- Contributed by
- DisherHarris
- People in story:
- Albert Slaughter, Sgt Ned Reay, Sgt Kelly RMC, Private Fitzgerald RANC, Private Paddy Conhaneal
- Location of story:
- River Kwai
- Background to story:
- Army
- Article ID:
- A8680665
- Contributed on:
- 20 January 2006
‘I remember the time when I was a prisoner of war with Japanese on the Burma - Thailand railway. I witnessed the life and death of so many of my fellow comrades in arms, who suffered the brutality of the guards in their efforts to push the rail track through as quickly as possible. This is my account of an incident, which occurred during this time.
Sgt Ned Reay of the Northumberland Fusiliers 9th Battalion had planned an escape from the Tarkie Lin camp, with three others: Sgt Kelly R.M.C, Private Fitzgerald R.A.N.C and Private Paddy Conhaneal of Northumberland
Fusiliers.
The plan was to walk out of the camp, which was open to the jungle and make their way up river to Burma, which they wrongly believed, was not yet in Japanese hands. Sitting around the campfire, the talk was cheap. They talked themselves into going, I was apposed to it because the jungle was so dense and there were no maps. They had also signed a paper stating that they would not try and escape. The penalty for being captured escaping was death. They were advised that if the going got hard they should go into another camp and loose themselves in among the other prisoners. There was such a high mortality in the camps, that the Japanese would not be any wiser.
They took some rice and I gave Ned a pair of canvas Indian boots, which I had traded one of my own items for. They were far to big for me and him, but they were better than nothing.
After a while we had to report to our Sgt Major Chick Allen that they had gone. He then reported it to Colonel Flowers, who in turn told the Japanese Commandant. He said if they didn’t catch them, then they would die in the jungle, their escape did not bother him in the least.
Their escape lasted 11 days. 18 kilometres from the camp, they had killed a Thai river policeman. All hell had broken loose in the native community. When the group were captured, one escapee was killed and the rest were taken to Chunki camp, given a meal before being shot at dawn.
60 years on I have forgiven the Japanese, but will never forget.’
Albert Slaughter
© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.
Recommended story
Story with photo 