Commonwealth Expedition

The Commonwealth Expedition or Comex started in 1965 as an expedition from Britain to India in support of the multicultural ideals of what was then called the British Commonwealth. The idea was conceived by Lionel Gregory, who attributes some of the ideas to conversations he had with Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru invited young people "to organise a new consciousness in the Commonwealth through cultural and intellectual activities as well as common adventure." Nehru's death in 1964 led to the cancellation of the project, but at the invitation of the Government of India, an expedition of 204 young people set out from London on 30 July 1965. This was Comex 1.

Not to be confused with Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

In India, the five contingents visited different regions - then known as Calcutta, Madras, Bombay, Rajasthan, and Lucknow. They all met up again in Simla – staying at the Viceregal Lodge and performing at the Gaiety Theatre.

Comex came under the patronage of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The young participants, mostly students, had been trained by the Royal Air Force to be competent drivers, navigators, and radio operators. The experience had a huge impact on all who took part and on those they met. In the days before 'gap years' and cheap travel, the journey gave those who took part an unusual combination of responsibility, enjoyment, challenge and reward.

The history of Comex is outlined in several books by its founder and leader, Lionel Gregory OBE. They include Crying Drums,[1] With a Song and not a Sword, [2] Together, Unafraid,[3] and Journey of a Lifetime.[4]

The model has been followed subsequently at regular intervals, for a total of 14 expeditions, overland across the Asian Highway, within India itself, and into Africa, with Zambia serving as a base.

Comex 1 (1965)

The first expedition set off from London on 30 July 1965, with 204 participants travelling overland in five buses via Europe and the Middle East. The conducted a programme of cultural exchange in the capital of each country they visited, arriving in India on 30 August 1965.

The journey was not easy. There were barely roads through the searingly hot desert approaching Pakistan. Shortly after entering India, war broke out between India and Pakistan. Buses driving at night had to observe a strict black-out.

A reunion on 17 and 18 October 2015 – 50 years after the first Comex – took place at the High Commission of India's Nehru Centre. As many of those who joined the first expedition and who could be contacted were invited. Eighty people out of the original participants came to the event and shared their memories, photographs keepsakes found in innumerable lofts. A souvenir brochure was produced with the help of Massey Ferguson who had sponsored the 1965 expedition and were honoured guests at the reunion.

Participants

These included

Comex 2 (1967)

Comex 2 set off from London on 19 July 1967, with around 330 students travelling in 11 coaches, each from a different part of the UK.[5] The participants performed concerts along the route and raised money for famine and drought relief. They spent three weeks in India and Pakistan and met the Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi.[5][6]

On the return journey one of the coaches, carrying students mostly from Newcastle and Durham universities, collided with a crane near Zagreb, killing 14 students.[5][7][6][8] The student driver was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison in Yugoslavia but was pardoned and released 12 days into his sentence.[9]

Comex 3 (1969)

Training and planning were improved for the third expedition, which went ahead with the blessing of the parents of those killed in the Comex 2 crash.[10][11] All 500 participants took part in a training camp at Wollaton Park in Nottingham in July, with the expedition's 20 coaches setting off from London on 15 July and returning on 8 October.[12][11]

Comex 4 (1970)

A fourth expedition was planned for July 1970 for 525 participants to travel to Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore as well as India and Pakistan.[13] However, due to financial constraints this was scaled back and smaller trips of 21 participants went to each location to develop an itinerary for Comex 5.[14][15]

Later expeditions
  • Comex 5 (1972), 600 participants[16]
  • Comex 6 (1973)
  • Comex 7 (1975), 134 participants[17]
  • Comex 8 (1977), 300 participants[18]
  • Comex 9 (1979)
  • Comex 10 (1980), 200 participants in a train journey as a tribute to Lord Mountbatten[19]

Later expeditions travelled to other parts of the world, including one to Zambia in 1985.[20]

References
  1. Gregory, Lionel. Crying Drums: The Story of the Commonwealth Expedition. London: Allen and Unwin, 1972.
  2. Gregory, Lionel. With a Song and Not a Sword. London: COMEX, 1973
  3. Gregory, Lionel. Together Unafraid. London: Hale, 1979.
  4. Gregory, Lionel. Journey of a Lifetime. Plymouth: Northcote House, 1997.
  5. "14 students killed in coach crash". The Observer. 1 October 1967.
  6. "University mourns dead". Palatinate. 10 October 1967.
  7. "Survivors of coach disaster fly home". The Guardian. 2 October 1967.
  8. "An irreparable and tragic loss". The Courier. 4 October 1967.
  9. Knipe, Michael (13 June 1968). "Philip Dobson released with full pardon". The Times.
  10. Ardill, John (24 October 1968). "Comex 3 tightens up training". The Guardian.
  11. Denny, Alan (23 October 1968). "And an introduction to Comex III". The Courier.
  12. Stewart, Stephen (16 March 2009). "The Yorkshire diary". Stephen Stewart. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  13. Robens, Alfred (13 July 1970). "Letter: Comex 4". The Times.
  14. Gregory, Lionel (21 July 1970). "Letter: Comex expeditions". The Times.
  15. Mercer, Derrik; Naqvi, Saeed (23 August 1970). "India accuses Britain's goodwill students". The Sunday Times.
  16. Cubitt, Kirsten (24 May 1972). "Armed with a song and not a sword". The Times.
  17. "18,000 mile goodwill visit by soldiers". The Telegraph. 28 July 1975.
  18. "Taking the jubilee to the Afghans". The Times. 7 February 1977.
  19. Gregory, Lionel (20 January 1980). "Together Unafraid". The Sunday Times.
  20. "250 Britons on Zambia trip". The Sunday Telegraph. 26 May 1985.
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