Ban Tai in Amphoe Mueang Kanchanaburi, Kanchanaburi, Thailand — ประเทศไทย (Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula)

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

/ Kanchanaburi Oorlogsbegraafplaats

— Don Rak Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery —

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jj Karwacki, July 4, 2023

1. Kanchanaburi War Cemetery Marker

The upper third of this bronze tablet is in English, followed by Thai and Dutch.

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

After entering the Second World War in December 1941, Japanese forces quickly overran most of South East Asia. In 1942, in order to find a shorter and more secure line of supply between Burma (now Myanmar) and Siam (now Thailand), the Japanese decided to use prisoners of war and civilian labour to build a single line railway to link existing railheads at Thanbyuzayat in the west and Ban Pong in the east. Two forces, one based in Siam and one in Burma, worked from opposite ends of the line, meeting at Konkuita in October 1943. The project cost the lives of approximately 15,000 prisoners of war and 100,000 civilians as a result of sickness, malnutrition, exhaustion and mistreatment.

This cemetery, the largest of three on the Burma-Siam Railway, is located near the site of the former “Kanburi” Prisoner of War Base Camp through which most prisoners passed on their way to other camps. The cemetery, designed by Colin St Clair Oakes, was created after the war by the Army Graves Service who transferred graves into it from camp burial grounds and solitary sites all along the southern half of the railway and from other

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More than 5,000 Commonwealth and 1,800 Dutch casualties are commemorated in the cemetery, including some 300 men who died of sickness at Nicke and Changaraya and who were cremated. Their ashes are buried in two graves in the cemetery and their names appear on panels in the shelter building. The names of eleven soldiers of the Indian army whose graves elsewhere in Thailand could not be maintained are commemorated by name on a tablet in the entrance building.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is responsible for the maintenance of graves and memorials in some 150 countries which commemorate around 1,700,000 members of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two world wars. Those commemorated here and elsewhere include servicemen and women of several different faiths and of none.

สุสาน สงคราม กาญจนบุรี
(Thai text could not be transcribed)

Kanchanaburi Oorlogsbegraafplaats
Vanaf han deelname in december 1941 aan de Tweede Wereldoorlog veroverden de Japanse strijdkrachten in snel tempo het grootste deel van Zuidoost-Azië. Op zoek naar een kortere en veiligere aanvoerroute tussen Birma (Nu Myanmar) en Siam (nu Thailand) besloten de Japanners

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery Bronze Tablets image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jj Karwacki, July 4, 2023

2. Kanchanaburi War Cemetery Bronze Tablets

Two copies of this historical marker are posted on either side of the entrance gate, inside the gate building. It is positioned so it is visible as you exit the cemetery through the gate.

in 1942 krijgsgevangenen en burgers te gebruiken om een spoorlijn aan te leggen tussen Thanbyatayat in het westen en Ban Pong in het oosten. Twee ploegen, één gestationeerd in Siam, de andere in Birma, werkten vanaf deze eindpunten van de beide spoorlijnen naar elkaar toe en ontmoetten elkaar is oktober 1943 in Koekuita. Door ziekte, ondervoeding, uitputting en mishandeling heeft de Birmaspoorweg het leven gekost van ongeveer 15.000 krijgsgevangenen en 100.000 borgers.

Deze begraafplaats, de grootste van de drie begraafplaatsen aan de Birma-Siam spoorweg, bevindt zich dicht bij de plaats van het vroegere “Kanburi” krijgsgevangenenkamp, dat als doorgangskamp fungeerde voor de meeste gevangenen. De begraafplaats is ontworpen door Colin Si Clair Oakes es werd sa de oorlog aangelegd door de Army Graves Service. Deze dienst begroef hier de stoffelijke resten van slachtoffers die oorspronkelijk elders in Thailand lagen begraven, op kampbegraafplaatsen of wel in graven langs het zuidelijke gedeelte van de spoorweg.

Meer dan 5.000 oorlogsslachtoffers van het Gemenebest en bijas 1.800 Nederlandse oorlogsslachtoffers zij hier begraven. Onder hen bevinden zich 300 mannen die is Nieke en Changaraya aan ziektes zijn overleden en gecremeerd. Hun as werd op deze begraafplaats bijgezet in twee graven en hun namen staan vermeld op panelen

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery Entrance Tablets image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jj Karwacki, July 4, 2023

3. Kanchanaburi War Cemetery Entrance Tablets

As you enter through the gate, these stone tablets face you on the far side of the narrow gate building, on either side of the archway to the cemetery, in Thai on the left and in English on the right. They read,

1939 – 1945
The land on which this cemetery stands is the gift of the Thai People for the perpetual resting place of the sailors, soldiers and airmen who are honoured here.

is een klein paviljoen op de begraafplaats. In het toegangsgebouw bevindt zich een plaquette met de namen van elf militairen van het Indiase leger die elders in Thailand begraven liggen en wier graven niet onderhouden konden worden.

