DRAMATIC DASH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20649, 27 December 1941, Page 6

DRAMATIC DASH

JOURNALISTS ESCAPE FLIGHT FROM BANGKOK JAPANESE TROOPS ELUDED SYDNEY, Dec. 20. While the Tokio radio was boasting on Wednesday night that the Sydney Morning Herald correspondent in Thailand and the British United Press correspondent had been arrested on a charge of having spread malicious propaganda, these men were, in fact, both safe in Rangoon. They had eluded the Japanese troops and escaped to Burma. Following are extracts from a desnatch sent to his paper by Mr. H. A. Standish. of the Sydney Morning Herald:—

I have just travelled to Rangoon from Bangkok over Burma’s new “refugee road.’’ a 1,200-miles from north Thailand across the wild, mountainous Shan States. With Darrell Berrigan, of the British United Press. I crossed the border of Thailand into Burma at dusk on December 11, walked for several hours by the jungle road, and waded chestdeep across a river 100 ft. in width to a British military post, Only Two Got Out

We learned officially on the following day that the border had been sealed bv the Thais immediately after we had passed through, cutting off many British and American refugees from north Thailand, as well as more than 250 British and about 60 Americans who were planning to escape north from Bangkok.

So far as we can find out. Berrigan and I are the only two people from Bangkok itself to have escaped over the northern frontier. About 30 British and American refugees from other parts, of Thailand are known to have left Thailand by the northern gateway of Mebsai, including five women and four children, but only two were permitted to cross after the sealing of the frontier — Mr. H. R. Bird, the British Consul from Chiengmai, and his wife. We left Bangkok earlv on the morning of December 9, eight hours after Japanese troops had entered the city during a black-out. At air p.m. on the previous day the Thai Government had announced that it had accepted Japan's would permit the passage of Japanese troops across Thailand. Japanese residents of Baug’miwaving small rising-sun flags, had Mned the streets by which the troops were expected to arrive Rangnu, to welcome their countrypen. But the Japanese troops did not >rrive until late at night, during a

black-out. Their number was reported authoritatively to be 2.000. I know that 300 were billeted at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club, where .they enjoyed many luxuries, including a Jne swimming pool and a golf course. The troops travelled from Rangpu in Thai motor-trucks. Flag Hauled Down Berrigan and I decided to head north as early as we could on December 9, independently of official arrangements, We were unable to buy railway tickets, so we walked on o a train and cheerfully paid a fine •'f 50 setangs (about Is). That night we reached Pitsanuloke and spent hours in a black-out, investigating the possibilities of obtaining transport west of Moulmein, without succofe. Finally we got a train to Lamoang, where we slept in a rest house. In the next room was the Japanese Consul from Chiengmai. who was. awaiting the arrival of the Japanese troops there. Qn the following day a Thai friend managed to procure a hired car, and he went vdth us to Chiengmai, where he introduced us to the Governor. The Governor was most friendly. He issued orders to the police and frontier guards to afford us all facilities, which they did. There was no sign or word of Japanese troops in north Thailand at that stage. We were stopped at police posts and our papers and luggage were examined six times, but wo woretreated courteously everywhere. We travelled the last 14 miles of our 000 miles’ dash to the northern border in a bus which we hired, and completed the border formalities just as the border force hauled down the Thai flag at dusk.