Pilgrimage – The Burma-Thailand Death Railway
Burma Railway is a 415 km railway between Bangkok, Thailand and Rangoon, Myanmar – built by the Empire of Japan during World War II to support its forces in the Burma campaign.
The sea route, namely through Malaysia and Singapore, is patrolled by the reputable British navy, hence the construction of this very difficult route.
Much of the Death Railway isn’t particularly interesting because it looks like just any other ordinary railway track.
Occasionally you come across a section where you marvel at the engineering, and wonder how they pulled it off with rudimentary tools and starving prisoners-of-war.
This cliff of solid stone, was excavated without explosives. If I recall correctly, only pick axes were used. No lorries as well, only sacks on backs to carry the rubble away.
The railway tracks have to be constructed dramatically higher than the terrain in order to squeeze between the cliff and the river bank – with the same dodgy tools.
Forced labour was used in its construction. About 180,000 Asian labourers and 60,000 Allied prisoners of war (POWs) worked on the railway.
Of these, around 90,000 Asian labourers and 16,000 Allied POWs died as a direct result of the project.
Midway there’s a surprise cave temple which was not documented anywhere.
Can’t tell if it existed during WWII or after because like most cave temples, this one is remarkably well maintained for such a secluded spot.
See related posts The Bridge over the River Kwai and Kanchanaburi War Cemetery and Death Railway Museum.
