WWII Building Burma's Death Railway - BBC Part 2

The brutal use of British prisoners of war by the Japanese to build a railway linking Thailand to Burma in 1943 was one of the worst atrocities of the Second World War. For the first time in 70 years, British POWs and their Japanese captors, many now in their nineties, open their hearts to tell the story of what really happened on the 'Death Railway'. Alongside the extraordinary experiences and stories of survival told by the British, their Japanese guards tell of different horrors of war, some never disclosed before.
Exploring how they have survived the terrible memories, this is an often inspiring story that many of these men have waited a long time to tell. What emerges is a warm and emotional journey through the lives of men from different sides reflecting on a terrible event that still haunts them.

[@davidtowers1282]

I saw a photograph of my cousin James Joseph Towers age 11 standing at the side of his grandfathers grave in Aug 1936 in Liverpool. 8 years later he was captured by the Japanese and was forced to work on the Death Railway to which an end to his life at age 20 as a Merchant Navy POW. James is buried in the war cemetery at Kanchanaburi in Thailand. He died working on the Death Railway. James never carried a gun or any arms, he was just a Deck Boy on board the Empress of Asia. Some of these people in your BBC program might have known James as he was in Changi jail in 1942 Singapore and made the 5 day rail journey in a steel box car up to the Death Railway. Rest in peace James and and all your fellow POWs who died along side you on the Death Railway.

[@jozeyjones7034]

According to those Japanese interviewed, there was no torture, no beatings, no sweat-boxes. Guess they were working somewhere else.

[@murraygiles3191]

My uncle died building the railways he was 20 years old he died of malnutrition and dysentery a young Gordon highlander from aberdeen rest in peace James giles 1923 to 1943 he must of been one of those poor souls on the death march my grandmother never found out he had died until 1946 he's buried in a cemetery in thialand i forget the name I found the information on war graves commission

[@garystefanski7227]

Every single JIA veteran in this video is lying through his teeth

[@mike7002]

Looking down and to your left is a classic pose of someone who is lying. Just saying. 9:38.

[@TheLifeEvents]

See my response re 9:35. Lying gook!

[@cameroncov1015]

My great grandad was captured there and rescued eventually by the British . He was captured in changi jail

[@finnsenior1772]

Same

[@thomasciarlariello]

Complete racist lies since Imperial Japan did not have enough ferrous iron to have rail transit track locomotive trains so with surpluses of chemicals and silk meant imperial Japan had to have used steam filled airships and rocket powered gliders to hall freight.