Camden in Greater London, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)

Burma Railway Memorial

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 16, 2018

1. Burma Railway Memorial Plaque

Inscription. In memory of the tens of thousands of British civilian and military personnel who suffered incarceration, many dying, in the Far East during the Second World War 1939 - 45, including those forced to labour on the Burma Railway. They ask for nothing but remembrance of their lives and a promise of peace for future generations.

Image by Ronald Searle, artist and prisoner of war who laboured on the Burma Railway.

Erected 2012.

Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the The Thailand-Burma Railway series list.

Location. 51° 32.097′ N, 0° 8.33′ W. Marker is in Camden, England, in Greater London. Memorial is at the intersection of Camden High Street and Eversholt Street on Camden High Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10-12 Camden High Street, Camden, England NW1 0JH, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Last Goon Show (within shouting distance of this marker); George Padmore (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Charles Dickens (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Dylan Thomas (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Father Basil Jellicoe

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(approx. half a kilometer away); Mary Wollstonecraft (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); St. Pancras Old Church (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Euston War Memorial (approx. one kilometer away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Camden.

Also see . . .
1. Burma Railway (Wikipedia). "The Burma Railway, also known as the Death Railway, the Siam–Burma Railway, the Thai–Burma Railway and similar names, was a 415-kilometre (258 mi) railway between Ban Pong, Thailand, and Thanbyuzayat, Burma, built by the Empire of Japan in 1943 to support its forces in the Burma campaign of World War II. This railway completed the rail link between Bangkok, Thailand, and Rangoon, Burma (now Yangon). The name used by the Japanese Government is 泰緬連接鉄道 (Thai–Men-Rensetsu-Tetsudow), which means Thailand-Myanmar-Link-Railway....Between 180,000 and 250,000 Southeast Asian civilian labourers (rōmusha) and about 61,000 Allied prisoners of war were subjected to forced labour during its construction. About 90,000 civilian labourers and more than 12,000 Allied prisoners died." (Submitted on July 12, 2018.)

2. WWII Building Burma's Death Railway - BBC Part 1 (YouTube, BBC, 15 min.)

Burma Railway Memorial - wide view, looking north on Camden High Street image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 16, 2018

2. Burma Railway Memorial - wide view, looking north on Camden High Street

. "The brutal use of British prisoners of war by the Japanese to build a railway linking Thailand to Burma in 1943 was one of the worst atrocities of the Second World War. For the first time in 70 years, British POWs and their Japanese captors, many now in their nineties, open their hearts to tell the story of what really happened on the 'Death Railway'. Alongside the extraordinary experiences and stories of survival told by the British, their Japanese guards tell of different horrors of war, some never disclosed before." (Submitted on July 12, 2018.)

Closeup of Burma Railway Memorial image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 16, 2018

3. Closeup of Burma Railway Memorial

Burma Railway Memorial Marker - additional plaques image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 16, 2018

4. Burma Railway Memorial Marker - additional plaques

On the front of the memorial base are two additional plaques. The larger gives thanks to those that made the memorial possible, while the smaller memorials PTE Alfonso Antonion Garizio, 1st Cambridgeshire Regiment.

Burma Railway Memorial - additional names image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 16, 2018

5. Burma Railway Memorial - additional names

Set into the base of the memorial is a set of small plaques with names, for the following persons: Corporal W.I. Shaw, Royal Artillery; PTE J. Dziemieszko, 17 Lwowski Infantry BN, Polish Army; L/Corporal J. Williamson, East Lancashire Regiment; PTE M. Dziemieszko, 15 Poznanski Lancers, Polish Corps; L/Corporal Bernard Knapp, Royal Hampshire Regiment, Arnhem; Corporal Noel Ambrose.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 16, 2018

6. Burma Railway Memorial - additional names

Set into the base of the memorial are additional names and inscriptions for the following: L. Cpl. Arthur Maynard, Royal Signal Regiment; R.T. Goodere, Royal Navy; T/Capt. Leonard C. Williams MID, 11th East Africa Division, Burma 1944; Corporal L/W/ Beetison, Royal Air Force; Pte. Ernie Neighbor and all those who suffered and died on the Burma Railway; Corporal John Broughton, 1st B. Somerset Light Infantry; LT Eric Lomax, Royal Signal Regt. (The railway man)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 14, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 12, 2018, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 344 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 12, 2018, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.