Japanese War Memorial

Picture of the inauguration of the Japanese War Memorial at Tha Makham (Tamarkan) on 21 March 1944 for the persons who lost their lives building the Burma-Thailand railway. The Japanese used British POWs to construct the memorial. The central column was for the Japanese; the corner structures for Australian, British, American, Dutch POWs, and Asian civilians. At each corner of the base is a marble plate engraved in English, Malay, Japanese and Dutch. The memorial is made of stone and concrete and embodies the wattle, rose and tulip emblems and an emblem representing the united states of America.

Speeches were made by the Japanese commander and by lieutenant colonel g. E. Ramsay ed, commanding officer 2/30th Australian infantry battalion. The Japanese commander praised the work of constructing the line. Colonel Ramsay agreed but deplored the terrible loss of life it had entailed. The photo includes various allied prisoners of war, Japanese guards and local inhabitants. [Source: awm.gov.au/collection/C202639]

The inscription on the English plaque reads: "In memory of deceased prisoners of war. 1944." (Donor C. Scriven) [Source: awm.gov.au/collection/C274944]

Ayutthaya Historical Research