Bill Dalton's Trip back to Burma, November 2005
Bill fought in the 1st Arakan Campaign in WW11
Here are the pictures of his nostalgic return.


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
0800 hrs Depart Union Jack Club, Waterloo, London.
Transfer to London Heathrow Terminal 3, Check in 0900 hrs
1230 hrs Flight TG911 to Bangkok

Day Two: Monday 28th November, 2005
0605 hrs Arrive Bangkok
0815 hrs Transit Flight TG303 to Rangoon
0900 hrs Arrive Rangoon. Transfer to the Dusit Inya Lake Hotel

Day Three: Tuesday 29th November, 2005
Fly to Sittwe. Transfer to Sittwe Hotel
Tour around Akyab

Day Four: Wednesday 30th November, 2005
Private boat to Buthedaung up the Mayu River. Overnight on board.

Day Five: Thursday 1st December, 2005
Drive to Maungdaw. Return to Buthedaung and overnight on board.
Day Six: Friday 2nd December, 2005
Sail back to Akyab via Rathedaung. Transfer to Sittwe Hotel

Day Seven: Saturday 3rd December, 2005
Fly back to Rangoon. Transfer to Dusit Inya Lake Hotel

Day Eight: Sunday 4th December, 2005
Tour of old Rangoon and Group Dinner

Day Nine: Monday 5th December, 2005
Early visit to Htaukkyan Cemetery for Service of Remembrance
and Wreath Laying
Cathedral Service Reception at the Residence of the British Ambassador

Day Ten: Tuesday 6th December, 2005
Morning at leisure
Transfer to airport
1945 hrs Flight TG306 to Bangkok
2125 Arrive Bangkok

Day Eleven: Wednesday 7th December, 2005
0110 hrs Flight TG910 to UK
0715 hrs Arrive London Heathrow
0930 hrs Arrive back at the Union Jack Club, Waterloo, London

The other members of Bill's party were:

Mr John Davis Lytham
Mrs Karen Snape Lytham
Mr Peter Boyce London
Ms. Heather Boyce London
Mr. Douglas Sutcliffe Warwick
Mrs. Maxine Dewsbury Warwick
Mr. Frank Ruffley Stockport
Mr. Peter Ruffley Stockport
Mr. Jack Archer Halstead
Mr John Archer Halstead
Mr. Robert Mitchell Leamington Spa
Dr.Joanne Mitchell Leamington Spa

Mr. Chartres Baillie Dollar
Mr Derek Hugill Pontefract
Mrs Elsie Hugill Pontefract
Mr Phillip France Bury
Mr David Ryden Bury

The Pilgrimage was accompanied throughout by
Mr David Knowles CBE Representing The Royal British Legion
Dr. Tania John Medical Escort
Mr. Jon Wort Remembrance Travel

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
Captions and explanations are given at the end of this story

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
First Arakan Campaign.

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.
See also Photo 31F

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
RBL HQ's for general viewing.

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.
For further information about Khine and her intrepid exploits please visit:

www.cbiexpeditions.com

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.
Please see the photo gallery. A picture speaks a thousand words.

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,
For Their Tomorrow, We Gave our Today


Lest We Forget

A
B
C
D
1
2
3


Japanese surrender delegates arrive at Rangoon,
26th August 1945

The instrument of surrender of all Japanese Forces in South East Asia
4
5
6
Compiled by G Pycroft
February,2006



Click on eack photo to see an enlargement of it

Views
around Rangoon
A
B
C
D
E
F
1.

Burma Bound on Flight TG 911 London Heathrow to Bangkok

View of the front of the
Dusit Inya Lake Hotel,
Rangoon

View of the front of the
Dusit Inya Lake Hotel,
Rangoon

Bill in the foyer of the
Dusit Inya Lake Hotel,
Rangoon

Bill in the foyer of the
Dusit Inya Lake
Hotel, Rangoon

Bill and John with
Khine,
the Burmese born lady
from Arizona, USA
2.

Bill with Khine

Bill with John Davies
from Lytham
Ex Royal Artillery

Grounds of the
Dusit Inya
Lake Hotel, Rangoon

Front entrance
Dusit Inya
Lake Hotel, Rangoon

Grounds of the Grounds
of theHotel, Rangoon


Dusit Inya Lake
3.

Pool, Dusit Inya Lake Hotel, Rangoon

Dusit Inya Lake Hotel,
Rangoon

Main entrance foyer
Dusit Inya Lake Hotel,
Rangoon

Waiting for the flight
to Sittwe (Akyab)

Waiting for the flight
to Sittwe (Akyab)

Enroute to Sittwe
4.

