Living Hell: Story Of A WW II Survivor At The Death Railway

In October 1943, the 415km long Burma-Thailand Railway or the “Death Railway” was completed to serve the imperial interests of Japan in the Pacific War. Traversing some of the densest jungles in the world, it was an engineering feat that took the lives of thousands of Allied prisoners-of-war and Asian laborers. Many former prisoners-of-war have written about their harrowing experiences along the Death Railway. However, what is not well documented in this growing literature is the role played by indigenous peoples in the history of the Death Railway. This book adds a fresh perspective by focusing on the experiences of a Singaporean who served as a hospital assistant in the “death camps” in Thailand. Born in 1909 and educated in St. Joseph’s Institution and Raffles Institution, Tan Choon Keng had several years of medical training when war disrupted the lives of the people of Singapore. In March 1943 he was transported north, where he lived for nearly two years in “living hell.” Written by historian Dr. Goh Chor Boon who interviewed the 90-year-old Choon Keng in his home, this book also provides insights into the Pacific War - a racist war that led to man’s deployment of the nuclear bomb - and introduces recent research and literature on the Death Railway. The poignant account will help young Singaporeans to understand better the trials and tribulation of their grandparents during the war.