\nThe Australian Thai Chamber of Commerce coordinated arrangements for the\n design, construction and maintenance of a memorial along an abandoned \nsection of the route of the railway line constructed by the Imperial \nJapanese Army in 1942 43 between Burma and Thailand. \nThese arrangements were conducted with the kind cooperation of the \nGovernment of Thailand, particularly the Armed Forces Development \nCommand.\nThe memorial complex is intended to honour the Allied Prisoners of War \nand conscripted people from India, Burma, Malaya and other countries who\n died during the construction of the railway, as well as all who \nsuffered as a consequence of the hardships endured during the railway’s \nconstruction.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nORIGINAL AIM\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\nThe original aim of the Project was to provide access pathways to Konyu \nCutting at Hellfire Pass on the abandoned portion of the Thai Burma \nRailway.\nA Thai team conducted a detailed survey of the proposed route of the \naccess pathways in October 1986, from which site plans were produced and\n approved in November 1986. Actual construction of the pathways \ncommenced in early January 1987 and this was completed in mid March \n1987. In April 1987 the Hellfire Pass Memorial Dedication Ceremony \noccurred with Sir Edward Dunlop making the dedication.\nTo assist in the compiling of the wartime history of the area, a request\n for air photo coverage was made to the UK Ministry of Defence. Photos \nof excellent quality taken in December 1944 clearly show details of the \nrailway together with roads and the remains of a camp at Konyu. A map \nwas produced with sufficient detail to illustrate the important features\n of the area. Ken Bradley was the main contributor with advice from Bill\n Haskell.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\nINITIAL CONTRIBUTORS\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe Hellfire Pass Memorial Project was coordinated by the “Hellfire Pass\n Sub Committee” of the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce and it was \nthe Chamber’s main contribution to the Australian Bicentennial 1988 \nProgramme in Thailand. The initial phase of the project was funded by a \ngrant of A$31,000 from the Australian Government.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe memorial concept became a reality under the leadership and guidance \nof Ken Bradley, who, through considerable devotion of time and energy, \nhad been the mainstay of the project from inception to reality.\nFormer PoW, Tom Morris, who originated the project concept, provided \nmuch essential background information, enthusiasm and encouragement \nduring the establishment of the Memorial. Numerous other ex PoWs have \nmade helpful contributions to documenting the history of the Hellfire \nPass area.\nSpecial mention is due to Jim Appleby (Snowy Mountains Electricity \nCorporation) for initiating the Project and to his successors, notably \nMike Power, for continuing to make outstanding contributions.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nOther important contributors were Colonel Lachie Thomson, former Defense\n Attach\u00e9 at the Australian Embassy, and his counterpart at the British \nEmbassy, Colonel Mike Allen, who succeeded in locating air photo \ncoverage of the area.\nThe Hellfire Pass Sub Committee received encouragement and support from a\n number of government officials. Early visitors to the site included \nH.E. Ambassador Richard Smith; Foreign Minister Bill Hayden; the \nMinister for Arts, Heritage and Environment Barry Cohen; and the Shadow \nMinister for Veterans’ Affairs Tim Fischer. Following his visit, Tim \nFischer drew attention to the Hellfire Pass Project in a speech to the \nAustralian House of Representatives on 27 February 1987. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\nFURTHER PROGRESS\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nOver the years the Australian armed forces have had exchange programs \nwith the Thailand military. During some of these exchange visits \nAustralian service personnel have visited Hellfire Pass to carry out \nwork projects. One such visit took place in April 1989 when 33 members \nof ‘C’ Company 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, spent three \ndays carrying out maintenance work at the memorial site. Their toil \nculminated in the re laying of a single section of original rail and \nsleepers in Konyu Cutting. These rails were laid on 22nd April, almost \n46 years to the day since excavation work began at Hellfire Pass.\nIn June 1990, 26 sailors from HMAS Perth and HMAS Swan carried out \nfurther maintenance work. As with the other groups of Australian \nservicemen, the sentiments of this group were that it was indeed an \nhonour to assist with the upkeep of the memorial.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nExercise “Clear Trek” took a working party of some of the ship’s company\n of HMAS Tobruk and some of the attached army personnel to Hellfire Pass\n in November 1990. Their aim was to clear the walking tracks of the \never-encroaching jungle and to make essential repairs to the timber \nstairways.\nOctober 1991 saw the demolition of the wooden stairway by members of the\n Western Australian based SAS Regiment and the start of work to replace \nthem with concrete. This work was completed during December.\nAt a service held on 4 February 1992 a monument featuring a bronze \nrelief map of the area traversed by the railway and containing a time \ncapsule was dedicated in the presence of a large gathering.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe start of the wet season in 1993 again saw major army involvement at \nHellfire Pass with troops of Base Squadron, SAS Regiment involved in \nExercise Burma Rail 1993 carrying out a major clearing exercise in the \ncutting.