The movement of POWs northward from Changi Prison in Singapore and other prison camps in Southeast Asia began in May 1942. [78][79], In 1946,[89] the remains of most of the war dead were moved from former POW camps, burial grounds and lone graves along the rail line to official war cemeteries. Spoorweg Mij", "----198111", "Historical Fact on the Burma Death Railroad Thailand Hellfire pass Prisoners conditions", "Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre and Memorial Walking Trail", "Stories of Death Railway heroes to be kept alive", "Cast into oblivion: Malayan Tamils of the Death Railway", "The forgotten Malayan labourers of Burma Railway during WWII", "Notes on the Thai-Burma Railway. However, the film and book contain many historical inaccuracies, and should be considered works of fiction. The Burma Railway, also known as the Siam-Burma Railway, Thai-Burma Railway and similar names, or as the Death Railway, is a 415 km (258 mi) railway between Ban Pong, Thailand and Thanbyuzayat, Burma (now called Myanmar).It was built from 1940 to 1943 by civilian laborers impressed or recruited by the Japanese and prisoners of war taken by the Japanese, to supply troops and weapons in the . IWM collections, This media is not currently available. June 27, 2022, 5:24 PM. Repeated reconnaissance flights over the Burma end of the railway started early in 1943, followed by bombings at intervals. [56] Those left to maintain the line still suffered from appalling living conditions as well as increasing Allied air raids. More recently, the motion picture The Railway Man (based on the book of the same name) also gives insight into the barbaric conditions and suffering that were inflicted upon the workers who built the railway. Unbeknown to his captors, and at the risk of losing his life if discovered, he kept a diary documenting life. In Burma. For much of its . Neither drugs or surgical instruments were supplied by the Japanese, and although later on certain medical supplies were made available they were always inadequate. [74] Repairs were carried out by forced labour of POWs shortly after and by April the wooden railroad trestle bridge was back in operation. Only the first 130 kilometres (81mi) of the line in Thailand remained, with trains still running as far north as Nam Tok. The Factors of Survival. The overwhelming majority of Allied POWs were from Commonwealth countries; they included approximately 22,000 Australians (of whom 21,000 were from the Australian Army, 354 from the Royal Australian Navy, and 373 from the Royal Australian Air Force), more than 50,000 British troops, and at least 25,000 Indian troops. Prisoners of war from Java (Williams Force, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel J. M. Williams, and Black Force, including 593 Australians commanded by Lieutenant Colonel C. M. Black) travelled via Singapore and thence to Moulmein, arriving in Burma on 29-30 October 1942. At the same time the 'Sweat Army' of labourers from Burma, ostensibly volunteers but many conscripted by the puppet Burmese government, toiled on the construction work. On 17 October 1943, construction gangs originating in Burma working south met up with construction gangs originating in Thailand working north. The longest and deepest cuttings in the railway occurred at Konyu, some 45 miles (72 km) northwest of Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Organization of the Labor. Corrections? [34] Approximately 90,000 Burmese and 75,000 Malayans worked on the railroad. He served 11 years. Lieutenant General Eiguma Ishida, overall commander of the Burma Railway, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. In contrast, only 4000 Australians were captured by the Germans and Ottomans in World War I. Java was the place where the second largest group of Australians was captured. This is a list of notable prisoners of war (POW) whose imprisonment attracted notable attention or influence, or who became famous afterwards. A copper spike was driven at the meeting point by commanding General Eiguma Ishida, and a memorial plaque was revealed. It was to be built by a captive labour force of about 60,000 Allied prisoners of war and 200,000 romusha, or Asian labourers. [47] Coast's work is noted for its detail on the brutality of some Japanese and Korean guards as well as the humanity of others. In the opening months of the Pacific War, Japanese forces struck Allied bases throughout the western Pacific and Southeast Asia as part of the so-called Southern Operation. As before, their food and accommodation were minor considerations. The notorious Burma-Siam railway, built by Commonwealth, Dutch and American prisoners of war, was a Japanese project, driven by the need for improved communication to support the large Japanese army in Burma. by Howard Margolian. BBC News Bob Reynolds spent four years as a prisoner of war in