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Tamarkan
Building in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tamarkan (also: Tha Makhan[1]) was a Japanese prisoner of war work camp during World War II. The camp was initially used for the construction of the bridge over the Khwae Yai or Mae Klong River and not the River Kwai.[1] The camp was located about five kilometres from the city of Kanchanaburi.[2] In November 1943, Tamarkan was turned into a convalescent camp and hospital. By 1945, the camp was gone.
Tamarkan | |
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Tha Makhan | |
![]() Theatre hut at Tamarkan (1942 or 43) | |
General information | |
Town or city | Kanchanaburi, Kanchanaburi province |
Country | ![]() |
Coordinates | 14.04101°N 99.50478°E / 14.04101; 99.50478 |
Construction started | 1942 |
Demolished | 1945 |
The bridge was made famous by the 1957 film, The Bridge on the River Kwai, which was a fictitious and inaccurate account.[3] Inaccuracies include the identification of the wrong river, construction was not in the jungle, but near a city, two bridges had been built, which were destroyed at the end of World War II, and commander Philip Toosey did not collaborate with the Japanese.[3][4][5]