Newsletter August 2017

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1 Hello fellow travellers, Please find below some topics, developments and experiences of Death Railway Tours. Sergeant Charlie Mucklow 2/2 nd Pioneers - Medals We had Sergeant (SGT) Charles Mucklow well represented in November 2016 and April SGT Mucklow died in Tamarkan POW Camp of dysentery on 29 Jan 1944; he was from Nathalia Victoria and was a Truck/Tractor Driver before the war. Neil Davey did some excellent research and advised that he was also a champion flower grower and entered many competitions before the war. Also, a crack shot with a rifle, entered and won many shooting competitions. He would never have seen his medals as they were all issued of course well after the war. I had them court mounted and below is the updated photo, pictured below at his gravesite at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. (I ed my Railway expow contact of the 2/2 nd Pioneers (Death Railway) who unfortunately didn t know of the SGT but contacting (& waiting for his response) was like having access to a time machine awesome). SGT Mucklow

2 Chungkai 6. There is a plaque in the Nathalia Memorial Gardens for SGT Mucklow his home town. Whilst we visit the four lads in Chungkai War Cemetery there were another two accomplices in the Chungkai escape; bringing the total to six. LTCOL Philip Toosey I learned knew of the escape plot, covered for three days for his absent men and claimed responsibility for the escape personally which involved him being bashed and standing outside the Guard Room at Tamarkan for 24 hours. One of the other lads is mentioned at Kranji Cemetery - Singapore Memorial Wall and the other is buried in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. Next April, I ll add him to the list of lads we visit he was a Lieutenant. Khao Poon Temple Roof Tiles We purchased some ceramic roof tiles at the Khao Poon Temple at Chungkai recently and signed our names to them when they fill up their frame with other tiles they get put up on the roof of the temple. A novel way to raise money and get people involved.

3 Original Rail Spike Purchases Newsletter August 2017 We now have a visit at dinner by an Englishman (Dave) who is affiliated with the British Foreign Legion. He saved hundreds or more original rail spikes from being melted down recently and met our group to showcase some of his collectibles for sale. Pictured below is one of their creations made of original rail spikes. (Have to declare the wood!) 4 th Anti-Tank Plaque by Neil Beaumont & Family. Was great to catch up with Neil and Susan Beaumont recently. Neil and his sister (Heather Tadich) put together a new 4 th Anti-Tank Plaque for the men lost on the railway. A great group of lads (including my Uncle Lofty) who stopped the Japanese Hago Tanks in Malaya delaying Yamashita s move down the Peninsula. I passed on the

4 plaque to Rod Beattie who was pleased to have it hanging proudly on his staircase between his two floors of exhibits. Above left: Andrew & Neil. Above Right: Andrew with Rod Beattie and below: Rod sizing up the plaque for his Museum wall. An article here on Uncle Lofty of the 4 th Anti Tank: Minor Changes & Updates to the Tour On Day 2, Charlie and I have added the Temple of the Reclining Buddha; so we can see the 46m long golden giant and then pop over to the Grand Palace it even makes parking better for our van and Mr Samai. Sound & Light Show at Home Phu Toey we ll attend the resort of the late Khun Kanit and see the show and have a buffet dinner where the Australian and NZ Ambassadors stay prior to ANZAC Day the following day. Two of our group this year tried out the evening and reported back saying it s well worth a visit. Change of Bar on ANZAC Day. We ll move to the BBB Bar after the cemetery services, the AFL game is televised there, the Bagpipers from the services will be present and continue to play some tunes and Rod tells me last year they played two-up there. He even went and got two original Penny s from his WW2 collection that the POWs used on the railway now that s cool. Good Times Restaurant a new venue down by the Kwai Noi River. Accommodation at the Floatel the famous floating hotel on the Kwai Noi River with airconditioning. Our lunch venue is also our dinner and accommodation venue no need to move on, we can kick back with a Singapore Sling, Mai Tai or Chang Beer and settle in. The above changes reflect comments I have received from clients and keeps the tour improving as we go along thanks to my wonderful clients for their feedback.

5 Private Francis Murphy 2/3 rd Battalion Syria, Palestine, Blackforce & the Death Railway I ve been lucky enough to obtain the original medals of another soldier who worked on the Death Railway. Private Murphy was a South Australian lad who joined the AIF with the 2/3 rd Machine Gun Battalion. He sailed out of Australia with other members of the 2/3 rd made up of South Australians, Victorians, West Australians and Tasmanians, stopping off via the Suez Canal on the way to Syria & Palestine to fight the Vichy French. Being recalled back to Australia (due to the war with Japan), the 2/3 rd with the 2/2 nd Pioneer Battalion & the 2/6th landed in Java to form Blackforce, here they were to make a stand against the Japanese. They fought the Japanese for two days, on 8 March the Dutch surrendered and the next day the Australians were ordered to do the same under newly promoted Brigadier Arthur Blackburn VC. 139 men of the 2/3 rd Machine Gun Battalion would die as POWs including Private Francis Murphy who died after the Speedo of of Avitaminosis and Dysentery. We ll represent Private Murphy at his gravesite wearing his medals proudly on ANZAC Day next year. Private Murphy s original medals 2 nd from left is the Africa Star. 1 Source: Australian War Memorial.

6 Stoker (1 st Class) Fred Richardson H.M. Submarine Grampus - Royal Navy. Whilst Stoker Richardson was not on the Death Railway we represented him at the cemetery services and his men from the Grampus who died off the coast of Sicily (Italy) on 24 June Grampus was a submarine of the Porpoise Class and a mine-layer from the Royal Navy. 59 casualties aboard Grampus including Stoker Richardson were lost via depth charge; credited with the kill was the Italian ship Polluce. Our friend Dr Neil McLean wore the Stoker s medals proudly on ANZAC Day Stoker Richardson s medals 2 nd from left is the Atlantic Star. Diving Truk Lagoon Nov 2017 I am planning a dive trip to Truk Lagoon in two months time. A SCUBA trip with 13 dives on Japanese wrecks on the small atoll of Truk. A SCUBA mecca for wreck diving; given the history of the place I am super keen to dive and see what lays on the bottom of the lagoon. One of my first clients is my dive buddy (Scott) and I ll report back in a newsletter with my best pictures (I have two underwater cameras for the journey) degree water with 12-30m visibility; the lagoon in the Caroline Islands has over 100 Japanese wrecks from a fierce battle between the Nippon Fleet and Allied Carrier planes. I m diving with a group of 20 Divers from my local Dive Shop and very keen to get some great shots and explore what we can. A short video clip on what we will be doing here:

7 If know of anyone interested in a tour of the Death Railway please point them our way and we ll assist as best we can. Charlie is primed for another tour (like me) and I have frozen 2018 prices at 2017 levels for the 75 th Anniversary of the Railway. Charlie has taken the liberty in producing giant Death Railway Tour Magnetic boards for our van so we will travel the Thai capital and country blazing our logo for all to see. Safe travels. Andrew Mason Death Railway Tours PS one of the best reads recently on the Death Railway was the The Colonel of Tamarkan kindly given to me by my client Mrs Lesley Hoyling a fantastic book about the real leader of the Bridge Over the River Kwai. (For a succinct book review on the subject) please see: %20Book%20Review.pdf