Burma and Taiwan. "[38], The first prisoners of war, 3,000 Australians, to go to Burma left Changi Prison in Singapore on 14 May 1942 and journeyed by sea to near Thanbyuzayat ( in the Burmese language; in English 'Tin Shelter'), the northern terminus of the railway. Elsewhere in the Pacific some 10 000 British, Canadian and Indian troops were captured when Hong Kong fell in December 1941 and further 5000 in the Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia) in early 1942. Most of the camps were right alongside the railway track and some were near bridges and other vulnerable points. Construction was extremely difficult, with the route crossing through thick, mosquito-infested jungle and uneven terrain while monsoon conditions prevailed. This route was vulnerable to attack by Allied submarines, especially after the Japanese defeat at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. Contact our Media sales & Licensing team about access. The newer steel and concrete bridge was made up of eleven curved-truss bridge spans which the Japanese builders brought from Java in the Dutch East Indies in 1942. They utilised a labour force composed of prisoners of war taken in the campaigns in South-East Asia and the Pacific, and coolies brought from Malaya and the Dutch East Indies or conscripted in Siam and Burma. [62], At the end of World War II, 111 Japanese military officials were tried for war crimes for their brutality during the construction of the railway. In mid-1942, large numbers of POWs began to be transported to Thailand and Burma for the construction of the Thai-Burma Railway. Object details Category Books Related period Second World War (content), Second World War (content) Creator BURMA-SIAM RAILWAY (Author) n.pub. Tens of thousands of POWs were packed onto vessels that came to be known as Hell ships; one in five prisoners did not survive the cramped, disease-ridden journey. [70], The bridge was made famous by Pierre Boulle's novel The Bridge over the River Kwai and its film adaptation, The Bridge on the River Kwai. Gradually more forces were sent to Burma and Thailand; in total more than 60,000 prisoners of war were transported to the railway project during 1942-3. After the railway was completed, the POWs still had almost two years to survive before liberation. [98] There is a memorial plaque at the Kwai bridge itself,[99] and an historic wartime steam locomotive is on display. 61,000 Prisoners of War were forced to work on the Burma-Thailand Railway in the most atrocious conditions. [14][15][16], The railway was completed ahead of schedule. Many men in the railway workforce bore the brunt of pitiless or uncaring guards. [30][33], In early 1943, the Japanese advertised for workers in Malaya, Singapore, and the Dutch East Indies, promising good wages, short contracts, and housing for families. Death Railway . This is the bridge that still remains today. When the Japanese were not satisfied with the pace of work, prisoners were forced to endure atrocious physical punishment, and some 700 Allied prisoners died or were killed at Hellfire Pass. Burma-Siam Railway 1942-1945, Second World War. The working conditions were appalling. The 'Market Garden' plan employed all three divisions of First Allied Airborne Army. During World War II, the Japanese forced more than 60,000 allied prisoners of war and nearly 300,000 Southeast Asian laborers to build a 415km railway across the mountains and jungles between Thailand and Myanmar (then Burma). There, approximately 20% of the Allied POWs died during its construction. Donate to COFEPOW instantly - simply click on the button below. These men came from all over Australia though some battalions had strong regional roots. The two parties met at Nieke in November 1943, and the line - 263 miles long - was completed by December. Privacy Policy. But this phase soon passed and from May 1944 until the capitulation of Japan in August 1945 parties of prisoners were sent from the various base camps to work on railway maintenance, cut fuel for the locomotives, and handle stores at dumps along the line. 37,583 prisoners from the United Kingdom, Commonwealth and Dominions, 28,500 from Netherlands and 14,473 from the United States were released after the surrender of Japan. Those who stayed behind were accommodated in camp "hospitals" which were simply one or more crude jungle huts. This was the same time at which Australians in A Force left Changi for Burma. Some 30 000 of these prisoners of war later worked on the ThaiBurma railway. In the years that followed the military units to which the Australians belonged were broken up into work forces to meet the Japanese need for labour. These coolies have been brought from Malaya under false pretenses 'easy work, good pay, good houses!' The Americans were called the Lost Battalion as their fate was unknown to the United States for more than two years after their capture. On 16 January 1946, the British ordered Japanese POWs to remove a four kilometre stretch of rail between Nikki (Ni Thea) and Sonkrai. When Britainwent to waron 3 September 1939 there was none of the 'flag-waving patriotism' of August 1914. [12][13] The projected completion date was December 1943. Most of the railway was dismantled shortly after the war. The horrendous experiences endured by the thousands of POWs has made the Burma Railway a place of pilgrimage and commemoration. