Death Railway Camps
MacPherson Naming Standards

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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. Last revision 29 Sept 2005
Special Link: Information on Thailand-Burma Railway Centre
Special Article: Dutch perception of Death Railway

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.

Burma Thailand Railway Camps Note Distances shown to nearest Kilometre Distance from Thanbyuzayat Distance from Nong Pluduc
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 Kilol 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 Kilol) 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  
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