AAAWA Newsletter Ed 33 July 2016

NEWSLETTER
PATRON
Her Worship
Lisa Scaffidi,
Lord Mayor
Perth WA
Issue No: 33 - July 2016
Farewell to the US Consul General—Cynthia Griffin
It is with a sense of sadness that we farewell the US Consul General, Ms Cynthia
Griffin from our shores. Cynthia took up office in Perth during July 2013. A
member of the Senior Foreign Service, Cynthia served as
Regional Director, Western Hemisphere for the U.S.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Commercial Service in Washington, DC (2011-2013),
VICE PATRON
where she oversaw the operations of 14 offices throughCaptain
Brian Delamont
Commanding Officer
HMAS Stirling WA
out North America, Central America, and South America.
Prior to her Washington assignment, Cynthia served as
Commercial Counsellor in Bangkok, Thailand (20082011), as Regional Senior Commercial Officer for West &
Central Africa (2004-2007) based in Dakar, Senegal, and
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
as Regional Senior Commercial Officer for East Africa based in Nairobi, Kenya
PRESIDENT
Mary-Ann Wright
VICE-PRESIDENT
Chris Castle
(2001-2004). Cynthia began her career at the American Institute in Taiwan
where she served as Commercial Attaché (1995-1998). From 1998-2000, she
served as a Senior International Trade Specialist advising U.S. exporters at U.S.
Export Assistance Centres.
Marice Purser-Bailey
SECRETARY
Sandra Williams
Cynthia is fluent in Mandarin Chinese which will come in
handy for her next posting. She is also fluent in French
TREASURER
and proficient in Thai. She holds a B.A. in Chinese & Asian
Merv Bailey
Studies and an M.A. and post graduate degree in China
Studies.
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Nola Raguse
Juliette Reay
David Siglin
Cynthia has two beautiful teenage daughters, one of
whom joined her at a recent farewell function. At this
farewell Cynthia regaled us with stories of her stay in
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Max Kay AM Cit WA
Western Australia that included a long list of places she
had visited during her time here. Cynthia was always gra-
NEWSLETTER
cious and generous with her time and had a ready smile for everyone. She will
Juliette Reay
be missed and we wish her well with her next posting.
Contact:
____________________
jreay@space.net.au
Remember to like our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/aaawesternaustralia
www.aaawa.com.au
Featured Article
BURMA THAILAND RAILWAY AND THE QUIET LION TOUR
By David Piesse (Quiet Lion Tour Leader)
I have been involved with the Burma Thailand Railway Memorial Association Inc since 1997, when my daughter,
Amy, attended the Quiet Lion Tour that year as a sixteen year old. The trip was partly funded by my mother, a widow of an ex-PoW of the Japanese who was determined to send all of her grandchildren on the tour in memory of
their grandfather WX4123 Pte C.R. Piesse, 2/3rd Australian Machine Gun Battalion, AIF, who was captured in Java
when the Dutch surrendered on the 9th of March 1942. The members of Blackforce under the command of Brigadier Arthur Blackburn VC also were ordered to lay down their arms and became prisoners of war. This group included the 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion, the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion, the 2/2nd Casualty Clearing Station under the
command of Lt Col Edward Dunlop ( later Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop) and the 2nd Battalion, 131st Field Artillery,
Texas National Guard ( the Lost Battalion).
The 131st Field Artillery group sailed on the USS Republic on the 21st of November 1941 and was diverted from the
Philippines when Pearl Harbour was bombed on the 7th of November 1941 and landed on Java in the Dutch East
Indies to reinforce the Australian and British troops already there. The Australians had come from the Middle East
on the ship HMT Orcades heading for Australia but they were diverted to Java to reinforce the Allied troops already
in the Netherlands East Indies.
After the battle of the Sunda Straight where the USS Houston and the HMAS Perth were sunk, most of the survivors
came ashore on the local islands and Java, only to be rounded up by the Japanese or handed over to the Japanese
by the Javanese for rewards and placed into captivity in prisoner of war camps. Some went to the Bicycle Camp near
Batavia and some went to Bandeong in the Javanese Highlands.
