Burma Star Association - B.C. Chapter
ABOUT THE BRITISH COLUMBIA BRANCH
Do you remember us – the little branch that could, the BC Branch of the Burma Star Association? Our small branch of approximately 75 members, with only 45 considered to be active, hosted two extremely successful International reunions, each of one-week duration. The first was in 1993 and the other in 1997. We invited the world and they came in large numbers. The first reunion attracted more than 500 and the later one more than 300. If you could be in doubt about how successful they were just ask anyone who attended. Even the late Lord Chacksfield sang out our praises. Our Burma buddies came from around the world including Australia, New Zealand, United States, all across Canada, France, Germany and a large contingent from the UK. It just shows what a small branch can do if it sets its sights high enough. We had the support of all members but the brunt of the two years planning for each reunion fell largely on the shoulders of a hardworking team of about 11 individuals. Both reunions were well worth the effort we all put into them. Both created a unique and very special atmosphere of love and companionship, which I have not seen demonstrated anywhere else.
Our branch is relatively young. It was founded in November 1988 primarily by Mr. George Leigh who incidentally was the driving force for the two above reunions. George also organized and chaperoned several groups of our membership to the UK to attend the magnificent reunions at the Royal Albert Hall until they had to be aborted. Afterwards, in each case, George escorted his groups on sightseeing trips around England and Scotland visiting many UK branches en route. It takes a mover and shaker to make these things happen and George was certainly this kind of man. Sadly, his health is now such that he can no longer do these things. In fact our entire membership is now beginning to feel the less enjoyable side of growing older and we are focusing an a five year 'life expectancy' for the branch.
In the meantime we still keep very active and maintain good attendance at our monthly lunch meetings. Many of the wives attend too. We are limiting the business side of our meetings in order to socialize more - something we all look forward to. Business matters of our branch are discussed at the executive level and are featured in our monthly newsletter. Therefore we only need very brief discussions at our luncheons. We try to keep our branch dynamic and constantly 'dream up' outings, lunches etc. to add interest to our lives between regular meetings.
A few days ago a group of about 20 of us drove to the Boeing Aeroplane manufacturing plant at Everett, Washington to see the assembly of 747's and 777's. It was amazing to see hundreds of people, together with unique machinery, swarming all over these pieces of aeroplanes which unite at the end of the floor - and then actually fly!! Their statistics are staggering. The assembly building itself is the largest in the world by volume and can occupy 75 full sized American football fields. Each 747 contains 130 miles of wiring. The total first flight flown by the Wright Brothers could have been flown entirely within the confines of the economy class section of a 747. Boeing employs 187,000 people worldwide, 137,000 within the Seattle area. Boeing employs 60 test pilots, 5 of them women. At the time of our visit three 747's were nearing completion for Richard Branson's Virgin Air and a 4th. One was on the flight line undergoing tests.
We arrange yearly visits to Vancouver Island to commemorate Major Hoey, a native of Duncan, on the Island, who, posthumously, received the Victoria Cross for his courage during the Burma Campaign. Other things we offer are our yearly Xmas dinner at a nearby hotel and an annual picnic at the H.M.C.S. Discovery naval station in the middle of Stanley Park. This naval facility sits in the centre of Vancouver's breathtaking harbour.
Several of our members are of Chinese extraction and were members of Force 136 during the Burma Campaign. They are often our hosts for lunches and cultural visits in Vancouver’s famous Chinatown. These members have been invaluable to our branch and I might add, totally dedicated.
Last year we visited a small local air museum and some of us were lucky enough to win one of several, donated, free flights in a Cessna. This writer was lucky enough to be one of them. Immediately after take off the instructor handed over the controls allowing me to fly for an hour over this beautiful city, it's harbour and the magnificent mountains around it – and all the right way up!. So there is life in the old dogs yet!. Further visits envisaged are trips to botanical gardens, a possible train trip to Whistler and a visit to the magnificent Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.
This branch funded, and was instrumental in, the erection of a beautiful monument, a granite cairn that is a half sized replica of the Kohima Monument. It sits in a wilderness 'jungle like' setting on Vancouver Island near the City of Duncan. The terrain is somewhat reminiscent of the undergrowth in Burma. Appropriately it is named Arakan Park after the Arakan in Burma where many of us fought. The site lies within the boundaries of a Provincial Park. It was contributed by the British Columbia Parks Department and is maintained by both them and us. In the late '40's a stretch of wilderness was set aside by the Provincial Government for the Burma Star Veterans but never acted upon until fairly recently. It is accessible by a rather tortuous road, but it is close to an area actively used by campers, hikers and picnickers. With this in mind we saw a golden opportunity to further the cause of publicity for the Burma Campaign. We raised further funds to have a covered signboard erected, bearing the names of all members, past and present, of both the B.C. Branch and the Victoria Branch of the Burma Star Association. The opposite side of the board depicts explanatory maps of the most active fighting areas within Burma and India.
Also, about five or six years ago, we raised money for a smaller granite memorial to be erected within Stanley Park. This required a substantial amount of money. But more than that, we had to be very persuasive with the Vancouver Parks Board even to allow such a monument to be placed. We won in the end. This simple, but touching reminder of those who did not return sits at the edge of the ocean facing west --- towards the lands where so many of them now forever lie. I say west, because here in Vancouver we must look Westward to what we previously knew as THE FAR EAST."
Joe Arblaster