Town Plan of Bangkok (South Sheet) - War Office 1945

Published by: War Office / Survey Production Centre (ALFSEA - Allied Land Forces South East Asia)
Series: HIND 1074 (Third Edition)
Year: 1945
Condition: Rare provisional military issue; "South Sheet" of a two-part set.

A "Liberation" Map of a Hostile Capital
This 1945 tactical town plan is a rare survivor from the final months of World War II. Specifically designated as HIND 1074 by the British-Indian Army’s survey unit, this map was produced for the Allied Land Forces South East Asia (ALFSEA) as they prepared to occupy Bangkok following the Japanese surrender. Unlike standard colonial maps, this was a "working" military document used by officers of the 7th Indian Infantry Division to navigate a city that had been under Japanese influence for years.

Tactical Detail & The "Siam" Distinction
The "HIND" series is highly regarded by military historians for its "field" origins. This Third Edition reflects the most up-to-date intelligence available to the Allies in 1945. Notable features include:

• The South Sheet Focus: This sheet captures the strategic commercial and diplomatic core of Bangkok, detailing the Chao Phraya docks, the vital railway yards, and the Legation Quarter, which housed the foreign embassies.
• Political Geography: The map labels the country as "SIAM," reflecting the British government’s refusal to recognize the name "Thailand," which had been adopted by the pro-Japanese administration in 1939.
• Grid Provisional: The presence of a provisional military grid highlights the map's original purpose: coordinating troop deployments, disarming the Japanese 18th Area Army, and locating Allied POW camps.

A Rare Military Artifact
Because HIND maps were printed on low-grade wartime paper and intended for field use, very few examples of Series 1074 have survived outside of official military archives. It remains a significant cartographic record of the brief British occupation of Bangkok and the complex transition of Power in Southeast Asia at the war's end.