Those that were in Bicycle Camp were put into work parties, Anderson Force and Williams Force, and were sent in
cargo ships as hold cargo to Burma via Singapore. These work parties were named after the officers commanding
them. They arrived in Burma in July of 1942. The Allied prisoners of war interned at Bandeong were placed into
Dunlop Force, a work party sent to Thailand via Singapore in January, 1943, under the command of Lt Col Edward
Dunlop. This was unusual as Dunlop was a surgeon, not a combatant officer. From Singapore Dunlop Force travelled
for five days by train north to Ban Pong, Thailand. Fortunately there was road transport to take them on to Kanyu,
the site of their first labour camp on the railway. Subsequently they occupied Hintok Mountain Camp and Hintok
River Camps until the railway was completed in September 1943.
In 1985 a small group of Western Australian ex POWs conceived the idea of taking a trip to follow the route that the
World War 11 Prisoners of the Japanese had taken, starting in Jakarta, Indonesia, then on to Bandeong in the Javanese highlands where most Dunlop Force were interned for approximately nine months. They then went on to Singapore and then to Bangkok Thailand. From here the plan was to find the railway by travelling up the Kwai Noi River
until they recognised the bluff overlooking the river at Hintok River Camp, which they did. Sir Edward " Weary" Dunlop accompanied this tour. This was the beginning of the Burma Thailand Railway Memorial Association and the
Quiet Lion Tours to Thailand commemorating ANZAC Day.
The tour format that we use for our current tours began in 1997 which has incorporated school groups from all over
Australia. To date we have taken approximately five hundred students and in excess of two thousand people on
tour to Thailand. These groups are made up of people who have had relatives involved with the railway, some are
visiting graves at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery of relatives, others attend to pay respects and to learn the history of
the railway.
Continued on next page.
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Featured Article cont.
The objectives of the Burma Thailand Railway Memorial Association Inc. are:
To perpetuate the memory of the privations and sacrifices of Australian and Allied prisoners of war and the selfless
dedication of the medical personnel during the construction of the Burma Thailand Railway by informing current
and future generations through all forms of education and particularly with the Annual Quiet Lion Tours to the Burma Thai Railway; the River Kwai; the Three Pagoda Pass; ANZAC Day at Hellfire Pass and Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.
The name of our tour comes from the Ambonese soldiers that stayed loyal to the Netherlands East Indies, many of
whom were treated in the Allied General Hospital set up by Lt.Col Dunlop in Bandeong Java after the action they
saw against the Japanese. They called Lt.Col Dunlop “Singa yang Diam” which in English translates to The Quiet Lion. This is the name chosen for our tours in honour of Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop who was selected to command
Dunlop Force onto the construction of the railway between Konyu and Hintok in Thailand.
Any person with an interest in the history of events that took place during this period is welcome to apply to come
on the tour. Our emphasis is to tell the story and keep it as a piece history that can be passed on and not forgotten,
school groups are particularly welcomed. As history fades from living memory and is forgotten is a sure way of repeating it.
David Piesse.
Tour Leader,
Quiet Lion Tour to Thailand.
The next tour will take place from 17 April 2017 to 27 April 2017 ex Perth. Details and itinerary on the website :
http://www.btrma.org.au/?p=644
Members’ Corner
LIVE CHICKEN SALE.
A man went into a store selling live chickens. There was a lower shelf with 2 more shelves above.
Each shelf contained 6 live chickens. The man asked the store owner, “how many are for sale ?”
The owner replied, “ how many do you think ?”.
The man replied “ eighteen “.
The owner replied,“ Only six, the others are hire purchase ”
Contributed by Marice Purser-Bailey
Birthdays
Members!
If your birthday does not
appear in our newsletter
and you would like it to,
please email us.
July
9 - Denise Hallion
19 - Fiona Castle
28 - Harold Simmons
30 - Trevor King
August
6 - Phil Sheridan
26 - Abby Boardman
28 - Snow Fairclough
September
1 - Jack LeCras
5 - Robi Hall
7 - Merv Bailey
11 - Chris Castle
15 - Helen ShilkinReinhold
20 - Mandy Loton
21 - Eric Williams
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Independence Day
Independence Day is annually celebrated on July 4 and is often known as "the Fourth of July". It is the anniversary
of the publication of the declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1776. Patriotic displays and family
events are organized throughout the United
States. July 4 has been a federal holiday in
the United States since 1941 however the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes
back to the 18th century.
