Thailand, Kanchanaburi. This is the infamous Bridge on the River Kwai on the Burma-Siam Death railway of the Second World War built more or less by Allied Prisoners of War and press ganged local people tasked with building the overland railroad route from Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand to Rangoon in Burma as part of the Imperial Japanese Army strategic plan to invade The arch spans are of the original bridge. The box spans are replacements after the bridge was bombed out of commission in June 1945 being replaced after the war ended.
This is the infamous Burma-Siam Death railway of the Second World War built more or less by Allied Prisoners of War and press ganged local people tasked with building the overland railroad route from Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand to Rangoon in Burma as part of the Imperial Japanese Army strategic plan to invade A few facts about the film Bridge on the River Kwai, the film is Hollywood fantasy, The British as portrayed in the film did not co-operate or collaborate with the Japanese with building the bridge, but used every opportunity to sabotage the bridge and other structures. The tide did not go out as seen in the film as the River Kwai is not tidal. The bridge was destroyed by the Royal Airforce in June 1945 not as per film as a commando raid. The author Frenchman Pierre Boulle never visited Thailand nor the Bridge. The film was filmed in Sri Lanka not Thailand. Of 63,000 Allied PoW's serviceman over 12,000 died constructing the railway. Over 3,000 Dutch Nationals also perished. 133 American nationals known as the Lost Battalion from the sinking of the USS battle cruiser Houston also perished. Of the press-ganged labour force of 250,000, around 90,000 Thais died during construction. Only a handful of men escaped captivity, when caught they were executed. Around 1,000 Japanese soldiers died from natural causes.
Size: 6000px × 4933px
Location: Kanchanaburi, Northern Thailand around 1995-6
Photo credit: © Allan Hartley / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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