Chinese Expeditionary Force Memorial

Memorial for the Chinese soldiers from the first Chinese Expeditionary Force (CEF) who died as prisoners of war along the Death Railway. Britain and China signed a joint agreement in December 1941 concerning the mutual defense of the Burma Road, which led to the creation of the Chinese Expeditionary Force. To relieve Allied positions in Burma, the CEF was formed from the Fifth Chinese Army and the New Sixth Army, under the US command of American Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell in the China Burma India Theater. The CEF entered Burma in February 1942 and engaged with the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) at Toungoo. The Battle of Toungoo was one of the key battles in the Battle of Yunnan-Burma Road in the Burma Campaign of World War II and Second Sino-Japanese War. The Chinese 200th Division held out for twelve days against the overpowering Japanese forces before retreating. The failure to hold the city of Toungoo opened up the route for the Japanese to make their lunge to Lashio around the allied flank and into the Chinese rear. The setbacks against the Japanese Army escalated the tension between Stilwell (who was also Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-shek) and Chiang Kai-shek, as many Chinese Nationalist commanders refused to carry out orders from Stilwell without approval from Chiang Kai-shek first. About 3000 Chinese soldiers were taken prisoner in the engagement with the IJA and set to work on the Death Railway. [Source: Wikipedia & other] Picture courtesy of Sean Alcock.

Ayutthaya Historical Research