The Hellfire Pass, located in the mountains of western Thailand, is one of the most poignant spots along the infamous Burma Railway. This passage was carved into solid rock during the Second World War by Allied prisoners of war and Asian forced laborers under the command of the Japanese army. The name “Hellfire Pass” (or “Hellfire Pass”) refers to the eerie scene of emaciated men working by torchlight in the night — an image that was reminiscent of a scene from hell.

The pass was carved out by hand with chisels, hammers and dynamite. The workers, mostly from Australia, Great Britain, the Netherlands and the United States, had to work under extreme pressure and under appalling conditions: tropical heat during the day, icy cold at night, hardly any food, and virtually no medical care. The Japanese commanders demanded an inhuman pace, leading to exhaustion, illness and the death of thousands of men.

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