Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2010/January 2011 | Page 44

interview

Island Life - December 2010

Photo: Jim pictured (left) with Arthur White, Bristol 1937
wear was a piece of canvas tent, and a bit of

for what became known as the ‘Death

string. You tied the string around your waist

Railway’ because of the large number of

and folded the canvas over it. That was full

prisoners and conscripts who died during its

dress, and I stayed like that for over three

construction. So Jim and his fellow prisoners

years,” he said.

began building the Bridge over the River

“There was always a Japanese guard behind
with a bamboo stick prodding into you,

Kwai.
*In the next edition of Island Life (February

throwing stones at you, or worse, to keep

2011) – Battered but not beaten; missing

you working. We cleared the jungle and then

presumed dead; an amazing chance reunion,

began building a wooden bridge.”

and finally the Forgotten Army was told the

The wooden structure was to enable trains

war was over!

to start running to Burma. Once completed,
work began on the concrete and steel bridge
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