How many soldiers died building the Burma railway?
How many soldiers died building the Burma railway?
Between 180,000 and 250,000 civilian laborers and over 60,000 Allied prisoners of war were subjected to forced labour during its construction. During the railway’s construction, around 90,000 Southeast Asian civilian forced laborers died, along with more than 12,000 Allied prisoners….Burma Railway.
| Overview | |
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| Length | 415 km (258 mi) |
Was Bridge over River Kwai a true story?
The film “The Bridge on the River Kwai” dramatized the WWII story of the Thailand-Burma Railway, yet it was largely fictional. Over 65,000 Allied P.O.W.s battled torture, starvation, and disease to hack the 255-mile railway out of harsh jungle for the Japanese.
What happened to the Thai Burma Railway?
In the 1980s Australian ex-POWs returned to Thailand and reclaimed Hellfire Pass from the jungle which had swallowed it when the Burma-Thailand railway was demolished after World War II. The cutting soon became a site of memory for many Australians, particularly on Anzac Day.
What happened at the Burma railway?
Burma Railway, also called Burma-Siam Railway, railway built during World War II connecting Bangkok and Moulmein (now Mawlamyine), Burma (Myanmar). More than 12,000 Allied prisoners of war (POWs) and tens of thousands of forced labourers perished during its construction. …
How long was the Sandakan Death March?
twenty-six days
The march lasted for twenty-six days, with prisoners even less fit than those in the first marches had been, provided with fewer rations and often forced to forage for food. Compound No. 1 of the Sandakan camp was destroyed in an attempt to erase any evidence of its existence.
Why is the Burma railway called the Death Railway?
It originated in Thailand and cut across to the Burmese war front to aid in the Japanese invasion of India. Originally called the Thailand-Burma Railway, it earned the nickname “Death Railway” because over one hundred thousand laborers died during its 16 month construction between 1942 and 1943.
Who were the survivors of Sandakan?
Nelson Short, William H. Sticpewich and Keith Botterill; three of the six Australians believed to be the sole remaining survivors of 2,700 POW of the death marches.
What is the name of the Japanese railway in Burma?
The Burma Railway, also known as the Death Railway, the Siam–Burma Railway, the Thai–Burma Railway and similar names, is a 415 km (258 mi) railway between Ban Pong, Thailand and Thanbyuzayat, Burma, built by the Empire of Japan from 1940–1944 to supply troops and weapons in the Burma campaign of World War II.
How difficult is the Burma-Thailand Railway route?
A railway route between Burma and Thailand, crossing Three Pagodas Pass and following the valley of the Khwae Noi river in Thailand, had been surveyed by the British government of Burma as early as 1885, but the proposed course of the line – through hilly jungle terrain divided by many rivers – was considered too difficult to undertake.
Why did the British separate Burma and Thailand in 1946?
On 16 January 1946, the British ordered Japanese POWs to remove a four kilometre stretch of rail between Nikki and Sonkrai. The railway link between Thailand and Burma was to be separated again for protecting British interests in Singapore.
How long did it take to build the Sino-Burma line?
Construction started in Burma and Thailand and both sides were joined on the 16th of October 1943. This was remarkably quick for such a large project but the Japanese had many workers and they had terrible conditions. It was estimated that the project would take 5 years to complete.
