Burma Star veterans say final farewell (From Warrington Guardian)

Burma Star veterans say final farewell

THE members of the Burma Star Association gathered for one last time at the weekend to wave a sad farewell to the group.

The Warrington branch of the association which has been running for a number of decades, officially disbanded on Saturday because of a lack of members, many have died or are too ill to attend the monthly meetings.

Bill Wright, branch secretary, aged 83, said it was a sad occasion for all involved.

He said: "At one time there used to be about 30 members. Our current chairman has been in hospital for some time, we have about six members at the moment but some of them are unable to attend the meetings and we need a certain number to be there to be able to hold it.

"The last parade we took part in was about two years ago on the South Lancashire's Commerative Sunday.

"When we last met up, there were only two or three of us there, we had a natter and decided enough was enough."

The Burma Star Association is for ex-servicemen or women, or nurses who were awarded the Burma Campaign Star for service in Burma during the Second World War or the Pacific Star with Burma Clasp.

To officially disband, a special service had to be held at St Elphin's Church to hand over custody of the standard to the church.

A handful of Burma veterans were able to make it along to the meeting, but in total, approximately 50 people turned out to see the group disbanded.

The former Kings' Liverpool Regimental First battalion member added that he hopes that just because the group is coming to an end, people will still remember some of the things that they went through.

Mr Wright added he can still remember the date he arrived in Burma - March 5, 1944, "in a glider, in the dark."

He added: "I began as a rifleman but later became a mortar man - that probably saved my life."

He said that the association had also provided a good place for the veterans to talk if they needed to, adding: "We never really spoke to our wives about it." hcartwright@guardiangrp.co.uk