De Commonwealth War Graves Commission is verantwoordelijk voor het onderhoud van graven en gedenktekens in bijna 150 landen. Het gaat om ongeveer 1.700.000 graven van leden van de strijdkrachten van het Gemenebest uit twee Wereldoorlogen; mannen en vrouwen van verschillende geloofsovertuiging.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the The Thailand-Burma Railway series list. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1943.

Location. 14° 1.914′ N, 99° 31.547′ E. Marker is in Ban Tai, Kanchanaburi, in Amphoe Mueang Kanchanaburi. Marker can be reached from Sangchuto Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1945 Sangchuto Road, Ban Tai, Kanchanaburi 71000, Thailand. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. That Valiant Company Who Perished While Building the Railway (here, next to this marker); The Kanchanaburi Memorial (here, next to this marker); Tribute to Royal Dutch East Indies Army and the Royal Netherlands Navy Personnel Who Perished (within

One of the More than Six Thousand Identical Grave Monuments in the Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jj Karwacki

4. One of the More than Six Thousand Identical Grave Monuments in the Cemetery

This one, in location 20, is of an unknown soldier. It reads, “A Soldier of the 1939–1945 War, known unto God.”

shouting distance of this marker); Memorial to Dutch Prisoners of War (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Tomb of 10,000 Souls (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Takashi Nagase (Fujiwara) (approx. 1.8 kilometers away); The JEATH War Museum (approx. 1.8 kilometers away); Thai-Anusorn (approx. 2.4 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ban Tai.

More about this marker. "number of POW burials at here at DonRak" an extra word crept in here!
Likely MY error not yours. Probably best to drop both 'at & here'

Regarding Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. sù-săan sŏng-kraam gaan-jà-ná-bù-ree

สุสาน sù-săan graveyard ; cemetery

สงคราม sŏng-kraam war ; battle

กาญจนบุรี gaan-jà-ná-bù-ree Kanchanaburi

SIDE COMMENT: The Thais use the first character ก interchangeably as a G or K sound; I have always been fascinated that

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery at Don Rak<br>1939 – 1945 image. Click for full size.

Photographed By D. Manners, February 10, 2022

5. Kanchanaburi War Cemetery at Don Rak
1939 – 1945

Drone photograph showing the cemetery from the entrance gate building. The large Christian cross at the center of the cemetery’s transept can be seen in the distance.

the Thai word for marijuana is กัญชา = gaanja very similar to the province name.

Additional commentary.
1. The War Graves Cemetery at Don Rak
The war graves cemetery at Don Rak in the city of Kanchanaburi is the largest of the three sites maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission related to the Thai-Burma Railway. It holds the remains of over 6800 POWs and a few dozen post-war interments. One of those latter is that of Phoebe Mercer who, as a British Women’s Volunteer Service member serving in Bangkok, was killed in a traffic accident. Hers is one of only two female graves in these cemeteries. The other is at ChungKai.

Immediately post-war Australian and British graves registration teams began collecting the remains of the POWs who had died while working on the Thai-Burma Railway. As each group of remains were brought in from their original places or burial at the dozens of up-country camps, they were processed and reinterred here. Many POWs who died in the local ‘rest camps’ or nearby POW hospitals were originally buried on this site.

The cemetery is organized with Commonwealth section to the left and right of the entrance gate. The remains of the Dutch POWs reside in the rear portion. Each individual grave has a bronze marker. To the

Common Graves of Some 300 Men Who Were Cremated image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jj Karwacki

6. Common Graves of Some 300 Men Who Were Cremated

They died of sickness at Nicke and Changaraya. Their names appear on panels in the sala nearby. (See photo No. 7.)

far left of the gate (near the CWGC office) is the post-war section as well as two graves holding the remains of over 300 POWs who were cremated during the June-July 1943 cholera out-break. Their names are recorded in a sala on the left edge of the site.

— Submitted July 18, 2023, by Jj Karwacki of Tha Maka, Kanchanaburi.

2. Names of the Dead from Photograph No. 7

Royal Armoured Corps. Lieutenant Mill B. L. • Serjeant Calver L. J. • Lance Corporal Birchall E. • Troopers Liver W. Palmer • A. J. • Smith F. E. • Tong R. • Wright R. H.

