Research & books
Articles, wartime records, personal diaries, medical histories, remembrance addresses and books.
Browse research and books →An Australian historical archive
Prisoners of War of the Japanese, 1942–1945
Research, first-hand recollections and recorded interviews preserving the experiences of prisoners of war—especially the doctors, medical orderlies and chaplains who cared for them.
61,000Allied prisoners forced to work on the railway
421 kmof single-track railway built in little over a year
13,000prisoners of war who died during its construction
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History carried forward
The site documents the Burma–Thailand Railway and related prisoner-of-war experiences across Burma, Thailand, Singapore, Sumatra, Timor, Manchuria and Japan.
Recorded voices
Video interviews conducted by Peter Winstanley with former prisoners, medical staff and others.
Find an interview →Pictures, sketches & journeys
Wartime drawings, photographs of the railway and records of later pilgrimages to Thailand and Burma.
Explore photos and more →The human record
More than dates and numbers
The Railway was built under appalling conditions. Approximately 250,000 civilian labourers were also compelled to work, and an estimated 90,000 to 100,000 died.
Peter’s research gives particular attention to the medical personnel who worked with almost nothing to preserve life and dignity.
Peter Winstanley’s story
A living memorial
Do you have a family connection or memory to share?
The guestbook remains active. Families and researchers use it to ask questions, exchange information and preserve memories of loved ones.