Trestle Bridge at Tham Krasae
Tham Krasae Bridge is 47 km away from central Kanchanaburi.
It is part of the historic Thai - Burma railway built by Allied Prisoners of War under direction from the Japanese army during WW2.
Tham Krasae Bridge was an astounding engineering feat build originally of bamboo poles.
It spans 400 meters of a perilous narrow ledge between a vertical cliff and the bank of Kwae Noi River.
It was built by 2.000 POW’s and local slave workers in just 17 days.
Many POW;’s died during the construction of the bridge.
However, part of it needed to be re erected after collapsing together with the first-ever passing train.
Our Model of the Tham Krasae Bridge was kindly constructed and donated to the 2/29th Battalion Association by Bill Salisbury from Gormandale in Gippsland.
Bill has replicated the original bamboo pole section of the bridge and also the later re build to show how to looks currently.
Bill hand turned every piece of the bridge model in his workshop.
Bill himself was a Vietnam Veteran and had an Uncle who served in Ambon during WW2.
