Burma – Thailand Railway
Thanbyuzayat to 3 PagodasPeter Winstanley and John BreretonApril 2015
1.

GeneralReference Peter’s previous report on our visit to Burma during October 2012.
Apart from the required visa to enter Burma also required, after arriving, is a written authority
to travel along the railway from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism with copies to:
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Mon State Government and Immigration Department;
Karen State Government and Immigration Department;
South East Military Command;Three Pagodas Township Administration Department;
Police Department; andImmigration Department.

Also required is a letter of authority to travel within Karen State issued by Karen State
Administration - this must be obtained in person.
Documentation is inspected at the six checkpoints within Karen State.

Passport needs to be carried at all times. All checkpoints close at 4 pm and no travel can beundertaken after that time.
The only accommodation is basic at Thanbyuzayat and 3 Pagodas.
Transport can only be done by 4-wheel drive as rough dirt roads and all rivers/watercourses
are forded. Travel can therefore be only done during the dry season. Some timber bridges
are currently under construction. To get to most of the railway points of interest, this canonly be done on foot through the jungle. As a tourist destination, it has nothing torecommend it and would only be of interest to relatives of POW’s of “A” Force or militaryhistorians interested in the Burma section of the railway.

2.

00 kilo - Thanbyuzayat

Commencement of the railway with the current cemetery on the site of the original campcemetery. Contains the graves of the dead found and exhumed north of the joining point atKonkoita, Thailand.
Between the cemetery and the railway station is the Japanese purpose built headquarters ofthe Kempetai with the facade still displaying the Imperial Japanese stars and columns.
The station is still original having served the Moulmein to Ye line pre war a nd still does. The
railway commenced by looping off this line at the immediate north of the station, curving into
the corner of now private buildings. At the rear of the station were constructed two train
consolidation sidings, joining the line and looping onto the existing line at the south of thestation.

Thanbyuzayat Cemetery now

Kempetai HeadquartersRailway Station now

Cemetery 1955

Kempetai Headquarters

Station 1943

Site of train consolidation sidings (2) constructed
at rear of Thanbyuzayat Station

Railway trace looping on to Moulmein to Ye line
at north end of station and commencement ofthe railway

3.

Railway trace continuing from station to private
premises

4 kilo - Kandaw

Green Force
Original camp site now on private property. In later years a memorial depicting thecommencement of the railway is located here on state owned land on the western side of theMoulmein to Ye line. This contains a concrete wall, a cement statue (damaged) andlocomotive C 0522. This area on previous visits was completely covered in vegetation but
has recently been cleaned up. The engine has been recently painted in its original blacklivery. A museum dedicated to the railway is being marked out for future construction.

Post war memorial to the POWs

Site of new memorial museum now currently
under construction

Japanese locomotive C 0522

Kandaw siding 1945

C0522

4.

8 kilo - Wagale

Force
Now into rubber plantations as existing pre war and along the railway embankment withtimber culverts. The station building foundations now support a small school for children ofmilitary personnel inside a large Mon Army Camp. Station buildings along the railway were
only small, light, timber constructions and none now exist on the Burma side. Still in use are
the hot springs. The POWs constructed concrete baths for the Japanese Officers andseparate ones for the NCO’s with related storage tanks and distribution aqueducts. The
other hot springs are located at Hindat camp in Thailand.

POW built hot springs bath house for JapaneseOfficers

Individual baths insideBath for Japanese NCOs

Hot springs holding tankDistribution aquaductHolding tank No.2

Railway embankment between Kandaw andWagale

Remains of timber culvert crossing5.

14 kilo - Thetkaw

Railway embankment through the rubber on left of the road. Located just west of theembankment is the Japanese memorial and pagoda to their railway dead (currently
inaccessible due renovations. Photos are from a previous visit). A statue of a lion indicatesthe direction in a straight line to a large ordnance depot located on a large hill at Hlepauk.

Memorial to Japanese who died on the railway

Headstones of Japanese graves

Railway trace through the rubber

Cemetery in 19456.

18 kilo - Hlepauk.

Anderson ForceThe road has now crossed the railway and is on the right side going south. Now out of therubber with the embankment close by. Walking along the embankment and coming to alarge culvert still containing the remains of the timber piles.

Railway embankment

Remains of timber embankment head for timber trestle creek crossing

7.

26 kilo - Kunhnitkway

Ramsay ForceThe railway here took seven bends where a recent road alignment has taken out a couple ofthose. Unable to exactly locate the camp site as no village is in the vicinity and have noexact camp details re-distinguishing features. However, where possible the camps werelocated near a water source.

8.

30 kilo - Reptu

This became the base “ hospital” camp after repeated allied bombing and strafing of
Thanbyuzayat camp resulting in the deaths of nearly 70 POW’s.
Three sidings were constructed here looping off the main line to the south east.
The large tree at the entrance to the camp and the village is still there. A seventy year oldvillage elder Mo Chi took us to the cemetery site where he found, as a child, remnants ofbamboo crosses left by the recovery team after exhumation of bodies for re-internment at
Thanbyuzayat. He also pointed out the old campsite including the camp well. Locatedabout 50 meters further along was a concrete base and a small section of large steel pipe
used for supplying water to the locomotives.

