| Historical Information: |
The notorious Burma-Siam railway, built by Commonwealth, Dutch and
American prisoners of war, was a Japanese project driven by the need for
improved communications to support the large Japanese army in Burma.
During its construction, approximately 13,000 prisoners of war died and
were buried along the railway. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 civilians
also died in the course of the project, chiefly forced labour brought from
Malaya and the Dutch East Indies, or conscripted in Siam (Thailand) and
Burma (Myanmar). Two labour forces, one based in Siam and the other in
Burma worked from opposite ends of the line towards the centre. The
Japanese aimed at completing the railway in 14 months and work began in
October 1942. The line, 424 kilometres long, was completed by December
1943. The graves of those who died during the construction and maintenance
of the Burma-Siam railway (except for the Americans, whose remains were
repatriated) were transferred from camp burial grounds and isolated sites
along the railway into three cemeteries at Chungkai and Kanchanaburi in
Thailand and Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar. KANCHANABURI WAR CEMETERY is only a
short distance from the site of the former 'Kanburi', the prisoner of war
base camp through which most of the prisoners passed on their way to other
camps. It was created by the Army Graves Service who transferred to it all
graves along the southern section of railway, from Bangkok to Nieke. Some
300 men who died during an epidemic at Nieke camp were cremated and their
ashes now lie in two graves in the cemetery. The names of these men are
inscribed on panels in the shelter pavilion. There are now 5,084
Commonwealth casualties of the Second World War buried or commemorated in
this cemetery. There are also 1,896 Dutch war graves. Within the entrance
building to the cemetery will be found the KANCHANABURI MEMORIAL,
recording the names of 11 men of the army of undivided India buried in
Muslim cemeteries in Thailand, where their graves could not be maintained.
The cemetery was designed by Colin St Clair
Oakes. |