Death Railway Camps
MacPherson Naming Standards
Developed by Neil MacPherson of Australia
This naming convention, accepted by the Center For Research, Allied POWS Under The Japanese, sets out the known details of the camps on the Burma Thailand Railway and makes allowances for the spelling differentials. Neil and Rod Beattie have worked to make this as accurate as possible, (Rod Beattie has worked diligently on this project for years and was instrumental in developing the Death Railway Musuem in Thailand). For those who worked on the Burma end, the men used the distance from Base Thanbyuzayat as camp names. Example 35 Kilo Camp, MacPherson's first camp in Thailand, the tendency was to use the name of the nearest village, so the list below gives both name (Tanyin) and kilo (35) camp designation.
Rod Beattie, Kanchanaburi resident, who has spent 10 years exploring and researching railway sites, and who has built a Railway Information Centre in Kanchanaburi kindly made available all his data for researching of this project.
Camps |
Kilos |
Kilos |
Notes |
| Thanbyuzayat | 0 | 415 | Base hospital camp. |
| Kandaw (4 Kilo) | 5 | 410 | Green Force commenced work 1st October 1942, the first to start work on the Burma end |
| Wagale (8 Kilo) | 8 | 406 | Dutch Force first occupied Wagale |
| Thetkaw (14 Kilo) | 14 | 400 | Captain Claude Anderson (SMO) wrote a report to the SMO "A" Force Lt Col Hamilton from here 31st January 1943 |
| Hlepauk (18 Kilo) | 18 | 396 | Anderson Force 10th October 1942 to 1st January 1943. No 5 Group from 40 kilo on 26th January 1943 to March 1943. |
| Kunhnitkway (26 Kilo) | 26 | 389 | Ramsay Force 20th December 1942 to the 18th March 1943 |
| Rephaw (30 Kilo) | 30 | 385 | After repeated bombings at Thanbyuzayat, 30 Kilo became Base Hospital for No 3 Group, subject to strafing raids |
| Tanyin (35 Kilo) | 35 | 380 | Williams Force from Java (884 POWs) arrived October 1942. Joined by Anderson Force January 1943 to become No 1 Mobile Force |
| Betetaung (40 Kilo) | 40 | 374 | Black Force ex Java including 184 Americans arrived October 1942 |
| Anankwin (45 Kilo) | 45 | 370 | No 1 Mobile Force moved here while laying the rails & sleepers before moving to the 60 kilo camp |
| Thanbaya | 50 | 365 | F' Force Hospital Camp. 1700 desperately sick were brought here from Thailand, of these 700 died in less than 6 months. Major Hunt a West Australian doctor worked tirelessly here with few drugs. |
| Khonkhan (55 Kilo) | 55 | 360 | Base hospital under renowned Australian Surgeon, Colonel Coates, he performed countless leg amputations on ulcer patients. |
| Taungzun (60 Kilo) | 57 | 358 | When No 1 Mobile Force arrived in May 1943 they had to bury dead Asians found in the huts, Cholera victims, this was the start of an cholera epidemic among POWs |
| Kami Mezali (65 Kilo) | 65 | 350 | 3 Group head quarters |
| Mezali (70 Kilo) | 69 | 346 | No 1 Mobile Force moved here from the 60 kilo in July 1943 previously occupied by Burmese it was in a filthy condition with deep mud every where, a total clean up was needed before it could be occupied. |
| Meiloe (75 Kilo) | 75 | 340 | Black Green & Ramsay Forces arrived 18th March 1943 |
| Apalaine (80 Kilo) | 80 | 337 | No 5 Group late March 1943 No 1 Mobile Force arrived in August No 5 Group were still in occupartion, No 5 Base Hospital |
| Apalon (82 Kilo) | 83 | 332 | Site of one of the seven steel railway bridges in Burma. |
