Burma Star Association - B.C. Chapter

 ARAKAN PARK

Dedication, August 15, 1996

Arakan Park is beautifully situated on Vancouver Island, close to the city of Duncan. Even so it is rather remote and was chosen because of the similarity of terrain found in Arakan in Burma. A river runs close by and this Arakan Park as it is known, is itself within the boundaries of a large Provincial Park. It is frequented by fishermen, campers and hikers and because of this our Branches approached the Parks Board for permission to erect a roofed information board. This was done and we all gathered there to dedicate it. One side of the board depicts maps of some of the fighting areas of Burma and the reverse side is a subdued graphic of a Dakota on the ground with an army patrol marching beneath it's nose. Overlaid on this graphic is a list of all members of the two Canadian branches since their inception.

South East Asia Eulogy

In 1945, a few days before this date. the Japanese surrendered and the war in Burma came to an end. It was a dirty war. And so what? All wars are dirty, but this one was worse than most, both in the terrain in which it was fought and the lack of the so‑called rules of war that pertained in other theatres. Nowhere was the saying " kill or be killed" as pertinent as it was in Burma where the order to fight to the last man and the last round. was taken quite literally . by the Japanese.  

In battle. few prisoners were taken by either side and our wounded who fell into Japanese hands faced almost certain death speedy if they were lucky or drawn out if they were not.  

The World heard detailed accounts of battles in North Africa, Italy, Europe or the Southwest Pacific. but few were even aware that equally ferocious fighting was going on in Burma under almost unbelievable conditions of hardship. No one who was there will ever forget the bloody battles of Arakan, Kohima or Imphal to which 90.000 Japanese and 50.000 of our own casualties bear witness. Mandalay, because of its association with Kipling's song, received a bare mention in world news. But whoever heard of Meiktila or Monywa or other battles equally bloody? -  NOBODY.  

14th Army, the largest on either side in WW2, was at the bottom of the list for everything it needed to fight. They were not newsworthy and few correspondents thought it worthwhile to subject themselves to the rigors endured by the troops in those supremely inhospitable surroundings.  

The men took pride in calling themselves "The Forgotten Army" and got on with the job. Uncle Bill, in one of his rare outbursts of anger. told the troops: "Forgotten'?  Don't fool yourselves. They don't even know you're here".  

Overhead, flew an Air force who identified themselves with the Army and often fed and supplied the men on the ground. They provided protective fire, flew from airfields no pilot in his right mind would consider using, and under terrifying conditions in the mountains and monsoon because the Army needed it.  

But out of all this welter of neglect and bloodshed there emerged something that was wonderful and unique to the 14th Armv and the Air Force, a sense of comradeship and a confident dependence one each other that is sustained in the Burma Star Association today. Few monuments exist such as this one, and all of them ( Monuments and Viewing Board) have been erected and paid for by the various groups. The men who fell or crashed in Burma might have been unknown to the world in general, but they will not be forgotten by us.  

The names on this board unveiled today are survivors of that war. But let us not forget that this monument is dedicated to those who did not survive, and who truly gave their tomorrow for our today.  

The above eulogy was given by Ted Gibbens (then Branch President)
at the dedication of the Arakan Park memorial on Vancouver Island
August 15, 1996.

Photos from the Dedication Ceremonies

When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today. Through this stone we touch the souls of those who died for our freedom Erected by British Columbia Branch, Burma Star Association, 15 August 1996.
The Viewing Board	Board and Onlookers	Reverse View of Board
Click here for enlarged view of the reverse of the viewing board
	The photo of a Dakota (left) was obtained from the Imperial War Museum in London, and was chosen by us as a typically memorable background for the Arakan Park viewing board poster. It bears the names and service branches of all members, both past and present, of our two branches. The photo (right) shows the membership list imposed on the Dakota background - Click Here to see full list of members, or here to see enlarged view of this poster.

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