Sketch of a prisoner of war camp, Thailand, 1943, and a copy of The New Testament

MLMSS 8448

fonds

1943

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Drawings

972903

0.05 metres of textual material (1 box)

The Burma Railway, also known as the Death Railway, the Thailand–Burma Railway and similar names, was a 415 kilometre railway between Bangkok, Thailand, and Rangoon, Burma (now Yangon, Myanmar), built by the Empire of Japan during World War II, to support its forces in the Burma campaign. Forced labour was used in its construction. About 180,000 Asian labourers and 60,000 Allied prisoners of war (POWs) worked on the railway.

Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma_Railway (accessed 3 May 2012)

Hindaime is believed to have been a part of the larger Brancusi (Brangassi) camp, located along the infamous Burma-Thai Railroad. Brancusi was approximately 208 kilometres from Nong Pladok, Thailand.
Australian and British servicemen of the K and L forces were moved to Brancusi from Singapore in June and August of 1943. The K and L forces were medical teams, and treated "coolie" labour used to build the railway.

The Bible is inscribed "To Stan, For learning the books of the Bible, From P. Brown (Teacher), 18-2-34". Several passages of St.Luke have been underlined.
Within this item was a pencil sketch, on a separate piece of paper, titled "Hospital, Hindaime P.O.W. camp, Thailand, 23rd August 1943". The signature on the sketch is very small and very faint, although the first name appears to be Stan.