River Kwai & the Death Railway

The infamous Death Railway over River Kwai is a much visited place of interest in Kachanaburi. Though it do not mean much to the post-war generation like myself. Only a visit to the War Museum here bring home a lesson of war time sufferings by POWs and atrocities of the Japanese conquerors!

It was built by Japanese at the expense of more than 100,000 lives for logistics supply through Burma in their campaign bid to take India. It was bombed repeatedly by the Allied forces and put out of action towards the end of WWII.

An open park sits at the river bank of the rail bridge, a far cry from an isolated & deserted spot during my first visit in the mid 70's.
















These days, the railway only carries tourist traffic!
















The bomb reminds of Allied bombing raids to cut off the Japanese supply lines.
















There are a host of leisure activities around that includes river cruise & rafting.
















The War Memorial Cemetery is still visited by many veterans & families of deceased POWs.





































A lone gardener tending the cemetary grounds.
















So many POWs were fresh young troops just arrived before the fall of Malaya & Singapore, taken and lost their lives here!