The Burma Railway, also known as the Death Railway,
the Thailand-Burma Railway and similar names,
is a 415 km (258 mile) railway between Bangkok, Thailand and
Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar),
built by the Empire of Japan during World War II,
to support its forces in the Burma campaign.
Forced labour was used in its construction.
About 180,000 Asian labourers and 60,000 Allied prisoners of war
worked on the railway. Of these, around 90,000 Asian labourers
and 16,000 Allied POWs died as a direct result of the project.
The dead POWs included
6,318 British personnel,
2,815 Australians,
2,490 Dutch,
about 356 Americans
and a smaller number of Canadians.
The famous film "The Bridge on the River Kuai"
was based on the building of the railway.
The are a number of War Cemeteries in this part of Thailand.
My first name is Christiaan!
This name is famous in South Africa, but not as a surname.
Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum.
Out of respect, please take off your shoes.
Cuttings like this one was cut virtually by hand.
The railway today.
