Kanchunaburi War Cemetery

Thursday, February 20^th, we began our day with one of the things I most wanted to see on this trip.  We went to the Death Railroad Museum, Kanchunaburi War Cemetery and the Bridge over the River Kwai.

While I was very interested in the Museum, I did not spend a long time looking through the displays and artifacts.  My main goal was to look for and find the grave sites of Canadians found in this museum.  According to the grave site book, there was one grave site of a Canadian from the Royal Canadian Air Force.

There are over 3000 British war dead at the Kanchunaburi Cemetery.  To find where his grave site and who he was, I asked Brenda by text to research the British Commonwealth Grave Commission and look for any Canadian’s in this cemetery.

Success!!!  Not only did I find the grave site of the Canadian Air Force member, but the grave sites of 4 others who were attached to the British Army, mainly in the Artillery Units.  I took great pride and maybe a little bit of an emotional time, in placing Canadian flags I brought from home at their grave sites.  There were also the names of 6 other Canadians who were cremated.  Their names are inscribed on a wall at another section of the cemetery.

 

Canadian War Dead:

 

1.      Warrant Officer Earnest Joseph Leonard Bollingbroke – Royal Canadian Air Force – Died: Nov 1, 1944

 

 

2.      Gunner John Claydon Goodman – Age 28 – Royal Artillery – Died July 3, 1943

 

3.      Bombardier Arthur M. Rycroft – Age 29 – Royal Artillery – Died Sept 28, 1943

4.      Gunner Howard W. Haslett – Age 29 – Royal Artillery – Died April 23, 1943

5.      Cremated Soldiers

a.       James McCracken

b.      Edwin Fisk

c.       Fredrick Goulstone

d.      Arthur Ribbens

It is important to note that in this cemetery, there are the graves of young men from Australia, Holland and Great Britain.  The US war dead were repatriated back to the US a long time ago.  While many of them died, none are buried in this cemetery.  But for now and until they are removed, there are 4 Canadian Flags marking the sacrifice made by courageous Canadians who paid the ultimate sacrifice