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Back Railroad of Death
Chapters (40)
  1. FOREWORD
  2. RAILROAD OF DEATH
  3. REFERENCE LIST:
  4. Railroad of Death
  5. PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION (1948)
  6. INTRODUCTION
  7. PART ONE: SINGAPORE
  8. CHAPTER 1
  9. CHAPTER 2
  10. CHAPTER 3
  11. CHAPTER 4
  12. CHAPTER 5
  13. PART TWO: RAILROAD OF DEATH
  14. CHAPTER 6
  15. CHAPTER 7
  16. CHAPTER 8
  17. CHAPTER 9
  18. CHAPTER 10
  19. CHAPTER 11
  20. CHAPTER 12
  21. CHAPTER 13
  22. PART THREE: BASE CAMPS AND LIBERATION
  23. CHAPTER 14
  24. CHAPTER 15
  25. CHAPTER 16
  26. CHAPTER 17
  27. CHAPTER 18
  28. CHAPTER 19
  29. CHAPTER 20
  30. APPENDIX ONE:
  31. APPENDIX TWO:
  32. APPENDIX THREE:
  33. APPENDIX FOUR:
  34. APPENDIX FIVE:
  35. APPENDIX SIX:
  36. APPENDIX SEVEN:
  37. APPENDIX EIGHT:
  38. APPENDIX NINE:
  39. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  40. And The Dawn Came Up Like Thunder

In 1944 the fence round the camp was drawn in to a much narrower perimeter and was very closely guarded. Breaking out then became too risky and a new method had to be adopted.

Only one party was allowed out of camp and that was one of 6 officers who herded 200 cattle. These cattle were taken out daily for grazing and the party was under an armed Jap sentry. The method adopted was to drive the cattle near a certain hut and then cause them to disperse amongst the bushes, it was then impossible for the sentry to watch all six officers so 5 kept his attention engaged while one slipped off to the hut and sent a message calling Chal Rhoan to the hut at a fixed time later in the day. The officer then returned to the party and the process was repeated later in the day when the order was given to Chal Rhoan.

At an agreed date later, the batteries were collected in the same manner and either carried in a haversack for the rest of the day and past the guard in the evening or an officer made his way back to camp and passed them through the fence to another waiting inside and later rejoining the cattle party.

Transport of Set of batteries from Chungkai to Kanburi

In Jan 1945 the Japanese decided to move all officers from Chungkai to Kanburi. Information was received through Cpls Tough and Kinnehan (FMSVF) from Major Andrews who had reached Kanburi from Tarmakan.

The information was (a) There was no set in Kanburi Camp and none was expected unless we brought ours. (b) The search was only moderate. (c) Major Andrews was fully prepared to take delivery of anything sent to him.

This information was laid before Lt.Col. Owtram who on hearing our plans for the move agreed to overrule the decision of the Colonels mentioned above, and allow us to try.

The material to be moved consisted of (1) the set itself, which could be broken up into small components & (2) the much more bulky batteries. The move was to be made in two stages, first, from Chungkai to Tamarkan and secondly after a . . . [space] . . . of five days from Tamarkan to Kanburi. Searches were expected on leaving Chungkai on arrival at Tamarkan, on leaving Tamarkan and on arrival at Kanburi.

The set was broken into components and the major part packed in 2 hollow stools for the batteries, the transformer etc. There were several possible methods. One was to take them in loaves of bread and issued as haversack rations – The objection to this on the large scale was the 5 day delay at Tamarkan. Another method was to conceal them in an apparently unopened tin of pig fat. Again the difficulty was that I did not know if the Japs would allow such a thing to be moved from Tamarkan to Kamburi.