Nicholas Fordham

Death Railway Revisited

History EN ↓ 6 episodes

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.

Author

Nicholas Fordham

Episodes

6. May I touch your hand? 31.10.2023 1:10:00

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.

5. Beautiful Doughnuts 31.10.2023 53:14

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.

4. Playing god every day 31.10.2023 46:40

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.

3. Dante’s Inferno 31.10.2023 45:20

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

2. Extreme Separation 31.10.2023 46:29

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.

1. Everlasting Oblivion 31.10.2023 42:56

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