Is bridge over River Kwai a true story?

Is bridge over River Kwai a true story?

The film “The Bridge on the River Kwai” dramatized the WWII story of the Thailand-Burma Railway, yet it was largely fictional. Over 65,000 Allied P.O.W.s battled torture, starvation, and disease to hack the 255-mile railway out of harsh jungle for the Japanese.

What is the history of the bridge over the River Kwai?

The Bridge on the River Kwai escaped planned bombing, and remains in place in Kanchanaburi as a tourist attraction and functioning railway bridge over which trains pass daily. When the bridge was built, the water beneath it was actually the Mae Klong River, although it did join the Khwae Noi River elsewhere.

Where is the original bridge over the River Kwai?

Kanchanaburi
Although the film was shot in Sri Lanka, the Bridge on the River Kwai is real, and is still used by local passenger trains from Bangkok to Nam Tok. For anyone interested in 20th century history, a visit to Kanchanaburi and the infamous Death Railway is a must.

When was the Bridge on the River Kwai built?

Oct. 16, 1943
The railway was completed on Oct. 16, 1943. “The British originally had it planned to build in five years, yet we completed it in one and a half years. So we really had no time to think about the human cost.

Why is it called Death Railway?

It originated in Thailand and cut across to the Burmese war front to aid in the Japanese invasion of India. Originally called the Thailand-Burma Railway, it earned the nickname “Death Railway” because over one hundred thousand laborers died during its 16 month construction between 1942 and 1943.

Is the Burma railway still in use?

The Thai portion of the railway continues to exist, with three trains crossing the original bridge twice daily bound from Bangkok to the current terminus at Nam Tok. During the railway’s construction, around 90,000 Southeast Asian civilian forced laborers died, along with more than 12,000 Allied prisoners.

Did the bridge over the River Kwai get blown up?

The real bridge on the River Kwai was never destroyed, not even damaged. It still stands on the edge of the Thai jungle about three miles from this peaceful town and it has become something of a tourist attraction. The bridge was erected by Allied pris oners during the Japanese occupation of Thailand in World War II.