Group tour organised by the 2/2 Pioneer Association with McLachlan Battlefield Tours through Quince's Day Tours. The tour was a year in the making.
Special thanks go to :
- Jenny Davidson - Our 2/2 Pioneer Association Secretary who came up with the idea and followed it through to completion.
- Caroline Casse - Our co-ordinator at Quince's Scenicruisers (www.quinces.com.au).
- Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours - Manly, New South Wales (www.battlefields.com.au).
- Karl James - Our tour historian whose extensive Australian War Memorial background enabled him to explain aspects of the Java Campaign and help locate sites of historical significance for the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion and the 2/3 Machine Gun Battalion.
- Thomas - Our tour guide (from the local Tour company) who used his local knowledge and translater ability to go well out of his way to help find difficult historical sites. His Indonesian name is Jarahman Purba.
- Local bus company - Jakarta, Indonesia.
The tour was such a success that it is highly likely that others will be organised in the future.
Possible suggestions are :
- Eqypt, Litani River, Fort Merdjayoun and Damour in Syria (actually the Lebanon) involving the first forming of the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion. This political hotspot will need to cool down before this trip is viable.
- Burma Railway end in Burma involving the first forming of the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion. This political hotspot will need to cool down before this trip is viable.
- Burma Railway end in Thailand and Changi P.O.W. camp in Singapore involving the first forming of the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
- P.O.W. camps in Japan involving the first forming of the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
- Nadzab, Markham River, Heath's Plantation, Lae, Ramu Valley and Shaggy Ridge battles in New Guinea involving the second forming of the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
- Port Moresby, Milne Bay and Lae in New Guinea. This would be a ship cruise tour. These tours already operate.
- Morotai, Tarakan and Balikpapan in Borneo. Sites of the major OBOE 1 and 2 landing operations involving the second forming of the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
- Puckapunyal, Watsonia, Mangalore and Balcombe in Victoria. Training / staging areas of the first forming of the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
- Wagga Wagga, Kapooka, Bathurst, etc in New South Wales. Training / staging areas of the second forming of the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
- Atherton Tablelands, Rocky Creek, Tully Falls, Ravenshoe, Trinity Beach, Mount Garnet and Mission Beach in Queensland. Training / staging areas of the second forming of the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
- Bellevue, Gloucester Park and Strawberry in Western Australia. Training / staging areas of the second forming of the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.