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JEATH War Museum
Acronym for Japan, England, Australia/America, Thailand and Holland. The museum is set out like a typical POW’s quarters, note the ATAP inverted roof structure. Some good photos. There are examples here in picture form of Japanese torture that was carried out both here and in Singapore.
Chungkai War Cemetery
On the banks of the Kwai Noi about 5kms out of Kanchanaburi – smaller of the two cemeteries in town – cross the Ratanakan Bridge. This is where Chungkai POW camp was situated, the long aisle in the middle of the cemetery is said to be the main thoroughfare for the POW camp, as is the two large trees, were utilised to shade the POW Hospital Tent which was erected to get some shade.
Chungkai War Cemetery
There are 1740 graves in Chungkai, 1384 British, 313 Dutch and the remainder Indian and Malay – no Australians are interred at Chungkai. Keep eye out for the cross of sacrifice and stone of remembrance. Most of the amputations were carried out at this hospital, most of the serious sick were sent here from closeby only camps when it suited the camp commandant. It consisted of 2 long Atap huts and an Atap operating Theatre. The bamboo shelf was reportedly full of bugs and lice and there were no disinfectants. Secret wireless’s were operated here to keep track of the developments in the war – they were kept in a water bottle, cylindrical cigarette tin and another in a flat biscuit tin – the batteries obtained from the Thai canteen Owner, Boon Pong who had a business in Kanburi. The great Weary Dunlop also worked here along with Sir Albert Coates and many other medical and support staff.
Bridge Over the River Kwai
The bridge steel and main parts came from a ‘borrowed’ bridge in Java, build entirely by hand, crude concrete mixes were made and huge trusses were utilised to put it into place which took several months. Completed in June 43, originally had 11 spans of 22m each and after the restoration, 8 spans of 22m and 2 spans of 33m each.
The Bridge Over the River Kwai
food whilst not plentiful was at least regular in the camps around the bridge here at Tamakan. Camps further north men stated that they may not have been fed for 4-5 days. 9 deaths occurred on the BRK during it’s construction.
The Bridge Over the River Kwai |
The famous bridge spans |
The BRK was destroyed in June 45 by USAF B24’s however they were able to utilise and get operational the other wooden bridge up river to keep the line working, from it’s completion in Oct 43 it fed the war effort for the Japanese in Burma, not as effectively as they would like, but still men, supplies and equipment was moved along this war link.
The famous bridge spans
On November 29th 1943 the Tamakan Camp was bombed, the camp was next to the BRK and subsequently bombs landed in the camp killing 18 POW’s and wounding 68 others.
Where the wooden bridge over the Kwai was situated in the now WW2 Museum near the famous bridge
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