Yin aiki akan iyakar 'Railway of Death'

Gadar Hintok-Tampi (Memorial na Yaƙin Ostiraliya)

A ranar 15 ga watan Agusta, makabartar sojoji na Kanchanaburi da Chungkai za su sake yin tunani kan kawo karshen yakin duniya na biyu a Asiya. Abin da ake mai da hankali shi ne - kusan babu makawa in ce - a kan mummunan makomar fursunonin yaƙi na kawancen da Japanawa suka tilastawa yin aikin tilas a lokacin da ake gina babbar hanyar jirgin ƙasa ta Thai-Burma. Ina so in dan yi tunani a kan abin da ya faru da fursunonin yaƙi na kawance da kuma romusha, ma'aikatan Asiya waɗanda aka tura a cikin wannan gagarumin aiki wanda ya lakume dubban rayuka, bayan da aka kammala titin jirgin ƙasa a watan Oktoba. 17 ga Nuwamba, 1943.

Bayan da aka kammala ayyukan kan layin dogo, an kori POWs da romusha daga sansanonin dazuzzukan nasu, aka tura su sansanonin sansani a Burma da Thailand. An aika da adadi mai yawa na POWs zuwa Japan a cikin 'yan watanni masu zuwa don yin aiki a masana'antu da ma'adinai, yayin da wasu suka ƙare a Singapore. Duk da haka, yawancin ma'aikatan tilas na Asiya da wasu fursunoni 5.000 na yaƙi sun kasance a sansanonin sansanonin da ke kan hanyar jirgin ƙasa, inda aka fi amfani da su wajen sare itatuwa. Ba wai kawai an gina manyan dabarun itace a dukkan gadoji don ba da damar yin gyare-gyare a cikin lokacin rikodin ba, har ila yau duk motocin da ke tafiya a kan itace, saboda rashin ƙarancin gawayi mai daraja. Tare da ra'ayi mafi girma da za a iya ajiyewa, an share manyan sassan dajin kuma an adana tubalan da aka riga aka yi a cikin ɗakunan ajiya. Bugu da kari, akwai kuma gundumomin aiki na dindindin na romusha da fursunonin yaki wadanda ke da alhakin kula da gyarawa. Kuma hakan ba wani abin alatu da ya wuce gona da iri ba domin gaggawar da aka yi aikin ya kai ga halaka nan da nan.

A ƙarshen layin biyu, a kusa da Thanbyuzayat a Burma da tsakanin Nong Pladuk da Kanchanaburi a Thailand, an yi aikin yadda ya kamata. Lokacin da mutum ya ci gaba, ma'aunin da suka yi aiki da shi ya ragu sosai. Masu barci sun nutse a cikin katangar, wasu magudanan da aka yanka a cikin dutsen suna da kunkuntar ta yadda ba za su iya saukar da titin jirgin kasa ba, yayin da sauyin yanayi da zabtarewar laka musamman a lokacin damina ke haifar da barna sosai. Zaɓin yin aiki tare da itacen kore da aka yanke da zai kasance da hujja ta mahangar gudu, amma ya tabbatar da cewa yana da lahani ga dorewar gine-ginen gadar, wanda sakamakon haka gadoji da yawa sun gaza. Sannan kuma, ba shakka, an sami wasu ƙananan zagon ƙasa da fursunonin yaƙi suka yi, wanda a ƙarshe zai haifar da barna mai yawa da kuma tada hankali.

An yi kiyasin cewa sama da romusha 30.000 da fursunonin yaƙi na kawance 5.000 ne aka yi amfani da su wajen gyara gadoji da jiragen da aka harba bam. An baje su sama da sansanoni 60 kuma galibi waɗannan su ne ruɓewar tsoffin sansanonin da aka gina lokacin da aka gina layin dogo. Duk wata gada da ta lalace ko ta lalace wani lokaci tana jinkirta layin tsawon kwanaki kuma sojojin Japan a Burma na iya yin hakan ba tare da hakan ba, musamman lokacin da aka tilasta musu da yawa kan tsaro. An kuma yi amfani da waɗannan ma'aikata don gina kowane nau'in gine-ginen da ke ba da kariya ga jigilar kayayyaki daga hare-haren jiragen sama. Misali, a wurare goma sha biyar kusa da titin, siding ya kai ga manyan rumfuna da aka yi da siminti masu karfi, inda motocin hawa da jiragen kasa za su iya fakewa idan an kai hari. A manyan yadi na shunting, hannun jarin itace da gangunan man fetur kuma an adana su a cikin rumfuna ko bunkers gwargwadon yiwuwa. Irin wannan gine-gine kuma sun bayyana a tashar jiragen ruwa a yankin Kra. Kamar dai waɗannan matakan ba su isa ba, ƙungiyoyin romusha sun fara tona dogayen ramukan cikin katangar tsaunuka kuma an daidaita wasu koguna da dama kusa da layin dogo don haka tare da taimakon dogo. Taswirar injiniyan Japan da ke aiki a Burtaniya Gidan Tarihi na Tarihi nunin da aka adana bai wuce siding guda goma sha huɗu ba wanda ke kaiwa zuwa rami tsakanin Hindato da Kanchanaburi.