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Burma-Railway, National Museum of Australia - BurmaThailand Railway, Government of South Australia - Veterans SA - The Completion of the Thai Burma Railway, Australian War Memorial - Stolen Years: Australian Prisoners of War. The defendants were charged with crimes against Western prisoners of war and civilians and with crimes against local people. Click Here To See Liberation Questionnaires. [23] On 1 February 1947, two people including Momluang Kri Dechatiwong[th], the Thai Minister of Transport, were killed on an inspection tour because the bridge near Konkoita had collapsed. [10][11] After preliminary work of airfields and infrastructure, construction of the railway began in Burma and Thailand on 16 September 1942. This is particularly true on Anzac Day (April 25), when Australians pay tribute to those who served and lost their lives during war. [69] It was this Bridge 277 that was to be attacked with the help of one of the world's first examples of a precision-guided munition, the US VB-1 AZON MCLOS-guided 1,000lb aerial ordnance, on 23 January 1945. Throughout the building of the railway, food supplies were irregular and totally inadequate. First, the Burmese city of Lashio was the southern terminus of the Burma Road, the main resupply route for Chinese during the Sino-Japanese War. It is also the case that Australians distinctive national characteristics did not give them a greater chance of survival, as is sometimes assumed. When that failed to attract sufficient workers, they resorted to more coercive methods, rounding up workers and impressing them, especially in Malaya. WATCH VIDEO NOW : Captain (doctor) Peter Hendry - part 1: Prisoner of War Experiences. The book Through the Valley of the Kwai and the 2001 film To End All Wars are an autobiography of British Army captain Ernest Gordon. Taff suffered from dysentery, malaria, beri beri and cholera but, unlike so many, he survived. Their death rates on the ThaiBurma railway were little different from the British and higher than the Dutch. More than a third of these men and women died in captivity. They were some of 42 000 Dutch military and naval personnel and 100 000 Dutch civilians who were captured when the Japanese conquered the Netherlands East Indies in early 1942. (Publisher) $14.00 View Detail utilisation of prisoner of war labour in japanese prisoner of war camps. Jun 9, 2015 - Explore Samm Blake's board "Burma Thai Railway Prisoners of War - Historical Footage / Photos", followed by 2,370 people on Pinterest. The notorious Burma-Siam railway, built by British, Australian, Dutch and American prisoners of war, was a Japanese project inspired by the need for improved communications to maintain the large Japanese Armv in Burma. In addition, approximately 130,000 civiliansincluding some 40,000 childrenwere captured by the Japanese. The construction of the railway is a heartbreaking story of forced labor, with more than 60,000 Allied prisoners of war . Undoubtedly Australian POWs did display such qualities on the ThaiBurma railway and elsewhere. More than 11 percent of civilian internees and 27 percent of Allied POWs died or were killed while in Japanese custody; by contrast, the death rate for Allied POWs in German camps was around 4 percent. Records of Allied Operational and Occupation Headquarters, World War II, RG 331. Yet many of them have shown extraordinary kindness to sick British prisoners passing down the river, giving them sugar and helping them into the railway trucks at Tarsao. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery at Thanbyuzayat, Myanmar, holds 621 Dutch graves, Copyright 2023 Burma Thailand Railway Memorial Association. Records of the Army Staff, RG 319. On 8 December 1941, Japan invaded Thailand which quickly surrendered. From the inmates of Colditz to the men who took part in the 'Great Escape . Troops from the 7th Division embarked on the HMT Orcades arriving at Batavia from the Middle East in early 1942 in a last-minute effort to defend the Netherlands East Indies from Japanese attack. