Sir, – I was delighted that, after so many years under house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi has, at last, been released and has been able to visit Norway, Ireland the UK and to receive her much-deserved award. As a 20-year old Briton I served with the Royal Engineers in the 14th army in Burma in the brutal campaign to liberate it from Japanese occupation, and was part of the forces to liberate Rangoon about this time of year in 1945. The 14th was known as the “Forgotten Army”. Unfortunately, as a result of conditions in the Burmese jungles I, like many of my comrades, was taken seriously ill and was evacuated to India.
In 2005, with my wife and oldest son, I was privileged to revisit Burma (now called Myanmar) in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the liberation, and was able to see many of the graves of my young comrades who had lost their lives in the campaign.
Suu Kyi has my heartfelt gratitude for keeping the flame of freedom alight for so long and I pray that she will be enabled to take her beautiful and, as yet unspoiled, country into a new era of justice, peace and prosperity. – Yours, etc,