| Lawa (85 Kilo) | 85 | 330 | No 5 Group 15 March 1943 |
| Tadein (90 Kilo) | 90 | 325 | |
| Kyondaw (95 Kilo) | 95 | 320 | Transit camp for 'F' Force sick moving to Thanbaya. Many died here. |
| 98 Kilo Camp | 98 | 317 | |
| Regue (100 Kilo) | 100 | 315 | No 5 Group 29th May 1943 |
| Aungganaung (105 Kilo) | 105 | 310 | A work camp housed Black, Green & Ramsay Forces in April 1943, later used as a grouping camp before the POWs were evacuated to Tamarkan in Thailand |
| Paya Thanzu Taung (108 Kilo) | 108 | 307 | This camp was situated just north of the three small pagodas which now mark the border between Thailand and Burma. No 1 Mobile Force occupied this camp 17/26 September 1943 having night marched from 95 Kilo Camp. |
| The Three Pagodas | 108.5 | 306.5 | Site of an ancient battle between Thailand and Burma. |
| Changaraya | 112 | 301 | F' Force No 5 Camp for 700 British. The 214 men who died here are buried in a single mass grave in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. |
| Kami Sonkurai | 115 | 299 | F' Force No 3 Camp, originally 400 Australians. A good camp that later suffered a lot of deaths after survivors from Changaraya moved in. |
| No 1 Mobile Force Camp | 116 | 299 | Staging camp for Anderson and Williams combined Rail laying Force |
| Songkurai | 121 | 294 | 'F' Force No 2 Camp for 1,600 British. Site of the "Bridge of 600" a death camp 600 died here and another 600 when evacuated to Thanbaya and Kanburi |
| 122 Kilo Camp | 122 | 293 | No 1 Mobile Force occupied this camp. |
| Shimo Songkurai | 127 | 288 | F' Force No 1 Camp of 1800 Australians. Major Bruce Hunt with his medical team worked miracles with little support from the Japanese. |
| Little Nikki | 131 | 284 | No 1 Mobile Force's most southern camp. |
| Tunnel Party Camp | 132 | 283 | Set up in 1945 POWs constructed defence positions for Japanese. |
| Nikki Camp | 133 | 282 | HQ camp for 'F' Force. Lt/Col Dillon Force C.O. About 1000 POWs including 400 Australians. Some Malay Volunteers worked in this area, they were mostly British civilian business men. |
| Nikki Bridge Buillding Camp | 134 | 281 | Prisoners here built bridge over the Ranti River |
| Lower Nikki | 139 | 276 | Original HQ camp for 'F' Force. The first River |
| Thingomtha | 142 | 273 | Pond's Party built a large bridge here. |
| Upper Konkoita | 145 | 270 | |
Railway joined 17th October 1943 |
151.79 | 262.87kms | |
| Konkoita | 152.13 | 263 | H Force No 4 Camp of Australians. |
| Kurikonta | 157 | 258 | H Force No 1 Camp |
| Kroeng Krai | 165 | 250 | Six Australians were killed in a rock fall. |
| Swinton's Camp | 166 | 249 | |
| Dobb's Camp | 169 | 246 | |
| Johnson's Camp | 171 | 244 | |
| Tha Mayo Wood | 176 | 239 | Indian workers occupied this camp during construction, later POWs worked on wood parties, fuel for the Engines |
| Tha Mayo | 178 | 237 | |
| Nam Chon Yai | 186 | 229 | |
| Tha Khanun North | 190 | 225 | |
| Tha Khnnun Base | 192 | 223 | |
| Tha Khanun (Australian) | 193 | 222 | |
| Tha Khanun South | 197 | 218 | Lt/Col Pond's Australian group worked in this area |
| Bangan | 201 | 214 | |
| Yongthi | 202 | 213 | Small group of 'D' Force Australians and a small group of Dutch POWs. |
| Prang Kasi 211 kilo | 204 | 211 | Dutch Camp |
| Prang Kasi | 207 | 208 | East of Railway Station |
| Prang Kasi South | 208 | 207 | British and Australian of 'D' Force in a riverside camp south of railway station. |
