We quickly became an item of curiosity and people came from all around to view the 'white people'. With a wide teeth-blunted, red and black gummy smile, one old woman offered me a rose. Such generosity - her clothing was well tattered - I don't think she's had an easy life at all.
We bought red roses, orange orchids and white dahlias and had them made up into two beautiful bouquets. We met Hector Philipson from Proserpine at the Kanchanaburi war cemetery. His uncle, Hector Philipson, 2/26th btn, "F Force", is also buried at Thanbyuzayat war cemetery and it's now time for me to pay forward the generous favour done for me when Terry Mantton, TBRC, organised someone to place flowers on my behalf on Reg's grave a number of years ago.
Heading back towards the car with our beautiful bouquets in hand, we paused at the old woman's stall to buy some jasmine petals the Burmese string together to form a long strand to hand on the rear view mirror. Often you can see women wearing them in their hair. She gave me some yellow jasmine and I thanked her, "Jeezabar". She smiled her dark red-stained mouth and teeth smile, and handed me more flowers. I couldn't refuse to take them, but she had so little. We gave her 1,000 kyat and she couldn't take it, but eventually with encouragement from our guide, she did. Smiles all 'round.
We drove for over an hour and the road to Thanbyuzayat was in a dreadful state - the potholes were huge. We got to the checkpoint where we had to pay to enter Mon State - hopefully this money goes to pay to improve the roads!
Rubber plantations were on either side of the road and sheets of rubber hung on bamboo frames outside many properties. I asked our guide if there are any snakes in Burma ... "Oh yes, we have two types - very dangerous too - vipers and cobras but they're mostly in the jungle or the plantations"!
We arrived in Thanbyuzayat and spent two hours at the war cemetery. Kanchanaburi is much larger with nearly 7,000 graves, and more lush, but both are equally as moving, of course.
We placed the flowers, a poppy, and a remembrance cross on Reg's grave and I said a prayer of thanks.
We found Hector's grave and placed the flowers, a poppy and a remembrance cross in memory of his nephew, Hector Philipson, his wife Debbie and family.
We walked amongst the graves and it became evident that July and August had taken a terrible toll on the boys of the 2/2nd btn. The largest number of deaths occurred during "Speedo", April to November 1943 when the Japanese were pushing the men to finish the railway in order to get their supplies to Burma asap as they no longer commanded the seas.
Some young girls and boys came into the cemetery grounds and saw the 'white man' and 'white woman' and wanted photos taken. We obliged, of course.
We went to the start of the Line and took photos of the sleepers, rails and spikes. It was very moving knowing that our men had laid them.
That must have been so special and moving to finally see Reg's gravestone. So glad you took a photo before and after with flowers. It is as if we too are giving thanks.
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