\nIn February of 1994 the entire length of Hellfire Pass and the access \npathway were given a major cleaning prior to the visit by Mr Paul \nKeating, Prime Minister of Australia on 9th April. Later the same month a\n plaque honouring the medical personnel, who saved so many lives during \nthe construction of the railway, was erected and dedicated during the \nservice to inter the ashes of Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop (12 Jul 1907 – 2\n Jul 1993, age 85) on ANZAC Day 1994.\nSince that time the memorial has been kept clean by regular maintenance \nby Chamber of Commerce personnel on a voluntary basis. Also, during this\n time preliminary clearing and survey work was carried out northwards \nfrom Konyu Cutting along the route of the abandoned railway towards \nHintok as a precursor to the establishment of a safe walking trail from \nHellfire Pass to Compressor Cutting.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\nAs donated funds have become available, further major work has been \ncarried out. In late 1994 to early 1995 the “Bamboo” trail which winds \naround the back of the mountain above Hellfire Pass was upgraded to a \nconcrete walking path and stairways.\nRod Beattie of the Thailand Burma Railway Centre and curator of the \nKanchanaburi and Chunkai Cemeteries has been heavily involved over the \nyears and the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce is extremely grateful \nfor his tireless efforts.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nFUNDRAISING\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nMajor upgrading and improvements to the site have been funded by private\n and corporate donations, proceeds of sales of the Memorial booklet and \nthe sale of slices of original rail bearing a small plaque. More \nrecently funds have been raised by the sale of original rail “dog” \nspikes set in a piece of original sleeper carrying a small plaque. \nAdditional funds have been raised by a Melbourne based group headed by \nMr Bill Toon, a former prisoner of war and veteran of the Thailand Burma\n Railway.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nDEVELOPMENT AS AN OFFICIAL WAR MEMORIAL\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nIn May 1995, the Australian Government announced that it would provide \nfunding (A$1.6 million) for the development of a substantial memorial \ncomplex at Hellfire Pass. This development was to be done over a period \nof two years and include development and construction of a \nmuseum\/visitor information centre, construction of concrete stairways to\n provide a safe walking trail along the cleared section of abandoned \nrailway northwards from Hellfire Pass construction of rest stations and \ninformation displays along the walking trail, improved road access and \nthe construction of a car park adjacent to the museum\/information \ncentre.\nDuring 1995 and early 1996 more than four kilometres of the abandoned \nrail bed, from Hellfire Pass to Compressor Cutting was cleared of fifty \nyears of jungle re-growth. Most of this work was done as a voluntary \npersonal tribute by Rod Beattie and his wife Thuy to those men who \nworked and died building the Thailand Burma Railway.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nSubsequently a further four kilometres was also cleared. This length is \nprobably the longest continuous section of wartime railway still in \nexistence in Thailand and contains probably the greatest concentration \nof major works of the railway. \nDuring the clearing of the railway many wartime relics were uncovered. \nSmall items, such as rock drills used for drilling blast holes, \nsteelwork from trestle bridges, items from the telephone line and debris\n from the air raids may eventually be displayed in the museum. More \nsubstantial features such as the narrow-gauge rail track, used to carry \nspoil away from some of the larger cuttings, have been or may be \nreconstructed in their original positions.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\nEarly in 1996, when the government funding became available, \nconstruction of the permanent improvements began. Initially this was the\n work involved in making the walking trail safe and fairly easily \nnegotiable for visitors. Concrete stairways were built over all \ndifficult sections and a series of small covered rest stations were \nerected along the trail at significant locations. Information panels \nhave subsequently been erected in each of these rest stations.\nA substantial rest station complete with toilets has been built at the \njunction of the abandoned railway and a local gravel road, close to the \nsite of the former Hintok Railway Station. This rest station can be \nreached by vehicles, and provides a convenient pick up point for those \nwalking the trail.\nThe memorial walking trail was officially opened on ANZAC Day in 1996.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe major element of the Hellfire Pass Memorial Project is undoubtedly \nthe museum\/visitor information centre.\nA structure of this nature is of two major components, the building \nitself, and the display within the building.\nA renowned firm of museum designers, Hewitt Design Associates, was \ncommissioned to design the display element of the museum and the visitor\n information panels of the walking trail. A Bangkok based Australian \nfirm of architects, Woods Bagot (Thailand), designed the building and \nprepared all of the necessary documents leading to the selection of a \nlocal contractor to build the museum.\nThe memorial museum\/information centre was opened by the Australian \nPrime Minister, Mr John Howard, on 24th April 1998.\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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