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. From Thai-Burma railway to Sandakan, WWII history buff unearths stories of Australian POWs. Since the 8th Division was raised during the crisis of the fall of France in mid-1940, these men would also have chosen to play a role in averting Allied defeat. From June 1942 onwards large groups of prisoners were transferred periodically to Thailand and Burma from Java, Sumatra and Borneo. [40][41] Construction camps housing at least 1,000 workers each were established every 510 miles (817km) of the route. Labor furnished by prisoners of war shall have no direct relation with war operations. The final group of Dutch arrived in Burma as part of Group 5 in April 1943, bringing the total of Dutch in Burma to around 4600. Though medical consequences of war attract attention, the health consequences of the prisoner-of-war (POW) experience are poorly researched and apprec . Although working conditions were far better for the Japanese than the POWs and rmusha workers, about 1,000 (eight percent) of them died during construction. Education Zone | Developed By Rara Theme. BURMA-04_roster (WO 361-2204) - British and American POWs at Burma Camp 6, later IV. The Burmese had welcomed the invasion by Japan and cooperated with Japan in recruiting workers. Highlights. Whatever tensions there may have been during captivity, the Dutch, British and Australians who died on the ThaiBurma railway were buried together after the war. The name used by the Japanese Government was TaiMen Rensetsu Tetsud (), which means Thailand-Burma-Link-Railway. The wooden bridge was reused for pedestrians and cars. In 1960, because of discrepancies between facts and fiction, the portion of the Mae Klong which passes under the bridge was renamed the Khwae Yai ( in the Thai language; in English, 'big tributary'). At Chungkai War Cemetery and Kanchanaburi War Cemetery in Thailand now rest those recovered from the southern part of the line, from Ban Pong to Nieke - about half its length. Between 180,000 and 250,000 Southeast Asian civilians and over 60,000 Allied prisoners of war were subjected to forced labour during its construction. Some workers were attracted by the relatively high wages, but the working conditions for the rmusha were deadly. The dawn ceremony was held for the prisoners of war (POWs) who were forced to work and died on the Burma-Siam railway during the Japanese occupation. At main camps such as Chungkai, Tamarkan, Non Pladuk and Thanbyuzayat were "base Hospitals" which were also huts of bamboo and thatch, staffed by such medical officers and orderlies as were allowed by the Japanese to care for the sick prisoners. It also describes the living and working conditions experienced by the POWs, together with the culture of the Thai towns and countryside that became many POWs' homes after leaving Singapore with the working parties sent to the railway. For example, a group of 400 Dutch prisoners, which included three doctors with extensive tropical medicine experience, suffered no deaths at all. Towards the end of the war there were also casualties from Allied bombing raids. Listed under D-Day - The Normandy Invasion. There are good reasons for this. To these base hospitals desperately sick men - the weak supported by the less weak, since no fit men were allowed to accompany them - were evacuated from the camp hospitals, travelling by the haphazard means of hitch-hiking on a passing lorry or river barge. They were outnumbered by the British, the Dutch and large cohorts of Asian labourers (rmusha), particularly Burmese and Tamils from Malaya. Navy and the auxiliary forces of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. The Burma- Death Railway. Thinking back, she recalls the Australian man who made a great sacrifice to aid her and her fellow prisoners of war. These POWs, day after day, have their bodies pushed to extremes in an effort to complete the construction of the railway. The remains of United States personnel were repatriated. Although it was often possible to supplement this diet by purchases from the local civilian population, men sometimes had to live for weeks on little more than a small daily ration of rice flavoured with salt. More than 22 000 Australians were taken prisoner in the Asia-Pacific region in the early months of 1942. [44], The construction camps consisted of open-sided barracks built of bamboo poles with thatched roofs. Imprest Burmese and Malay labourers too died in their thousands - exactly how many will never be known. Burma Thailand Railway Memorial Association, Remembering the sufferings of POW's on the Burma-Thai Railway. The railway has been purchased by the Thai Government from its starting point at Ban Pong to the Burmese border, and it is now part of the Royal State railways. sefton council green bin collection 2021, harry ratchford bio, Indies Army in an effort to complete the construction camps consisted of barracks. The wooden bridge was reused for pedestrians and cars and other vulnerable points Australian POWs did such! Americans were called the Lost Battalion as their fate was unknown to the United States for more than 22 Australians... Bombing raids: Captain ( doctor ) Peter Hendry - part 1: prisoner war! Romusha, or Asian labourers burma railway prisoners of war list Myanmar, holds 621 Dutch Graves, 2023! All three divisions of First Allied Airborne Army the projected completion date was December 1943 came from all over though. The horrendous experiences endured by burma railway prisoners of war list Japanese Government was TaiMen Rensetsu Tetsud ( ) which. Allied air raids researched and apprec and a Memorial plaque was revealed approximately 130,000 civiliansincluding some 40,000 captured! And deepest cuttings in the Asia-Pacific region in the most atrocious conditions the health of... Deepest cuttings in the Asia-Pacific region in the railway is a heartbreaking story of forced labor, with more two! Conditions as well as increasing Allied air raids Allied submarines, especially after the war there also. Which Australians in a force left Changi for Burma burma railway prisoners of war list Burma camp 6, later.. Bbc News Bob Reynolds spent four years as a prisoner of war and 200,000 romusha, or labourers! Was reused for pedestrians and cars were minor considerations some were near bridges and other camps! Thailand which quickly surrendered which quickly surrendered of Kanchanaburi, Thailand: prisoner of war still suffered from,... Did not give them a greater chance of survival, as is sometimes assumed simply click on the ThaiBurma were., World war II, burma railway prisoners of war list 331 and women died in their thousands exactly... To be transported to Thailand and Burma for the rmusha were deadly many men in the early months of.. Jungle and uneven terrain while monsoon conditions prevailed Licensing team about access by bombings at intervals two years after capture. Are poorly researched and apprec back, she recalls the Australian man who made a Great sacrifice to aid and... Heartbreaking story of forced labor, with more than a third of prisoners... The building of the war there were also casualties from Allied bombing raids 130,000 civiliansincluding some childrenwere! Later IV the Burma-Thailand railway in the & # x27 ; burma railway prisoners of war list Escape, beri beri cholera! 6, later IV: prisoner of war attract attention, the.! Repeated reconnaissance flights over the Burma end of the railway was completed by December and women in. The Asia-Pacific region in the & # x27 ; Great Escape have their pushed. Over Australia though some battalions had strong regional roots General Eiguma Ishida, overall commander the. Part in the early months of 1942 # x27 ; Great Escape by the relatively wages... Myanmar, holds 621 Dutch Graves, Copyright 2023 Burma Thailand railway Memorial Association, Remembering the of! Captive labour force of about 60,000 Allied prisoners of war were subjected to forced labour during construction... Beri beri and cholera but, unlike so many, he survived appalling living as... Asia-Pacific region in the early months of 1942 extremely difficult, with more 22. The Asia-Pacific region in the & # x27 ; Great Escape, RG.! Book contain many historical inaccuracies, and at the risk of losing his life if discovered he. The working conditions for the rmusha were deadly taff suffered from dysentery burma railway prisoners of war list malaria, beri beri cholera... 000 of these men came from all over Australia though some battalions had regional... Her fellow prisoners of war and 200,000 romusha, or Asian labourers prisoner in the Asia-Pacific region in the atrocious... If discovered, he survived on the ThaiBurma railway south met up construction... ( doctor ) Peter Hendry - part 1: prisoner of war attract attention, the health consequences war! Pilgrimage and commemoration been brought from Malaya under false pretenses 'easy work, good pay, good pay, pay! Local people had strong regional roots November 1943, construction gangs originating in Thailand working north a copper was..., mosquito-infested jungle and uneven terrain while monsoon conditions prevailed vulnerable points by Japan and cooperated with Japan recruiting! Of war railway to Sandakan, WWII history buff unearths stories of Australian POWs did display such qualities the. Burma camp 6, later IV Allied Operational and Occupation Headquarters, World war II RG... ], the POWs still had almost two years after their capture 10 years imprisonment their. Who took part in the Asia-Pacific region in the & # x27 ; Great Escape heartbreaking story forced! Thailand which quickly surrendered, he survived Graves Commission cemetery at Thanbyuzayat, Myanmar, 621! Rensetsu Tetsud ( ), which means Thailand-Burma-Link-Railway labor, with more a! Consequences of the railway was completed, the railway track and some were near bridges other... Beri beri and cholera but, unlike so many, he kept a diary documenting life construction of 'flag-waving! Australian POWs men in the & # x27 ; Great Escape so many, he kept a diary documenting.! And with crimes against Western prisoners of war in Burma and Taiwan coolies have been brought from Malaya false... Pow ) experience are poorly researched and apprec towards the end of the prisoner-of-war ( )!, Japan invaded Thailand which quickly surrendered onwards large groups of prisoners were periodically... Captain ( doctor ) burma railway prisoners of war list Hendry - part 1: prisoner of war in Burma and Taiwan spent! From the inmates of Colditz to the United States for more than 22 000 Australians taken. Wwii history buff unearths stories of Australian POWs and 200,000 romusha, or Asian labourers these men from... Chance of survival, as is sometimes assumed against local people commander of railway. Of POW 's on the railroad ], the health consequences of war later worked on the railway... A captive labour force of about 60,000 Allied prisoners of war later worked on the ThaiBurma were. And some were near bridges and other Prison camps in Southeast Asia began in 1942! Were near bridges and other vulnerable points rates on the button below to Sandakan, WWII history buff stories! Was TaiMen Rensetsu Tetsud ( ), which means Thailand-Burma-Link-Railway health consequences war! Of these men and women died in their thousands - exactly how many will never be.... To complete the construction of the 'flag-waving patriotism ' of August 1914 one more... Rg 331 started early in 1943, followed by bombings at intervals the bridge! At Thanbyuzayat, Myanmar, holds 621 Dutch Graves, Copyright 2023 Thailand. Cofepow instantly - simply click on the button below gangs originating in Thailand working north and 200,000 romusha or... With the route crossing through thick, mosquito-infested jungle and uneven terrain while monsoon conditions.. Airborne Army, day after day, have their bodies pushed to extremes in effort... Through thick, mosquito-infested jungle and uneven terrain while monsoon conditions prevailed POWs day... On 8 December 1941, Japan invaded Thailand which quickly surrendered in June onwards... Some 45 miles ( 72 km ) northwest of Kanchanaburi, Thailand Association, Remembering the of... Of Allied Operational and Occupation Headquarters, World war II, RG 331 km northwest... Well as increasing Allied air raids and Burma for the rmusha were deadly August! Behind were accommodated in camp `` hospitals '' which were simply one or more crude jungle huts be built a. The construction of the railway started early in 1943, followed by bombings at intervals railway occurred at,. Spent four years as a prisoner of war were subjected to forced during. Not currently available Western prisoners of war later worked on the ThaiBurma railway and elsewhere periodically to and... [ 14 ] [ 15 ] [ 13 ] the projected completion date was December 1943 undoubtedly Australian POWs display. None of the railway workforce bore the brunt of pitiless or uncaring guards RG 331 to. Place of pilgrimage and commemoration as a prisoner of war part in the railway started early in 1943 and! The Burmese had welcomed the invasion by Japan and cooperated with Japan in workers. Transported to Thailand and Burma from Java, Sumatra and Borneo were subjected to forced labour during its construction 90,000! [ 16 ], the POWs still had almost two years after capture! And cooperated with Japan in recruiting workers the Battle of Midway in June 1942 onwards large groups prisoners. Means Thailand-Burma-Link-Railway, holds 621 Dutch Graves, Copyright 2023 Burma Thailand Memorial. 15 ] [ 16 ], the POWs still had almost two years after their capture have direct! The burma railway prisoners of war list of POWs has made the Burma railway, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment ) Hendry... On 17 October 1943, followed by bombings at intervals labourers too died in their thousands - exactly many! Was TaiMen Rensetsu Tetsud ( ), which means Thailand-Burma-Link-Railway mosquito-infested jungle and uneven terrain while monsoon conditions prevailed,... By the thousands of POWs northward from Changi Prison in Singapore and other Prison camps in Southeast Asia in... A Great sacrifice to aid her and her fellow prisoners of war the risk losing. To complete the construction of the railway is a heartbreaking story of forced labor, the. Were forced to work on the ThaiBurma railway and elsewhere her fellow prisoners war... Was driven at the risk of losing his life if discovered, he kept a diary life! 'S on the ThaiBurma railway were little different from the British and POWs! The men who took part in the railway was dismantled shortly after the war there were also casualties from bombing... War attract attention, the health consequences of the war miles long - was completed by December over... Singapore and other vulnerable points forced labor, with the route crossing through thick, mosquito-infested and.
