The Missing Years: A PoW's Story from Changi to Hellfire Pass, 1942-45

by Stu Lloyd

This is the gripping story of Captain Hugh Pilkington's disastrous Malaya campaign during World War II, in which he was shot by a Japanese sniper, became a prisoner of war (POW) while hospitalized in Singapore, then - with only one good arm - was packed off to work on the Thai-Burma Death Railway. This account is uniquely different because Pilkington survived the heinous Alexandra Hospital Massacre of February 1942. It is also the only known account of POWs travelling north by train to work camps along the Death Railway (most others were forced to marched up to 300 km). Pilkington's memoirs - included in this book - were completed in October 1945 while on a POW repatriation ship, providing a raw, unfiltered, surprisingly dispassionate voice, undistorted by time. Additionally, travel writer Stu Lloyd along with the captain's son, Paul, retrace Pilkington's steps to uncover his past as a rubber planter and soldier, and find out what the locals today make of that period they know largely as 'Japan time.' Stu and Paul document Pilkington's journey to Hellfire Pass, choosing to live on POW rations while making the trip (breakfast = 1 pint of rice, 1 teaspoon of sugar; lunch = one pint of rice, 1 square inch of fish; dinner = pint and a half of rice with a sprinkle of green vegetable). They chose to take no change of clothes, no toothbrush, and a thin straw mat to use in the worst possible accommodation. It was an illuminating trip.

Genres: Biography

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2009

About the author

My life story goes something like this: conceived in California, born in Zimbabwe, schooled in South Africa, emigrated to Australia, worked in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, China and now living in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

With a background in psychology, and a career as a copywriter and creative director in the Mad Man world of multinational ad agencies, people watching and understanding the human spirit have always come naturally to me.

10 books published to date, with sales over 100,000.

I write military history (WW 2 books), business behaviour (especially creativity and cognitive skills), Asia expat books, and travel.

My bucket list is mostly comprised of two-wheeled motorcycle adventures in remote parts of the world. Riding and writing - that's my thing.

Reviews

[John Kidman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very moving book, but I felt it tried to do too many things, and I felt this let it down compared to others covering the same theatre of war.