Dubun wasu ma'aikatan Asiya da kusan 6.000 fursunonin yaƙi na kawance ba su da hannu kai tsaye a cikin aikin gina layin dogo zuwa Burma, amma sun shiga cikin ayyukan dabaru kamar kayayyaki ko ayyuka masu nauyi daidai gwargwado waɗanda aka tsara a kan iyakokin ƙasar. gina layin dogo. Ko kafin karshen Mayu 1942, a kan tsibirin na wannan sunan, a cikin gine-gine na Mergi High School a Kudancin Burma, wani sansanin da aka kafa don 1.500 fursunonin yaƙi na Birtaniya da Australia, waɗanda aka kawo kai tsaye daga Singapore. A karshen watan Yuni, an gina sansanin bukka na biyu kusa da wannan wurin, inda aka ajiye wasu romusha 2.000. An tura Romusha da POWs tare a cikin makwanni da watanni masu zuwa a ginin filin jirgin sama. Lokacin da aka yi wannan aikin, an tura fursunonin Yammacin Turai zuwa Tavoy a ƙarshen Agusta, yayin da ma'aikatan Asiya suka kasance a wurin don yin aiki a cikin kayayyaki ko kulawa.

A cikin Tavoy kanta, aƙalla romusha 1942 ne suka shiga aikin gina filin jirgin tsakanin ƙarshen Mayu da Oktoba 5.000. Daga baya, kuma wannan tabbas har zuwa farkon 1944, har yanzu akwai kusan romusha 2.000, galibinsu Tamils, a wani sansanin da ke kusa da makarantar Methodist da aka kwashe, tashar mishan da aka watsar da wasu mil mil a cikin wani sansanin daji waɗanda galibi ana amfani da su don lodi da lodi. sauke kaya a cikin gari. Musamman a watannin farko na zamansu a Tavoy, Romusha da yawa sun mutu sakamakon ciwon zawo. Kimanin romusha 1942 kuma sun shiga aikin gina filin jirgin sama a Victoria Point tsakanin Mayu da Satumba 2.000, yayin da a cikin dajin da ke tsakanin Ye da Thanbuyzayat a lokacin rani na 1942, an tura wasu brigades biyu na ma'aikata, wanda ke da aƙalla 4.500 romusha, gina hanya . Ba a dai san me ya faru da wannan kungiya ba bayan haka…. Rangoon ya kasance gida ne ga bataliyar ma’aikata ta romusha mai kimanin mutane 1942 daga watan Oktoban 1.500, wadda aka yi amfani da ita wajen share tarkace bayan hare-haren bama-bamai na Allied, ko don lodi da sauke kaya a babban filin jirgin ruwa da kuma cikin tashar jiragen ruwa. Wasu gungun ma'aikatan Commonwealth 500 ne suka taimaka musu a cikin wannan aiki mai wuyar gaske, wadanda daga baya aka kwashe su zuwa sansanin sansani a Kanchanaburi a cikin kaka na 1944.

Ɗaya daga cikin manyan ayyuka na ƙarshe a Burma shine ginin, ko kuma fadada hanyar daji zuwa babbar hanyar Wang Po zuwa Tavoy. A daya gefen kogin kusa da sansanin jirgin kasa Wang Po 114, an kafa sansanin Wang Po 12 kuma yayi aiki a matsayin sansanin sansanin romus brigade na kusan 2.100 ma'aikata da 400 na Birtaniya da Holland fursunonin yaki. Aiki a kan wannan Hanyar Tavoy An fara a watan Disamba 1944 kuma an kammala shi a ƙarshen Afrilu 1945.