Site of Reptu CemeteryRemains of the camp well9.

Locomotive water feeder pipe to overhead tank

35 kilo - Tanyin

Williams Force later joined by Anderson Force to form No. 1 Mobile Force (rails andsleepers).
Road has crossed the line again which is now on the left hand side.
Embankments and a large timber bridge were constructed here. The camp consisted of four
huts housing 900 men with a further 200 Romusha. A short time later a further 900 ofAnderson Force was added.
Time constraints and the relatively large distance from the road means that this will be foundat the next visit at the end of this year.

10.

40 kilo - BetetaungBlack Force plus 184 Americans
Road has crossed the railway again with the line on the right. Large limestone cliffs on left ofroad which contains large ballast quarry. Hammer and tap used to drill holes in the cliff fordynamiting. The scars still remain with the large rocks being broken up by POW’s now toosick to work on the line . A few piles of graded sized rocks still remain. Camp site andcemetery on west of the line more or less opposite the quarry. An old unfinished stupa withan old and small pagoda is found adjacent to the line.

Limestone ballast quarry

Old pagoda beside the railway embankment

Railway embankment

Remains of old unidentified building beside the railwayThe limestone ballast quarry is located at the foot of these cliffs

11.

45 kilo - Anankwin

No. 1 Mobile Force (Williams and Anderson)
Line here consisted of passing loops, jungle protection sidings and a turning triangle (trains
are looped off the main line and proceed to the apex thence reverse along the opposite side
thus now facing the other way). Bridging of the Myettaw River was one large timber trestle
and a 5 pylon steel bridge. After fording the river and passing the village thence walking
south then north to a right angled bend in the river and locate the southern pylon thence
locate the other four in the jungle. Located the camp site and also four large concrete
foundations with recesses that housed large steel posts to support the overhead locomotive
replenishment water tank together with the related concrete footing to support the pipe to fill
the tank after water is pumped from the creek. Under a house remain the footings for aJapanese building.

Jungle covered bridge pylon

Concrete bridge pylon No. 1

No. 1 pylon

No. 2 pylon with stupa

No. 3 pylon

No. 4 pylon

Concrete base for replenishment pipe supplyingoverhead locomotive water tank

12.

The four concrete foundations for the overhead
locomotive water tank

50 kilo - Thanbaya

Bruce Hunt’s F Force “hospital” camp. Over 1700 desperately sick and unable to work camehere to die and about half did. With the assistance of Bruce Hunt’s map found ‘A’ wellthence further east to a large concrete footing for the railway. Proceeded to the southerncreek and found the remains of the distinctive timber crossing consisting of two sets of threepiles each. The northern creek crossing contains old railway sleepers. Across the padi field
to the immediate east is the eastern creek with ‘C’ well and the cook house site. The camphere straddled the railway with the cemetery on the south west corner.

Cemetery site

Corner camp and cemetery siteCampsite

Remains of “Ä” wellConcrete railway footing north creek crossing

Two sets of three piles of the southern creek timber crossing

Southern creek crossing

13.

Cemetery 1945 with members of war graves survey party

55 kilo - Khon Khan

Albert Coates A Force “hospital” camp where he performed his amputations on leg ulcer
patients. He came here on a stretcher suffering from a severe bout of scrub typhus
contracted at 75 kilo camp at Meiloe. This site is reached from the left hand side of the road,through the village thence a long walk through the jungle to the embankment. Travel south
to the Khon Khan River till the first pylon is reached. This steel bridge consisted of fourpylons. Further east down river is the passing loop which crosses the river by a timbertrestle. The camp and cemetery are located on the western side of the southernembankment in a betelnut plantation. Captain Brereton was the last to leave here with 202
Australians and 58 Dutch where he returned to 105 kilo camp.

Railway embankment head at Khon Kahn RiverCamp siteCamp site Khon Kahn

14.

No. 1 pylon

No.2 pylon

No. 3 pylon

No. 4 pylon

60 kilo - Taungzun

No. 1 mobile force found masses of dead romusha in the dilapidated huts here as a result ofcholera. Jungle protection loop embankment is on right of the road here with the main line afair way in through the jungle on the left. The river running parallel to the road prevented any
further travel to the camp site. Will have to visit here next time by walking along the tracefrom Ronsi.

Railway passing loop embankment (not main line)

15.

62 kilo - Ronsi

3 group “hospital” camp with several jungle sidings and a turning triangle.
Again the jungle protection loop on the right. Walking along the river to the east and thelarge embankments with the remains of the steel bridge are found. The pylons are lying on
their sides due to allied bombing. Just east are the remains of the large timber trestle
bridge. Camp and cemetery sites are located to the east of the southern end of the timber
bridge.

Remains of the two concrete pylons of main steel bridge as a result of allied bombing (both pylons lying on their sides)

Remains of the large timber trestle bridge adjacentto the steel bridge

16.

Construction of timber bridge 1943

65 kilo - Kami Mezali

3 Group Headquarters CampCamp is located on right of road on the higher ground on the northern side of the Mezali
River. Following the river to the west the remains of the POW built road fords the river.

Camp siteCamp site on high ground to the right of the riverbed

Campsite17.

70 kilo - Mezali

No. 1 Mobile Force moved here after occupation by the Burmese. Also 5 group “hospital”
camp. A large Burmese cemetery here has not been located and recovered.
Impenetrable jungle prevented the long walk along the river to locate the steel bridge thatcrossed the river here. To be done in the near future on next trip.

Concrete footing of timber trestle bridge crossing

Embankment head on left hand side of river

Remains of original POW built road between this camp and Meiloe

18.

75 kilo - Meiloe

Black, Green and Ramsay Force CampOn opposite side of the river with the camp and cemetery on the east side of the railway.
Was a low lying fever infested camp and is still so evidenced by the malaria warning notices.
Again the jungle prevented access to the railway on this occasion. To be done next trip.

Impenetrable jungle in the vicinity of Meiloe camp

19.

80 kilo - Aparaine

No. 5 group and No. 1 Mobile Force Camp
Located the concrete pylons of the steel bridge crossing the Aparon River with groundaround heavily cratered due to allied bombing. Remains of a rail at the foot of the southernpylon. 3 creek crossings are here crossed by small timber trestles. Embankment on rightside of road.

Embankment head second creek crossing

Aparaine bridge concrete pylon

Second concrete pylon

Rails at foot of concrete embankment headRemains of timber piles at third river crossing

20.

Concrete base of locomotive water replenishment pipe

82 kilo - Aparon

Site of the steel bridge crossing the Zami River. Concrete pylons found with ground heavily
cratered due to allied bombing. The cemetery never located due to bombing. A long walkthrough the jungle is required to meet the embankment thence south along the embankment
to the bridge remains. One of the steel spans lies here. Passing loop and jungle protection
sidings were located here. The POW camp was located a little south of the bridge towards
Lawa.

Concrete pylon north bankConcrete pylon south bank

Northern pylon

Remains of steel railway span

Railway embankment just before reaching the bridge

Bridge post war

Bridge after construction

21.

TadeinLocated on the northern bank of the Zami and up river of Aparon bridge. This is now thelocation of a Karen village. A single vehicle punt is used for crossing when the river is toohigh to ford. Both a Romusha camp and the Japanese camp were located here. The
railway did not pass through here.

22.

85 kilo - Lawa

No. 5 Group Camp
Railway on left of road but camp site not able to be identified as now distinguishing features
exist. A large Burmese cemetery exists here but not located and not recovered.

Railway embankment

23.

95 kilo - Kyondaw

F Force transit camp for the sick moving to Thanbaya from the northern Thailand camps.
Many died here. Reached after several crossings of the Zami. The embankment stillcontains numerous teak sleepers. Unable to locate the camp site as there are no
distinguishable features.

Concrete footing for timber culvert

Railway embankment

Railway embankment with sleeper

The Blue Haze – a tribute to Leslie Hall

24. 100 kilo - Regue
No. 5 Group Camp
Embankment on left of road, however the railway crosses numerous creeks and small
waterfalls as we are now at the headwaters of the Zami. Concrete footings for timbertrestles and a concrete block with steel pipe for locomotive water replenishment near small
dam are found here. To get an accurate picture will require walking along the full trace. Notclear as to where the camp was.

Concrete footing Zamie river crossing

Second timber river crossing

Second timber river crossing

Embankment

Concrete footing between Regue and Kyondaw

Remains of railway crossing north Regue

Second river crossing north of Regue

Locomotive water replenishing pipe and base in theVicinity of left hand photo

Crossing after the war with timber trestle still surviving

25.

105 kilo - Aungganaung

Black, Green and Ramsay Forces and later used as a consolidation camp for POW’s
returning to Thailand at the completion of the railway.
Just north of here the embankment merges into the existing road until reaching the outskirtsof 3 Pagodas. The camp site and cemetery easily located as it was immediately to the rightof the railway. The site slopes downhill and the creek is located on the southern side of thecamp.

Camp siteCamp site

Looking up slope from camp to railway

Entrance to cemetery now

26.

Railway trace – now a road.
Camp on right hand side.

Creek on southern side of the camp.

Entrance to cemetery 1945 with war graves survey party

108 kilo - Payathanzutaung

Green Force and later No.1 Mobile Force moved here after marching from95 kilo. Again the camp and cemetery located on the immediate right of the railway, now theroad.

Campsite

Road now railway trace here; camp on left hand side.

27.

110 kilo - 3 Pagodas

The road leaves the embankment and proceeds through the town. The embankment is now on theleft behind private property. Existing rails with old teak sleepers are located here terminating at theborder alongside a small concrete wall monument.

Memorial stoneEmbankment

Railway embankment

Original railway terminating at border

Looking north from railway termination