Death Railway Revisited

Nicholas Fordham

Inspired by the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai I’ve been on a journey to discover what really happened in SE Asia 80 years ago during the construction of the Death Railway: Why was it so important to build? Who built it? How did they build it? And why did so many people die during its construction? I speak to several experts along the way and unearth some surprising facts about this infamous railway line.

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1. Everlasting Oblivion

1. Everlasting Oblivion

I start my journey in Singapore and hear about the fall of the city in 1942 and what happened to the men who surrendered.

Episodes

1. Everlasting Oblivion

1. Everlasting Oblivion

I start my journey in Singapore and hear about the fall of the city in 1942 and what happened to the men who surrendered.

2. Extreme Separation

2. Extreme Separation

I travel from Singapore to Thailand by train along the same route used by those sent to work on the Death Railway. And I discover that it wasn’t just POWs who worked there.

3. Dante’s Inferno

3. Dante’s Inferno

I hear the the real story of the so-called ‘Bridge on the River Kwai’ and visit the infamous Hellfire Pass.

4. Playing god every day

4. Playing god every day

I learn about the fatal diseases that were so prevalent on the Death Railway and also about the heroic doctors who did so much to help the sick under such challenging circumstances.

5. Beautiful Doughnuts

5. Beautiful Doughnuts

I discuss the lengths men would go to in order to survive on the railway and, with the railway complete, what happened next to those involved.

6. May I touch your hand?

6. May I touch your hand?

I attend the opening ceremony for a memorial for victims of the Death Railway and reflect on how people sought closure from their experiences of working on the railway.