Successful bombing raid May 1945 steel bridge, Tamarkan

KNOWN AS THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI

Below:  Bombing raid of steel bridge Tamakan, Kanachaburi  May 1945.  It was a round trip of about 2500 miles from air bases in India by RAF Liberator aircrafts from Strategic Air Force, Eastern Air Command.  This raid smashed a 600 feet three span girder bridge (600 miles north Singapore) ending the Japanese supply link to Burma and Thailand.

These frequent air-raids unfortunately resulted in POW deaths.

Photos from AWM

Tamarkan, Thailand. c. October 1945. The eleven span bridge spanning the Mae Klong river (renamed Kwai Yai river in 1960). Dismantled by the Japanese in Java and transported to the site in 1942, the bridge was rebuilt using prisoner of war (POW) labour, and opened for use in April 1943. One span of the bridge was destroyed by Allied aircraft mid February 1945. Two more spans were dropped during raids between April and June 1945. Tamarkan is fifty five kilometres north of Nong Pladuk (also known as Non Pladuk) and five kilometres north of Kanchanaburi (Kanburi). (Donor B. Theobald)

Tamarkan, Thailand. c. 1945. Train crossing the wooden bridge which spanned the Mae Klong River (renamed Kwai Yai River in 1960). Began in October 1942, using prisoner of war (POW) labour, it was completed and operational by early February 1943. Both the wooden and the adjacent steel bridge were subjected to numerous air raids between January and June 1945. POW labour was used to repair the wooden bridge on each occasion. Tamarkan is fifty five kilometres north of Nong Pladuk (also known as Non Pladuk), or five kilometres north of Kanchanaburi. (Donor A. Mackinnon)