Royal Regiment of Artillery. Warrant Officer II (Band Serjeant Major) Brown J. E. • Lance Serjeant ~~~ker W. H. • Lance Bombardiers Mitchell M. W. • Sambridge A. J. • Gunners Andrews S. E. T. • Ball W. F. • Baxter B. • Beddard J. • Belton C. F. • Bloomfield J. • Caddell D. • Cane F. C. • Clelland J. • Cole W. • Colley S. • Colton J. • Denison E. • Fawcett H. T. • Frost L. H. • Garner A. • Green L. L. • Gutcher T. T. • Hillman W. M. • Hobson F. • Howard J. H. • Jarvis J. • Jendall J. • King F. • Leary W. A. • Leaver D. G. H. • Longbottom W. • Lyon R. • McMullan S. • Mangan T. • Margetson C. • Moore H. • Morbey E. • Nice O. C. • Quennell G. R. •

The Soldiers Whose Names are Recorded Here Perished in Captivity image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jj Karwacki

7. The Soldiers Whose Names are Recorded Here Perished in Captivity

And their Ashes are Buried Together in Two Graves in Plot IX
Their Glory Shall Not Be Blotted Out This is the inscription on the inside wall of the sala, or shelter building, on the left side of the grounds, facing the central cross.

Scales H. P. • Sowery J. J. • Stevens R. • Turbull J. T. • Turvey F. G.

Corps of Royal Engineers. Liutenants Excell J. E. • Furse W. E. • Corporals Cutler A. A. • Green O. R. V. • Lance Corporal Lumkin E. W. • Sappers Hardwick R. • Ingleton R. F. • Johnston N. R. • Kerr M. Drivers Bee C. H. • Wellsted E. C.

Royal Corps of Signals. Corporal Ellery W. • Signalmen Bamford E. L. • Halpin E. • Parker P. G. •Parkin E. • Roden T. • Shuffle A. J. • Driver Fisher F. A.

The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. Fusilier Leighton G.

The Royal Norfolk Regiment. Privates Andrews W. E. • Berry W. E. • Foster N. • Haylett M. H. • Lake F. • Perfitt A. • Watson R.

The Royal Suffolk Regiment. Lance Corporals Newell L. • Weston H. E. • Privates Alliston J. E. • Anker G. • Barks T. W. • Barlow A. C. • Cahill P. R. • Chambers B. C. • Davis H. D. • Game G. T. C. • Gyngell L. F. • Hales F. H. • Hard D. G. • Moss H. A. • Thorpe W. J.

The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment. Private Tobin J. F.

The Royal Leicestershire Regiment. Lance Corporal Kindon R. • Privates Bevins S. J. • Craig G. • Redding A. C.

The Sherwood Foresters.

Rows of Graves Immediately to the Left of the Entrance Gate image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jj Karwacki, July 4, 2023

8. Rows of Graves Immediately to the Left of the Entrance Gate

Lance Corporal Palmer W. E.

The Loyal Regiment. Lance Corporal Cranshaw S. • Privates Baines J. • Brook W. E. • Buck T. • Cullen T. • Galvin J. • Hayward W. J. • Holcroft J. H. • Johnston W. • Jones T. • Lane H. J. • Moorcroft T. • Morgan H. • Piddock G. • Pritchard P. • Probin T. • Reilly B. • Rumfitt E. • Shepherd H. • Taylor W. L. • Walsh L. • Wilkinson S. • Wilson J.

The Manchester Regiment. Lance Corporal Gerrard G. • Privates Connor J. J. • Crichton R. • Jaggers H. • Malone P. • Pemberton F. • Prudan R. • Shaw J. • Stewart B. • Stones J. A. • Straughair R. W. • Taylor S. • Woodward J. • Wren W. • Yarwood R.

The Gordon Highlanders. Captain Harter M. W. • Colour Serjeant Simpson W. • Serjeant Duthie R. E. • Lance Serjeant Taylor D. J. H. • Corporals Elliot G. • Spence W. A. • Privates Aitken A. • Bowley S. • Brander G. • Duffy J. • Glennie P. • Griffin M. • Hunter W. B. • MacDonald A. • MacLean S. A. • Sivewright A. • Smith G. • Stevenson H. W. • Taylor J. D. • Williamson A. C. • Wood A. • Bandsman Walker C. M.

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Captain Turner, T. • Warrant Officer III (Platoon Serjeant Major) Love J. • Corporal Jackman A. • Lance Corporals Clark H. C.

Rows of Graves on the Right Side of the Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jj Karwacki, July 4, 2023

9. Rows of Graves on the Right Side of the Cemetery

• Lees J. • Privates Bennett A. • Cannon T. • Carroll W. • Donald G. • Hawthorn H. • Keenan C. • Linn W. • McCallum G. • McGowan W. T. • McHugh W. • Neagle W. • Robertson P. • Shield W.

