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In the Shadow of Death: The Story of a Medic on the Burma Railway 1942-45
Idris (Taff) James was a driver in the Royal Army Service Corps and one of the thousands of young British soldiers taken prisoner by the Japanese in early 1942. He was ordered to become a ‘medic’ by his Company Commander, who must have been a very shrewd judge of character. His account of the conditions and suffering endured by his fellow prisoners and himself makes for the most extraordinary and disturbing reading. Taff suffered from dysentery, malaria, beri beri and cholera but, unlike so many, he survived. His description of the courage of his fellow captives and, regrettably, the failings of some in authority, give grounds for serious thought. If you only read one book by a POW of the Japanese, this is the one.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 31, 2021
A story of survival in inhuman conditions when only luck determines the difference between life and death.
Written in 1946, the book 'In the Shadow of Death: The Story of a Medic on the Burma Railway 1942-1945' by Idris James Barwick is a riveting account of resilience and compassion. The author aimed to commemorate the comrades he lost during captivity and reveal atrocities that led to the unprecedented death toll. Out of 1,800 prisoners at Sonkurai camp, also called 'Horror Camp of the Thai Jungle,' only 250 survived. 'Only God knows what the dead had suffered, the torment of mind and body, the daily slavery, beatings and tortures by the Nips, and the fevers and diseases. <...> Those who survived are lucky if they retained health in body and mind, because the experience alone was enough to shatter one's health or reason.' It was one of many similar camps where British, Australian, and Dutch prisoners had to build a railway from scratch, with almost no modern instruments and under the constant threat of being beaten. Poor food, mainly rice - and the sick receiving half a portion - coupled with beriberi, malaria, smallpox, dysentery, cholera, diphtheria, ulcers, and septic scabies. People ate snakes, bamboo shoots, and frogs to supplement meager rations. The author's brief first aid course propelled him into the position of the Regimental Nursing Orderly before the surrender - and saved his life. While battling with fits of malaria and dysentery, Idris James Barwick was assigned to attend to the men, sicker than he was, so he avoided working on the railway construction. As an orderly, he made everything possible to ease his patients' pain and used his wit in substituting medical supplies with natural methods: leaves and clothes instead of bandages, tins as bedpans, maggots to clean the gangrenous ulcers.
Amidst this suffering, the imprisoned officers enjoyed a higher quality of living, with their own cookhouse, medicine, and assigned orderlies in case of illness. 'Every man for himself' became their principle of survival.
There is a considerable gap between the year when the book was written and the publication year (2006). Unintentionally, the author offers an alternative version to the popular memoirs of today. The book does not contain features that are considered essential for modern-day spoilt readers. There are no dialogues and no fiction techniques such as florid comparisons or striking metaphors. The author goes straight along memory lane, with no referrals to the past before 1942 but with the hindsight of a survivor. Still, the book is a page-turner, owing partly to the horrors depicted on its pages, partly to the author's engaging style.
I recommend the book for history and memoir lovers. The cover hides stories about human tragedies and human kindness, making the book an unforgettable read.
I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Written in 1946, the book 'In the Shadow of Death: The Story of a Medic on the Burma Railway 1942-1945' by Idris James Barwick is a riveting account of resilience and compassion. The author aimed to commemorate the comrades he lost during captivity and reveal atrocities that led to the unprecedented death toll. Out of 1,800 prisoners at Sonkurai camp, also called 'Horror Camp of the Thai Jungle,' only 250 survived. 'Only God knows what the dead had suffered, the torment of mind and body, the daily slavery, beatings and tortures by the Nips, and the fevers and diseases. <...> Those who survived are lucky if they retained health in body and mind, because the experience alone was enough to shatter one's health or reason.' It was one of many similar camps where British, Australian, and Dutch prisoners had to build a railway from scratch, with almost no modern instruments and under the constant threat of being beaten. Poor food, mainly rice - and the sick receiving half a portion - coupled with beriberi, malaria, smallpox, dysentery, cholera, diphtheria, ulcers, and septic scabies. People ate snakes, bamboo shoots, and frogs to supplement meager rations. The author's brief first aid course propelled him into the position of the Regimental Nursing Orderly before the surrender - and saved his life. While battling with fits of malaria and dysentery, Idris James Barwick was assigned to attend to the men, sicker than he was, so he avoided working on the railway construction. As an orderly, he made everything possible to ease his patients' pain and used his wit in substituting medical supplies with natural methods: leaves and clothes instead of bandages, tins as bedpans, maggots to clean the gangrenous ulcers.
Amidst this suffering, the imprisoned officers enjoyed a higher quality of living, with their own cookhouse, medicine, and assigned orderlies in case of illness. 'Every man for himself' became their principle of survival.
There is a considerable gap between the year when the book was written and the publication year (2006). Unintentionally, the author offers an alternative version to the popular memoirs of today. The book does not contain features that are considered essential for modern-day spoilt readers. There are no dialogues and no fiction techniques such as florid comparisons or striking metaphors. The author goes straight along memory lane, with no referrals to the past before 1942 but with the hindsight of a survivor. Still, the book is a page-turner, owing partly to the horrors depicted on its pages, partly to the author's engaging style.
I recommend the book for history and memoir lovers. The cover hides stories about human tragedies and human kindness, making the book an unforgettable read.
I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 16, 2020
This is an extraordinarily detailed story of the life of the author, Idris James Barwick, as a Japanese POW. He kept notes and apparently had a sharp mind to recall the events as a medical orderly POW.
If you like detailed and informative stuff about how the Japanese treated the POWs then this is the type of story you should read.
Get the book and learn more about this sad event.
If you like detailed and informative stuff about how the Japanese treated the POWs then this is the type of story you should read.
Get the book and learn more about this sad event.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews