Nearby locations
Ban PongThe station where the POWs and Asian Labourers, who had travelled from Singapore and Malaya, ended their journey. From there they walked to their work camps. I describe that journey and their arrival in episode 2.
KanchanaburiA key place on the Death Railway. Many of the POWs and Labourers would have gone through Kanchanaburi on their journeys up and down the line. The Pagoda of the Unknown is situated in the centre of town, next to the POW cemetery.Boon Pong’s grocery store...
TamarkanTamarkan camp was where Colonel Toosey and his men were based when building the bridges near Kanchanaburi. When the bridges were complete Tamarkan camp became a hospital camp for the sick returning from other camps along the railway. I discuss Toosey and his...
ChungkaiChungkai was a hospital camp run by Colonel Cary Owtram. There is now a cemetery with 1692 graves for fallen POWs. Here’s Owtram writing about the cemetery: “Surrounded by green-clad hills, the perpetual green of the jungle foliage, flowers of every colour...
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The first station on the Burmese side. Men were shipped to Burma rather than going by train. The cemetery holds 3626 graves of POWs who died on the railway.
The border point between Thailand and Burma (Myanmar). It holds a lot of historical significance as it was the main invasion route from Burma to Thailand for many years. I visit Three Pagodas Pass in episode 5.
Some of the highest POW fatality rates on the railways happened here. Of 1600 British POWs who entered a camp at Songkurai in 1943, only 400 walked out alive. I discuss with Andrew in episode 5.
The joining point for the railway. The station is one of several now underwater beneath the vast Vajiralongkorn Dam.
Hellfire Pass consists of three cutting - Konyu cutting, Hammer and Tap cutting, and Hintok. The largest cutting, Konyu cutting, was 25 metres high and 75 metres long. It took months of backbreaking work to complete.
In episode 4 I visit Konyu River camp and briefly mention this picture by Jack Chalker. You can see what an idyllic spot this is on the River Kwae Noi.
Nam Tok is now the final station along the railway that is still in use. The nearby camp was called Tarsau which had a large hospital.
Perhaps the most picturesque spot on the whole railway, the Wang Pho viaduct took six months to complete. I visit the viaduct in episode 3.
This picture illustrates perfectly how comparatively easier it was to work on this part of the railway with relatively flat ground and no obstacles in the way. It also explains why this part of the railway is still running, whilst the more remote spots in the hills and jungle have been discontinued, with constant upkeep required all year round. Andrew and I discuss the differences in locations in episode 3.
Chungkai was a hospital camp run by Colonel Cary Owtram. There is now a cemetery with 1692 graves for fallen POWs.
Tamarkan camp was where Colonel Toosey and his men were based when building the bridges near Kanchanaburi. When the bridges were complete Tamarkan camp became a hospital camp for the sick returning from other camps along the railway. I discuss Toosey and his work on the bridges in episode 3.
A key place on the Death Railway. Many of the POWs and Labourers would have gone though Kanchanaburi on their journeys up and down the line.
The station where the POWs and Asian Labourers, who had travelled from Singapore and Malaya, ended their journey. From there they walked to their work camps. I describe that journey and their arrival in episode 2.
The first station on the Thai side of the Death Railway. Also the site of a tragic incident in September 1944 when Allied planes bombing the railway line killed 96 POWs and injured scores more. Julie Summers describes the attack in episode 5.
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