Royal Army Service Corps. Staff Serjeant (Mechanic) Thompson C. M. • Staff Serjeant Dobney J. G. • Corporals Blake F. R. • O’Brien D. • Lance Corporal Jones L. • Drivers Brown T. N. • Garnett E. A. • Hallam J. • Hemming B. • Hunt N. A. • Jones R. • Jones S. • Later T. • Moss C. J. • Nash C. • Nicholson A. A. • Reynolds D. G. • Robertson W. H. • Self R. E. • Private Barnsley L.

Royal Army Medical Corps. Privates Dutton J. H. • Lay A. C. • Loynes A. F. • Robinson F. • Tetley D.

Royal Army Ordnance Corps. Warrant Officers I (Subaltern Conductors) Doyle J. H. • True G. B. • Warrant Officer II (Staff Quartermaster Serjeant) Cox F. W. • Serjeants Day L. G. • Goddard G. A. • Tagg R. J. • Lance Corporals Perry P. H. • Schofield H. • Privates Allott E. • Bland A. S. • Browne S. W. • Burton A. • Field H. C. • Fielding H. H. • Fielding T. L. • Griggs J. W. • Hardy T. D. • Herdman M. • Oscroft C. P. • Pestell R. F. • Petherwick J. E. • Phipps G. V. • Takle S. L. • Taylor A. • Voss C. A. • Watson H. F. • Whitby B. E.

Royal Electrical
Photographed By Jj Karwacki, July 4, 2023

10. Rows of Graves on the Left Side of the Cemetery
and Mechanical Engineers. Warrant Officers I (Army Serjeant Major)Clarke L. A. • Lance Corporals Cubberley C. J. • Dunn S.
Corps of Royal Military Police. Warrant Officer I (Regimental Serjeant Major)Cretsor R. • Corporals Parker E. J. • Queen J. • Lance Corporals Poole A. • Williams D. L.

Johore Volunteer Engineers. Serjeant Saunders F. W.

Kedah Volunteer Force. Company Quartermaster Serjeant Hallett B. W.

Malacca Volunteer Corps. Lieutenant Page H. L. • Second Lieutenant Atherton B. B.

Federated Malay States Volunteer Force. Lance Corporal Thompson C.

Penang & Province Wellesley Volunteer Corps. Company Quartermaster Serjeant Hudson F. L. • Private Clark D. C.

Singapore Royal Artillery. Gunner Wagstaff A. W.

Australian Imperial Forces Headquarters. Warrant Officer II Blashki V. S. • Privates Knox H. G. • Phillips C. O.

Australian Imperial Forces Royal Australian Engineers. Sappers Berry G. R. • Thomas F. E.

Australian Corps of Signals. Signalmen Flint S. • Holloway R. F.

Australian Infantry. Corporal

Their Name Liveth for Evermore image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jj Karwacki, February 10, 2022

11. Their Name Liveth for Evermore

This monument is on the right edge of the cemetery, facing the central cross. Inscribed is a fragment from the King James Bible: chapter 44, verse 14 of Ecclesiasticus, which reads

Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore.

Avard G. • Privates Brown A. J. A. • Daly G. M. • Downie J. T. • English A. C. • Forsyth J. A. • Godbolt H. • Nowlan F. V. • Shimmin R. S. • Siemers A. A. • Vincent H. R. W. • Watts F. S. • Wescott H. W.

Australian Army Service Corps. Private Farrell J. P.

Australian Army Medical Corps. Privates Lyall D. R. • McBride R. W.

Australian Army Provost Corps. Private Roberts G. G.

Australian Army Postal Service. Private Stokes F. C.

— Submitted July 18, 2023, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.

3. Number of Burials
The total number of POW burials at here at DonRak (including the named men in the mass graves but excluding a small number of "UNK member" graves) is British 3551; Australia/New Zealand 1360; Dutch 1895. U.S. dead were repatriated, but had they been allocated graves on the same geographic basis, there would be 16 (of 131) U.S. graves here.

There is a section of the cemetery in the eastern corner that contains a few dozen post-war burials (non-POWs) including one female member of the British Women’s Volunteer Service.

— Submitted August 19, 2023, by Jj Karwacki of Tha Maka, Kanchanaburi.
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Credits. This page was last revised on December 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2023, by Jj Karwacki of Tha Maka, Kanchanaburi. This page has been viewed 301 times since then and 67 times this year. Last updated on August 20, 2023, by Jj Karwacki of Tha Maka, Kanchanaburi. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 18, 2023, by Jj Karwacki of Tha Maka, Kanchanaburi. 5. submitted on July 15, 2023, by Jj Karwacki of Tha Maka, Kanchanaburi. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. submitted on July 18, 2023, by Jj Karwacki of Tha Maka, Kanchanaburi. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.