P01888.003 Accession Number: P01888.003

Description

Tamarkan, Thailand. c. November 1945. Located fifty five kilometres north of Nong Pladuk (also known as Non Pladuk), 359 kilometres south of Thanbyuzayat, and five kilometres north of Kanchanaburi (Kanburi). This photograph, taken from Allied aircraft shows the two bridges built by the Japanese, using prisoner of war (POW) labour, which spanned the Mae Klong river (renamed Kwa Yai river in 1960). The wooden trestle bridge was completed in February 1943, and the steel bridge in April 1943. This eleven span bridge had been dismantled by the Japanese and brought to Tamarkan from Java in 1942. Both bridges wee subjected to numerous attacks by Allied aircraft during the period Decembe 1944 to June 1945. One span of the steel bridge was destroyed in a raid mid February 1945. Two more spans were dropped during raids between April and June 1945. Tamarkan POW camp was located adjacent to both the bridges and a nearby Japanese anti-aircraft battery. It also suffered during these air raids, the worst being on 29 November 1944. During this attack on the Ack Ack battery, three bombs overcarried and demolished the top ends of POW huts 1 and 2, burying a number of the occupants. The POW casualties numbered nineteen killed and sixty eight wounded. During a four hour attack on the bridges and Ack Ack battery on 5 February 1945, a further fifteen POWs were injured. The camp site was littered with great fragments of shrapnel, and one hut and the canteen were burnt to the ground. On 14 February 1945, the Japanese evacuated the remaining POWs to the Chungkai camp which was located approximately two kilometres north on Kanchanaburi, on the bank of the River Kwai Noi. (Donor B. Evans)

Details

Conflicts

• Second World War, 1939-1945

Places

• Tamarkan