On July 2 representatives of the 13 colonies
then fighting in the revolutionary struggle decided on a resolution that would declare their
independence from Great Britain. While the
vote of the continental Congress was carried
in favour of independence it wasn’t signed
until two days later. This document was drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
Adams and Jefferson signing the Declaration
Since that day Americans typically celebrate with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more
casual family gatherings and barbecues.

Slaw Dogs With Mustard
Ingredients
For the Coleslaw:
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 head cabbage, core removed, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 quarts)
For the Hot Dogs:
8 hot dogs, preferably with a natural casing
8 side-split hot dog buns
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
Mustard, for serving
Directions
Make the Coleslaw: In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, celery seed, dry mustard, and black pepper. Stir until
combined. Add the cabbage, and mix until it is evenly coated in the dressing. Set aside.
Cook the Hot Dogs: Pour 1/2 cup water into a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the hot dogs. Cook until the hot dogs are
thoroughly warmed. If the water has not evaporated, pour any remaining water off. Add one tablespoon of butter. When it has
melted, roll the hot dogs around until they are coated in the butter. Cook until the hot dogs are lightly browned on both sides,
about 6 minutes’ total. Remove and set aside.
Add remaining butter to the skillet, then add the buns, cut-side down. Cook until browned, about 1 minute. Rotate the buns.
Continue this process until the buns are lightly browned on four sides, about 4 minutes’ total.
To serve, place one hot dog in each bun. Top all of them with mustard and a few spoonfuls of the slaw. Serve immediately.
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Member Feature
AUSTRALIANS AND AMERICANS IN HOTEL
DEL CORONADO SAN DIEGO.
Our lucky Association once had a member named Doreen Sheridan. Doreen devoted her life to her family and the
Association. Whilst living in Rockingham, and many USN Submarines were calling in and tying up at HMAS Stirling,
Doreen came up with a brilliant idea. “Dial A Sailor”. This was in the 70's. Doreen was able to make contact with
Telstra, and arrange for a special phone line to be connected to an area in the Victoria Quay building. Doreen,
along with AAAWA Members with time to spare, were able to take calls from locals, kindly offering hospitality for
visiting US Navy and Marine Personnel. As they came ashore through the building, these invitations were offered.
Those were very special times for both Australians and Americans. It was a wonderful honour to be able to take
visitors out into the countryside, visit wildlife parks, and welcome them into our homes, and to meet with our families. Time out in Fremantle for US Navy and Marines was very much sought, by those personnel.
During a 1979 visit by USS Midway, Doreen's daughter Louise met
a very nice Marine Aviator, named Phillip Silano. It was not long
before Louise was off to America. Initially Phillip was based on the
East Coast of USA, and it was wonderful in 1981 for my Mother
and I, to meet up with them in Washington DC. We had a wonderful time together exploring that part of the US. When I returned in
1984 with Anne Green, Louise and Phillip were living in Los Angeles and Phillip was based at El Toro Aviator Base. It was a wonderful visit and one of the special events was lunch at Hotel Del Coronado, in San Diego. The young one in the photo is Adam Silano.
Steven Silano was also born into the family.
Louise, Adam and Phil Silano and Marice Purser-Bailey
In the photo, you might notice that we are all wearing Australian American Ass. T-shirts. At that time they were
very popular, and many sold to the People from Two Great Nations. The T-shirts certainly put the word out. Whilst
in San Diego we also went to Seaworld, which is another wonderful memory.
Doreen was lucky enough to reach her 100th birthday and spent the day surrounded by some very special family
and friends. Sir Charles Court, who was our Association Patron and Judith Court, along with Lady Josephine Jephcott, who came over from Auckland, were also there. I will always remember that Special party for a Very Special
Lady. Louise and her sons Adam and Steven, were also here, and with much assistance from her cousin Phil of
Sheridan Engraving, and family, Doreen ultimately moved on.
In more recent times, “Dial A Sailor” became “Host A Sailor”. What a great asset it has been for our Association,
and what a wonderful experience it has been for many local people to be able to interact with American visitors.
There are also many who have become connected for the rest of their lives.
MANY THANKS TO DOREEN AND THE SHERIDAN FAMILY FOR THEIR ONGOING SUPPORT.
Marice Purser-Bailey
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