The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Burma. c. October 1945. Many cemeteries were in this type of jungle. In many areas hundreds of metres of access paths had to be cut by the War Graves Commission survey party before the cemeteries could be cleared. Where possible Japanese labour was used, but often the prisoner of war (POW) volunteers who had been in these camps were the only ones able to find the cemeteries. Finding individual graves or the location of a small group of graves was very difficult, but also remarkably successful overall. This particular area is in Burma or Thailand. The War Graves Commission survey party's task was to locate POW cemeteries and grave sites along the Burma-Thailand railway. They also took the opportunity to recover equipment and documents which had been secretly buried, under instructions from senior POW officers, in the graves of deceased POWs.
Burma. c. October 1945. An overgrown stretch of the Burma Thailand railway line in either Burma or Thailand. Photographed by the War Graves Commission survey party whose task was to locate prisoner of
Three Pagoda Pass, Thailand. c. October 1945. Informal group portrait of War Graves Commission survey party members at Three Pagoda Pass, on the Burma Thailand border. Left to Right; Warrant Officer 2
Burma-Thailand Railway. c. September 1945. Ex-prisoner of war (POW) members of the War Graves Commission survey party. This group's task was to locate POW cemeteries and grave sites along the Burma-Th
Burma. c. October 1945. A line strung with washing belonging to the War Graves Commission survey party. The train on the right is probably on the Burma-Thailand railway, constructed by prisoners of wa
Kanchanaburi, Thailand. c. October 1945. The old city gates at Kanchanaburi (also called Kanburi). Photographed by the War Graves Commission survey party whose task was to locate prisoner of war (POW)
Tampi (Tampines), Thailand. c. October 1945. A stretch of the Burma-Thailand railway. Tampi is 147 kilometres north of Nong Pladuk (also known as Non Pladuk), or 267 kilometres south of Thanbyuzayat.
