In 1942 22,000 Australians in South-East Asia became prisoners of war to the Imperial Japanese Army. Approximately 7500 of these men died through maltreatment, overwork, disease or starvation. (Compare this with the 7116 who became POWs in Germany where 242 died in captivity). A similar fate befell their British, American, Malay volunteer and Dutch co-prisoners, as well as thousands of Asian "coolie" workers, while they performed gruelling work constructing the Thai-Burma railway under appauling conditions, overseen by cruel captors.
In 2007 Pattie Wright obtained the stories of 55 men who worked on the Line. Some have lived a very long life, others had their stories told by family or mates. Many had not spoken of the horrors of this time before.
Their stories, while just a snapshot of each life, are accompanied by photos, maps and drawings, and pay tribute to the sacrifice of so many.
An appreciative read. ( )