'The long and dusty road': Comex travel cultures and Commonwealth citizenship on the Asian Highway

This article explores the Comex expeditions founded in 1965 to allow young people to understand Commonwealth ideals through travelling by road to India. Comex drew on optimistic narratives about the possibilities of the Commonwealth as an antidote to the perceived problems of race and declining values in the modern world, attempting to produce enlightened Commonwealth citizens through the travel culture prescribed on route. The article argues that contact, hospitality, adventure and discipline were all central to the expeditions, feeding into and reproducing visions for the Commonwealth in the 1960s and drawing on other narratives of the road and post-colonial travel. By recalling episodes and events on these journeys, the paper highlights the creation and practice of a Comex Commonwealth citizenship through travel. It also provides insights into the reconstruction of expeditionary memories and identities through a variety of archival materials.