Enroute to Sittwe

Enroute to Sittwe

Enroute to Sittwe

Enroute to Sittwe

Entrance Sittwe Airport

Coach to Sittwe Hotel
5.

Petrol Bowser Sittwe Airport

View from Monkey
Point Akyab

View from Monkey
Point Akyab
Restaurant at Sittwe (Akyab)

Bill and John at
Monkey Point, Akyab

Bill at Monkey Point,
Akyab
6.

all views of Tour of Sittwe (Akyab

Restaurant at Sittwe
(Akyab)

Restaurant at Sittwe
(Akyab)

Restaurant at Sittwe
(Akyab)
7.

John with his human engine!

Locals!

Bill just before
sunset at
Monkey Point
8.

Bill and John The approaching
sunset

Bill checking out the
local defences at
Monkey Point!
....Just in case!

John making
doubly sure!

View from Monkey
Point.
Sittwe Hotel in view
across the water

Sunset Tuesday 29th
November, 2005
Burma

Jetty Area Akyab
9.

Jetty Area Akyab

Jetty Area Akyab

Jetty Area Akyab

Dinner Sittwe Hotel

Dinner Sittwe Hotel

Bill and John Davies
10.

Views of the Mayu River enroute to Buthedaung


Our river transport
arrives....Oh Dear!!


Onboard the ferry
en-route to
Buthedaung on the
Mayu River

Onboard the ferry
en-route to Buthedaung
on the Mayu River
11.

Walkabouts in Buthedaung

Walkabouts in
Buthedaung

Bill and John Davies
enroute to the Tunnels
at Maungdaw

Reception Committee
at Buthedaung
12

Bullet Holes?
The terrain traversed
by Bill and the
Guerilla Platoon in
December 1942

The actual tunnel
attacked by Bill and
the Guerilla Platoon in December, 1942.
Compare to the
photo at 10A in Bill's
Gallery Photos in the
features section

Bill and John Davies
enroute to the Tunnels
at Maungdaw

Bill inside one of the
tunnels at
Maungdaw

Bill outside one
of the tunnels at
Maungdaw
13.

Girder bridge near
Maungdaw. Scene of
aerial attacks by
Blenheims of the
RAF

Girder bridge near Maungdaw. Scene of
aerial attacks by
Blenheims of the
RAF

13C to 15A. Views
enroute back down
the Mayu River to
Rathedaung


14.

14E, F
Arrival at
Rathedaung
15.
16.



walkabouts in
Rathedaung
17

17B, C ,D and E
The Pagoda Hill
used by the Japanese
as a mortar position
to attack Rathedaung

Local transport
The oldest man in
Rathedaung. Bill pulled
a wounded Japanese
soldier from
underneath this very
mans house in
December, 1942!
The house still stands
to this day

The very house!!
18.

A very sad place....the
ditch in which Bill
last saw Cliff Spearing
alive (See LF's at rest on
the 10th battalion Page).
See also photo 31F in
this Gallery.

Time for a breather!

A hero is greeted!

Local heroes!

19D, D E andF Views
around Rathedaung
19.

enroute down the
Mayu River back
to Akyab (Sittwe)

The jetty at Rathedaung.
Scene of the Japanese
ambush in December,
1942.
Maj. McKay was killed
whilst trying to lead
his troops ashore.
Bill Dalton was in the
water alongside him
at the time.
See the Bill Dalton Story
for further details.

20.


Time for a rest!

Views
around Akyab
21
22.


23.
Inside Rangoon Cathedral

from the Book
of Remembrance
Rangoon Cathedral

24.

Views inside
Rangoon Cathedral

25.

The encased
LF Plaques that Bill
took with him to
Burma.
Donated by this
Web Site


Regimental
Plaques in Rangoon
Cathedral


26.

Bill and John

High Tea?
27.


28.


Taking things easy!
29.

29 A to 31B Htaukkyan Cemnetery, Rangoon
30.
31


31E to 32E Rangoon Cemetary
32.

32F to 33F The Church
Service at Rangoon
Cathedral
5th December, 2005
33.
34.

34A to 36C Photos taken at the reception held at the British Ambassador's Residence, Rangoon, hosted by the British Ambassador Ms. Vicky Bowman
35.
36.

Bill and the Ambassador Ms. Vicky Bowman.

John and the Ambassador
Ms. Vicky Bowman.

37D and E .....
One big Buddha!!

Two revered
Buddhist Monks
37.

37A to 38 E Various
self explanatory photos taken inside Rangoon Cathedral
38.

38F to 39B.....
Enroute home
39.