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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
  1. We could not go on with existing load and keep up sufficient energy.
  2. We could not jettison any more (We had already jettisoned the rice) and still be able to maintain the 30 day hustle.
  3. We could not travel at night unless we severely decreased our hamper.
  4. With even a light load we still required much more water.
  5. Our parangs were too light to cut the jungle growth effectively.
  6. Our progress, even lightly laden, was going to be slower than anticipated – about 5 kms a day.
  7. If we could return to camp undetected, we might be to exchange our tinned fish (which was all we could buy) with individual officers who still might have concentrated foods, and obtain more bottles for water, and if possible heavy parangs. We should still have three days start. We accordingly returned to the jungle behind the camp. Here Lt JACKSON, the least exhausted, made a recce into camp and returned with the news that the Japs had got wind of our absence, and that search parties were now patrolling the railway line (which we had to cross) and the area around the camp. We held a quick conference and decided :-
  1. We could not make sufficient speed to get away in our condition.
  2. We could get back into camp from where we were without running much risk of being caught, as the interior area of the camp was not being searched.
  3. If we returned, and took what punishment the Japs deemed proper for ‘taking an unauthorised walk’ we might still be able to take another opportunity to get away with improved rations and any necessary alterations in plan and equipment.

    We accordingly returned and were given three days cells. We were sent up-country on the day of the expiry of this term.

    I did not make another attempt to escape for the following reasons: -