Is bridge on River Kwai a true story?
Although the film uses the historical setting of the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942–1943, the plot and characters of Boulle’s novel and the screenplay are almost entirely fictional.
How do you get to the bridge over the River Kwai?
The Bridge on River Kwai lies after Kanchanaburi Train Station coming from Bangkok, so if you are planning a day trip from the Capital, your best chance is to get off the train right before the bridge and then take a walk on and hang out around it (there are the War Museum and War Cemetery to be visited, plus shops and …
How many died on the Burma Railway?
The railway was completed in October 1943. The Japanese were able to use it to supply their troops in Burma despite the repeated destruction of bridges by Allied bombing. More than 90,000 Asian civilians died on the railway, as well as 16,000 POWs, of whom about 2800 were Australian.
Does the bridge over the River Kwai still exist?
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.
Why were the Japanese offended by the 1957 movie The Bridge on the River Kwai?
In fact, Japanese engineers had been surveying the route of the railway since 1937 and they were highly organized. The Japanese also accused the film’s “glorification of the superiority of Western civilization” because the British in the film were able to build a bridge that the Japanese could not.
Who bombed the bridge over the River Kwai?
By May 1945 the British and American air forces had destroyed both bridges over the River Khwae-Noi (or Kwai as it is popularly known). The Japanese army’s vital supply line between Burma and Malaya had been cut, but by then the atomic bomb had made surrender inevitable.
Is the Burma railway still in use?
By the end of the war around 100 of the original 142 trains were still in operation. Few survive today and the trains now installed at Kanchanaburi near ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’ and at the JEATH Museum are postwar locomotives.
How far is bridge Over River Kwai from Bangkok?
How far is it from Bangkok to River Kwai Bridge? The distance between Bangkok and River Kwai Bridge is 112 km. The road distance is 127.6 km.
How many soldiers died building the bridge over the River Kwai?
Forced labour was used in its construction. More than 180,000 Asian civilian labourers and 60,000 Allied prisoners of war worked on the railway. About 90,000 civilians and 12,621 Allied POWs died during the construction, includeing 6,904 British, 2,802 Australians, 2,782 Dutch, and 133 Americans.
How long did it take to build the bridge over the River Kwai?
“The British originally had it planned to build in five years, yet we completed it in one and a half years.
Why is the march called Colonel Bogey?
The name “Colonel Bogey” however began in the late 19th century as an imaginary “standard opponent” in assessing a player’s performance and by Edwardian times the Colonel had been adopted by the golfing world as the presiding spirit of the course.
Why is the Kwai River Bridge famous?
The Kwai River Bridge was part of the meter-gauge railway constructed by the Japanese during WWII. It is famously known as the setting for the a 1957 World War II epic Bridge over the River Kwai. The railway ran for 250 miles from Ban Pong, Thailand to Thanbyuzayat, Burma and is now known as the Death Railway.
How to get to River Kwae Bridge?
The Bridge on the River Kwai, seen from the Kanchanaburi end. All trains call at River Kwae Bridge station, located about 200 yards before the bridge, a few minutes after leaving Kanchanaburi. The Bridge is now surrounded by cafes, restaurants, souvenir stalls etc.
Is the bridge on the River Kwai based on a true story?
The Bridge on the River Kwai. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 epic war film directed by David Lean and based on the novel Le Pont de la Rivière Kwaï (1952) by Pierre Boulle. The film uses the historical setting of the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942–1943.
How did the Khwae Yai bridge get its name?
As the bridge became famous, it was referred to using a not only incorrect but also mispronounced name, soon becoming known as the River Kwai (which means ‘buffalo river’). To make life easier, the waterway was renamed the Khwae Yai, which at least comes closer to what tourists now know it as.