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BOAC And St Andrew's Day In Malaysia

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Subject :BOAC and St Andrew's Day in Malaysia
Published By : None 
Location : Subang Airport
Estimated Year : 1969
Media Type : Photograph
Source : Sybil de Roquigny-Iragne, France
Remark : Saint Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland, and St Andrew's Day is celebrated by Scots around the world on the 30th November. The flag of Scotland is the Cross of St Andrew, and this is widely displayed as a symbol of national identity. The Loyal Societies of St Andrew in both Selangor and Perak always celebrated their patron saint's day in style and this was regularly assisted by BOAC who flew in the appopriate articles - Haggis and Heather (enough for the Societies to all sit down to dinner) - necessary to make the day a success. However, with less expatriates in Malaysia the only St Andrew's Society remaining in 2010 is that of Selangor, who now have to obtain their haggis themselves.

We are fortunate to have these two photographs donated by Sybil de Roquigny whose maiden name is Wong Sui Mei. She is the great granddaughter of Towkay Leong Fee. At the time the photographs were taken she was part of the BOAC ground staff at Subang and is shown in the left hand photograph, second from the left.

Sybil now takes up the story:

"I believe the Haggis is in the big packet on the ground while another larger, ceremonial one, for the top table, is being handed over to the man in the kilt by the stewardess. There is a second packet being held by the other man, which might be the heather. BOAC sent it all every year.

Peter Carr-West, the Airport Manager and I (in a sarong kebaya) before we had the uniforms, which became shorter and shorter
Filename : 20100509-006