VolkerRail has helped to refurbish the Thai Burma Railway Memorial, held at the National Memorial Arboretum, at Alrewas, near Lichfield, Staffordshire.
The memorial commemorates the 60,000 prisoners of war and 180,000 locals who died during the construction of the Burma-Thailand railway, also known as the ‘Railway of Death’ during the Second World War.
This 30 metre section of track was originally recovered from the Kwai Railway in Burma and brought to the UK by HMS Northumberland in January 2002.
To ensure its memory, the team loving refurbished the track using original rails and fastenings, cast in 1904 in Middlesborough.
Now restored, the memorial is a fitting tribute for families of those to visit and pay respect to those who tragically lost their lives in horrific circumstances.
David Brede, chair of Trustees for the National Memorial Arboretum, thanked the team for their efforts, saying: “On behalf of this charity, may I thank you for your efforts in refurbishing the memorial.
“This memorial has been in place since the early days of the National Memorial Arboretum and was largely made from materials that were installed by the British and Commonwealth Far East Prisoners of War in the jungle in Thailand between 1942-44, and local ‘Romusha’ labourers press ganged into working on the project.
“The refurbishment is at a particularly opportune time as the 15 August marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the war against Japan.”
Across 150-acres, the National Memorial Arboretum is open all year-round as a place to remember and celebrate those who have served and continue to serve our country; and is home to more than 400 memorials.