| Linson (3 Camps) | 212 | 203 | Woodcutting camp set up here in December 1944. |
| Kui Mamg | 216 | 199 | Upstream from Hot Springs |
| Hindat | 217 | 198 | Close to railway station. |
| Hindat West | 218 | 197 | River Camp 1 kilometre from station |
| Wang Hin | 223 | 192 | |
| Kuishi | 225 | 190 | Dutch prisoners worked in this area |
| Kui Yae | 229 | 186 | Dutch prisoners worked in this area. 26 POW's killed in Allied bombing raid 8 December 1944. |
| Lin Tin | 233 | 182 | Dutch prisoners worked in this area |
| Kinsaiyok Main Camp | 244 | 171 | Mixed nationalities. Site of shooting of British POW. |
| Kinsaiyok Jungle Camp 2 | 247 | 168 | Site of rock quarry for rail ballast |
| Kinsaiyok Jungle Camp 1 | 254 | 161 | The original grave cross of an Australian who died here was found in 2000. |
| Kinsaiyok Jungle Camp 3 | 256 | 159 | |
| Hintock Cement | 258 | 157 | Barges bringing up barrel of cement unloaded here |
| Hintock River (2 Camps) | 260 | 155 | |
| Hintock Road (3 Camps) | 261 | 154 | Dunlop Force worked here on cuttings & Three Tier Bridge. 'Weary' Dunlop's camp had showers built from bamboo. Large number of deaths here from cholera. |
| Malay Hamlet | 262 | 153 | H' Force camp of men to reinforce work on Hellfire Pass. 216 deaths in about 10 weeks. |
| Kannyu No 3 | 263 | 152 | POWs from this camp worked on the infamous Hellfire Pass |
| Upper Kannyu | 264 | 151 | |
| Lower Kannyu (3 Camps) | 264 | 151 | Dunlop Force initially constructed one of these camps. |
| Kannyu South | 265 | 150 | |
| Tampi | 267 | 148 | |
| Tampi South | 272 | 143 | D Force Workers |
| Tonchan Spring | 275 | 140 | |
| Tonchan Central | 276 | 139 | |
| Tonchan South | 284 | 131 | H Force commenced work here on arrival from Singapore in May 1943 |
| Tarsao Hospital | 290 | 125 | HQ and hospital camp for 'D' Force. Transit camp for workers marching north. |
| Wang Yai | 290 | 125 | |
| Pukai | 296 | 119 | |
| Wang Pho North | 299 | 116 | |
| Wang Pho Central | 302 | 113 | |
| Wang Pho South | 302 | 113 | Camp on west of the river. Site of the still operating Wampo Viaduct where trains cross with tourists |
| Arrow Hill | 305 | 110 | |
| Non Pradai | 313 | 102 | |
| Tha Kilen | 317 | 98 | |
| Ban Khao | 327 | 88 | Dutch POW discovered neolithic artifacts here and post war returned to find a major neolithic site. |
| Wang Takhain | 334 | 81 | |
| Wang Yen | 340 | 75 | |
| Wang Lan | 346 | 69 | |
| Chungkai | 355 | 60 | A work camp then one of the main hospital camps for Thailand POWs, now the site of a War Cemetery. |
| Tha Makhan | 359 | 56 | Commencing 26 October 1942 under Colonel Phillip Toosey British & Dutch POWs built two bridges a wooden one and a steel one across the River Kwai (Kwae Yai) |
| Kan'buri Base | 362 | 53 | Headquarters of 9th Railway Regiment, in charge of the Thailand end of the construction. F & H Force Hospital camps. |
| No 2 Base Camp | 364 | 51 | Aerodrome Camps No's 1 & 2. Officers Camp 1944 |
| Kan'buri Hospital | 365 | 50 | Hospital Camp for F & H Forces. |
| Tha Muang | 376 | 39 | Base camp for many railway workers at the end of construction. Dutch lived here until 1947. |
| Tha Rua | 389 | 26 | Transit camp for prisoners from Singapore marching north. |
| Ban Pong | 412 | 3 | First transit camp for prisoners from Singapore |
| Nong Pladuc | 415 | 0 | Start of construction in June 1942 by British POWs from Singapore |
