Grehan, John The Death Railway in Numbers

The Human Tragedy of the Thailand-Burma Railway in WW2

Between May 1942 and October 1943, Allied prisoners of war built a railway line connecting the rail networks of Thailand and Burma, and later assisted in its maintenance. But how many prisoners worked on the line, and how many lost their lives during its construction? How long was the line? How many stations and labor camps were situated along the route? How often was the railway attacked by Allied bombers, and how often were Imperial Japanese Army soldiers attacked by elephants? The answers to these questionsalong with the wealth of fascinating facts and figures in this bookreveal not only how the railway was built and used, but also the suffering and misery the prisoners endured: they toiled under the brutal supervision of Japanese railway engineers and were subjected to cruel, merciless treatment by the camp guards. How deep was the mud through which prisoners had to struggle to reach their work sites during the monsoon season, and what distances did they have to cover? How many hours a day did the prisoners work during the grueling "Speedo" phase, and what volumes of earth had to be moved during jungle clearing before they were allowed to return to camp? Of course, there were lighter moments, too: how far did POWsdressed as women for an eventchase a deeply embarrassed Japanese guard? How many high-ranking officers were invited by the Japanese to a lavish multi-course meal while the other prisoners struggled to survive on starvation rations? *The Death Railway in Numbers* sheds light on the stories behind the figuresoften told by those who took part in the construction and subsequent maintenance of the line. The details are fascinating, yet the figures paint a harrowing picture of one of the most shocking episodes of the 20th century.