53 362  Kan’buri Base        Also Named: Kanburi     Katbaru       Kamburi     Canbury            Thai Kanchbanuri                  Japanese 9th Railway Regiment                  I Group Apr 43 - Aug 44            III Group Dec 43 - Jun 44      (Hospital)              VII Group Sep 44 - Aug 45

Headquarters of 9th Railway Regiment, in charge of the Thailand end of the construction. ‘F’ and ‘H’ Force Hospital camps.

Kan’buri Cemetery

Also called the Dessert Camp.

The camp lay across a flat muddy piece of land from Kamburi, known as the aerodrome. Leaving Kamburi for the next upcountry camp, the River Mee Kong Kwai Noi was crossed at the back of the paper factory. The river was about 150 yards across during the monsoon rains.

Information from Railway of Death by John Coast

Group VI

What a relief for us then, when at a railway station by the name of Ban Pong we were off-loaded.

But far worse was to come. We were immediately made to march 46km to a place called Kanchanaburi. It appeared to be a centre of Japanese army activity.

The prisoner of war (POW) officers' camp showing huts and parade ground Taken 1945 The photo is available from http://www.awm.gov.au

The camp in which we were quartered lay in the middle of a large group of Japanese army camps, where troops of soldiers were constantly arriving and departing. Also groups of prisoners were moving in and out every day and after five days, our group, consisting of approximately 600 Dutch POWs, left. Next camp was Sai Yoku, a Kinsaiyok Sub Camp.

From Neil’s Story

April 1943

‘F’ Force arrived at Kan’buri main street and waited in the crowded streets for the arrival of Colonel Bonno’s lorry.

The theatre stage built by prisoners of war Taken September 1945 The photo is available from http://www.awm.gov.au

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