Fabrairu 1945 hari ta sama a kan titin jirgin kasa kusa da Kanchanaburi

Babban aikin da ya fi girma a gefen hanyoyin jirgin ƙasa ba tare da shakka ba shine abin da ake kira Hanyar Mergi. Lokacin da ya bayyana a cikin bazara na 1945 cewa sojojin Japan a Burma suna cikin matsala kuma ana kai hare-hare kan hanyar jirgin kasa zuwa Thailand, Laftanar Janar Nakamura, kwamandan rundunar sojojin Japan da ke Thailand, ya yanke shawarar yin hakan.^e Rundunar Sojoji za ta gina hanya tsakanin Thai Prachuab Kerikham da yankin Burma na Mergui. Za a iya amfani da wannan hanya a matsayin hanyar tserewa daga sojojin Japan idan gaba a Burma ya rushe. Daga Afrilu 1945, lokacin da aka fara ayyukan da gaske, 29 ne suka umurci ma'aikata^e Mixed Infantry Brigade wanda Laftanar Janar Saki Watari ya ba da umarni. Kanar Yuji Terui ne ke kula da ma'aikatan aikin. Baya ga fursunonin yaƙi na Allied 1.000 - ciki har da 'yan Holland fiye da 200 - waɗandaaikin haske' An zaɓi a sansanin asibitin Nakon Pathom, aƙalla romusha 15.000 ne suka shiga wannan aikin gaggawa. A cewar sajan Ostiraliya FF Foster, wanda ya warke daga Nakon Pathom ya samu ci gaba saboda romusha da yawa sun gudu:

'Wannan titin yana da nisan mil 40 kuma ma'aikatan gida, duk da cewa ana biyansu da kyau, sun gudu da yawa. Cututtuka sun rage adadinsu sosai kuma ya gagara ɗaukar kayayyaki a cikin daji mai yawan gaske. Daga nan Japs sun dauki marasa lafiya 1.000 da raunuka daga asibitin mu na tushe.' 

Sai dai kuma da yawa daga cikin ma'aikatan kwantiragi na kasar Thailand sun hallara a wannan farfajiyar kamar yadda suka shaida Bombardier John L. Sugden, 125th Anti Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, wanda ya ga mamakinsa yadda Jafanawa, saboda larurar larurar wannan aikin, su ma suka naɗe hannayensu:

"Ayyukan yana da matukar wahala kuma dole ne mu yi fama da duwatsu da yawa, don haka dole ne a sami kuzari. Sansaninmu ya kasance mafi nisa daga bakin teku. Titin da muke da alhakinsa ya kai kai tsaye zuwa iyakar Burma-Thai. Kowace rana wani mai gadi yana barin sansaninmu zuwa kan iyaka kuma a gefe guda kuma akwai mutanen Thailand da suke aiki. Sau da yawa muna jin su suna kira da wasu daga cikin masu tono (laƙabi ga sojojin ƙasa na Australiya) wanda ke aiki kusa da su zai iya musayar kalma da su lokacin da babu Japs a kusa. Masu gadi, a hanya, dole ne su tafi aiki, kamar mu. Kuma ko da hafsan da ke kula da sashenmu ya yarda da hakan.'

Yanayin da suka yi aiki ya saba wa duk wani tunani. Duk da haka, a lokacin mika wuya na Japan, titin Mergui ba a kammala ba tukuna. Duk da haka, dubban Jafanawa sun yi ƙoƙarin tserewa ta wannan hanya, tare da kiyasin 3 zuwa 5.000 ba su tsira ba….

Har ila yau, a cikin bazara na 1945, mai yiwuwa a tsakiyar watan Mayu, an kai aƙalla romusha 500 zuwa tashar jirgin ƙasa ta Thai na Ratchaburi don share filin jirgin bayan da aka kai hare-haren jiragen sama na Allied, da gyaran dogo da lalata filin da bam. tare da fursunonin yaƙi ɗari ko sama da haka. Akalla romusha 2.000 kuma an tura su zuwa sansanonin Ubon 1 da Ubon 2 a arewa maso gabashin Thailand kusa da Ubon Ratchathani a daidai wannan lokacin. Wannan birni, kusa da kan iyaka da Laos, gida ne ga ɗaya daga cikin manyan sansanonin sojojin Japan a Thailand. Baya ga romusha, wadannan sansanonin sun kuma tanadi akalla fursunonin yaki na kawance 1.500, ciki har da wasu 'yan kasar Holland dari uku, wadanda akasari ake amfani da su wajen lodi da sauke kayayyaki da harsasai.