He had to watch in horror as an inmate was beaten to death in front of him.īut he found cunning ways to survive, including sneaking out of the camp to forage for food. He partially lost his hearing after a savage beating with bamboo rods. He dropped to around seven stone as he survived on small amounts of water and tiny rations. Life as a POW was horrific, and Walter regularly saw people dying. He laid sleepers, put up embankments and helped to drive hundreds of tree trunks into the ground, which acted as supports. The 258-mile railway track was built within 18 months and Walter was there almost from the beginning of construction. He was put to work on the Death Railway, clearing the jungle in intense heat with basic tools. Walter had been taken prisoner and was moved around camps, making several failed escape bids. But a year later he was declared “missing in action – presumed dead” and the Red Cross could find no record of his whereabouts.
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