Bridge on the River Kwai

Today’s mug is from Bangkok, Thailand. How did this mug make me think of those who fought during WWII?

Well, on one of my trips to Bangkok, I took an excursion to see the Bridge Over the River Kwai. The Thailand-Burma Railway was built by over 65,000 Allied POWs for the Japanese.

The film “The Bridge on the River Kwai" dramatized this WWII story, but the film was largely fictional. For one thing, it was filmed in Sri Lanka not in Thailand.

Where is the real bridge on the River Kwai? The bridge stretches over a part of the Mae Klong river, which was renamed Khwae Yai meaning big tributary.

During the Second World War, Thailand was still known as Siam and, until Japan invaded Siam in December 1941, the country had been officially neutral. The invasion meant the Japanese troops could, with Siam’s cooperation, pass through the country en route to invade Malaya and Burma and so POW’s and locals were forced to build the railway which had been planned by the British.

By May 1945 the British and American air forces had destroyed both bridges over the River Khwae-Noi and so the Japanese army's vital supply line between Burma and Malaya had been cut off.

Today Kanchanaburi town in Kanchanaburi province in western Thailand is steeped in the gruelling history of the Death Railway. The Bridge on the River Kwai escaped planned bombing, and remains in place in Kanchanaburi as a tourist attraction and functioning railway bridge over which trains pass daily. The majority of its smaller components are originals, while a few are post-war replacements.

Located off the train tracks today but originally part of the Death Railway’s construction, is Hellfire Pass. Since it involved cutting through sheer mountain face, this area was one the most demanding parts for the forced labourers. Many perished here at Hellfire Pass. This site has been preserved as a memorial museum and walking trail. It also plays host to the annual ANZAC Day dawn memorial service.

As part of the tour I took when in Bangkok at that time, we also visited one of the War Cemeteries in this area. These War Cemeteries are spotlessly cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and I remember seeing so many graves with names of Australians, British and Dutch. The American POWs were repatriated.

I am thankful for the opportunity to travel and learn so much more about the sacrifices our veterans have made to secure the freedom we enjoy today.

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