The river kwai bridge Tamarkan Thailand c 1945

The river kwai bridge

Tamarkan, Thailand. c. 1945. Train crossing the wooden bridge which spanned the Mae Klong River (renamed Kwai Yai River in 1960). Begun in October 1942, using prisoner of war (POW) labour, it was completed and operational by early February 1943.

Both the wooden and the adjacent steel bridge were subjected to numerous air raids between January and June 1945. POW labour was used to repair the wooden bridge on each occasion. Tamarkan is fifty five kilometres north of Nong Pladuk (also known as Non Pladuk), or five kilometres north of Kanchanaburi. (Donor A. Mackinnon)

Tamarkan, Thailand. c. October 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).

The photograph 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 December 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

Aerial photograph of the Bridge over the River Kwai, Thailand, severely damaged by aerial bombing.

Wampo (Wang Po), Thailand. c. September 1945. The Wampo tiered viaduct built along the edge of the Kwai Noi River. The two main viaducts followed the bottom of the cliff for some distance. A ledge had to be carved out of the cliff face to form a base for the bridge and embankment construction.

It was a dangerous and exhausting task for the POW work force. Wampo is approximately 114 kilometres north of Nong Pladuk (also known as Non Pladuk), or 300 kilometres south of Thanbyuzayat. (Donor A. Mackinnon)

Kanchanaburi, Thailand, 1973.

A memorial plaque erected on the southern bank of the River Kwai, at one end of the bridge which was built over the river by allied prisoners-ofwar (POWs) and Asian labourers from various countries.

Burma-Thailand Railway. c. February 1943. Allied prisoners of war (POWs) engaged in bridge building at Tamarkan, fifty five kilometres north of Nong Pladuk (also known as Non Pladuk) and five kilometres south of Kanchanaburi (Kanburi).

The scaffolding, made from bamboo, is at the site of the eleven span steel bridge which was completed in April 1943. It, together with a wooden bridge approximately 100 kilometres downstream, spanned the Mae Klong river