December, 2005 William (Bill) Dalton, accompanied by his son John, made an emotional return visit to the Arakan Region of Burma. Bill had served with the 10th Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers during the First Arakan Campaign and was near fatally wounded on 9th January, 1943. Bill's trip was arranged through the Royal British Legion and Remembrance Travel under the Heroes Return Programme and was made possible through a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The following was the Itinerary Day One: Sunday 27th November, 2005 Day Two: Monday 28th November, 2005 Day Three: Tuesday 29th November, 2005 Day Four: Wednesday 30th November, 2005 Day Five: Thursday 1st December, 2005 Day Seven: Saturday 3rd December, 2005 Day Eight: Sunday 4th December, 2005 Day Nine: Monday 5th December, 2005 Day Ten: Tuesday 6th December, 2005 Day Eleven: Wednesday 7th December, 2005 The other members of Bill's party were: Mr John Davis Lytham The Pilgrimage was accompanied throughout
by Throughout the trip Bill's son John kept both a photographic and video record of the trip and he has most kindly allowed these to be used in this update to Bill's story. See the Burma Photo Gallery The itinerary organised by Remembrance Travel was thorough, well planned and executed, and gave Bill the opportunity to visit virtually all the scenes of his war time experience. He was able to visit the town of Akyab (Sittwe),
the Port town that was the focus of the early assaults and fierce
fighting during the From Akyab he was able to travel by steamer up the Mayu River to the village of Buthedaung, and from there, by road to the "Tunnels" near Maungdaw. See Photo's 12E, 12D, 13A, B and C. In December, 1942 Bill and his Guerrilla Platoon led by Sgt. Cyril Robinson attacked the very tunnel shown in Photo 13D. (See features page for the Cyril Robinson Story). Also see the comparison Photo 10A in the Gallery attached to Bill's Story in Features. On his return down the Mayu River to Akyab, his party stopped off at the town/village of Rathedaung, the one place in Burma holding some off the saddest memories for Bill. The photo at 19B shows the pier at Rathedaung as it is now, which in December, 1942 was the scene of an ambush by the Japanese. Major A.A. McKay was fatally wounded along side Bill whilst they were both in the water trying to affect a landing onshore. (see the Bill Dalton Story). The photo at 18D shows the actual ditch
where Bill last saw his great friend Cliff Spearing alive. Just prior to his visit to Rathedaung, Bill from pure memory, sketched the map shown below on a scrap of paper. Upon their arrival at Rathedaung the map was compared to the present day village, and found to be stunningly accurate! It left the rest of the party dumbfounded as one has to take account that it was drawn from memories over 60 years old. Mr David Knowles CBE the representative
of The Royal British Legion was so impressed that he has asked to
be allowed to take the sketch to the It should be pointed out that Bill has remarked that throughout the whole of Burma very little 'modernisation' has taken place. Many places, certainly the more remote areas and villages, have remain virtually unchanged since the 1940's. Following the parties ' walkabouts ' in Rathedaung and Buthedaung they returned to the Dusit Inya Lake Hotel, Rangoon. Whilst at the hotel Bill and John were visited
by 'Khine' a Burmese born lady who lives in Arizona, U.S.A. Khine
has been a contact of the Web Site team for some time and has proved
an invaluable source of information. In the past few years she has
made frequent trips to Burma with veterans of many nationalities who
have returned to Burma on personal pilgrimages. It was by lucky chance
that she was again in Burma at the time of Bill's visit and therefore
took the chance to meet him. At the time of writing (February, 2006) Khine is still in Burma and has recently visited the Ledo Road with Burma Veterans. In March 2006 she is to lead a further party to 'Broadway', a name that will be well known to Burma Veterans. Perhaps the most poignant part of the trip
for Bill was his visits to the Htaukkyan and Rangoon Cemeteries. There
he and the rest of his party laid wreaths and Bill was able to locate
either the names of past friends on the War Memorial or their individual
Remembrance stones/tablets. On the 5th December, 2005 the Pilgrimage Party attended a Special Service of Remembrance at Rangoon Cathedral. A Copy of the Order of Service is shown in the additional gallery below. Again, see the Burma Gallery for numerous photos taken during the Service of Remembrance. At the request of the Web Site Team and with the assistance of the Fusiliers' Museum, Lancashire Bill took with him the Regimental Plaques shown below They were handed into the custody of the Bishop of Rangoon during the course of the Service of Remembrance and now have pride of place along side the Book of Remembrance On the evening prior to their return to the UK the Pilgrimage Party attended a Reception held at the Ambassador's Residence in Rangoon, hosted by the British Ambassador Ms. Vicky Bowman. See Photos 34A to 36C (Below this story) Bill says of his trip that it was a lifelong ambition fulfilled. It brought back many painful memories but he would say this: When You Go Home, Tell them of Us And Say,
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