The Colonel of Tamarkan: Philip Toosey and the Bridge on the River Kwai"At the outbreak of the Second World War Philip Toosey had a career with Barings Bank, a young family and a commission with the Territorial Army. It was at Dunkirk that his charisma and fortitude were first noted, and in 1941 he was given command of an artillery regiment. Sent to fight in the Far East he and his men soon found themselves embroiled in the battle for Singapore, and were taken prisoner after the island's fall in February 1942." "The Japanese, scornful of the Allied forces for surrendering, determined to make full use of the new workforce at their disposal. Toosey was sent to Thailand to command the 'bridge camp' at Tamarkan, where he was ordered to supervise the construction of two railway bridges over the river Khwae Mae Khlong. Starvation rations and harsh working conditions up-jungle meant that dysentary and cholera struck, and Tamarkan became a hospital camp. A quarter of the 60,000 prisoners working on the Thailand-Burma railway would perish, and it gained the nickname 'Death Railway'. Toosey, as camp commander, insisted on high standards of hygiene and discipline, giving his men back their self-respect and making himself a buffer for the cruel excesses of the guards." "It would be another three and a half years before he returned home. Even after the war he found he was unable to stop looking after the men to whom he had become an inspiration, and his services to the Far Eastern POWs continued until his death in 1975." "Written by Toosey's granddaughter, The Colonel of Tamarkan draws on both private archives and many original interviews with Second World War POWs from the Asian theatre to create a blend of biography and history."--BOOK JACKET. |
From inside the book
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Page 50
... Alex . Toosey had had girlfriends before but this time he fell in love . He proposed to Alex at a dance in late 1931. He could not bring himself to propose to her in person so he wrote on the back of the dinner menu ' Will you marry me ...
... Alex . Toosey had had girlfriends before but this time he fell in love . He proposed to Alex at a dance in late 1931. He could not bring himself to propose to her in person so he wrote on the back of the dinner menu ' Will you marry me ...
Page 51
... Alex's father had at one time been very wealthy but he made a series of poor business decisions in the late 1920s ... Alex therefore had a private income that stood at £ 400 per annum . It was some time before Toosey's income matched ...
... Alex's father had at one time been very wealthy but he made a series of poor business decisions in the late 1920s ... Alex therefore had a private income that stood at £ 400 per annum . It was some time before Toosey's income matched ...
Page 322
... Alex had refused . In fact she refused even to hide with the children during the air raids , announcing curtly that if she was going to die she would die in her own bed . When the bombing started the children and Greedles , the nanny ...
... Alex had refused . In fact she refused even to hide with the children during the air raids , announcing curtly that if she was going to die she would die in her own bed . When the bombing started the children and Greedles , the nanny ...
Contents
Prologue | 1 |
Novel Film Reality | 5 |
An Honest Beginning | 29 |
Copyright | |
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Other editions - View all
The Colonel of Tamarkan: Philip Toosey and the Bridge on the River Kwai Julie Summers No preview available - 2006 |
The Colonel of Tamarkan: Philip Toosey and the Bridge on the River Kwai Julie Summers No preview available - 2016 |
Common terms and phrases
Alan Tod Alec Guinness Alex Allied Army arrived asked Australian bamboo Ban Pong Bangkok Barings became bombed Boon Pong Boulle bridge Brigadier British Bukit Timah Captain Charles Steel Chungkai Colonel Nicholson Colonel Toosey command David Boyle David Lean doctors Dutch felt FEPOW film former prisoners friends Gillian guns Heathcote hospital Ibid Japanese Jim Mark journey jungle Kanchanaburi Kempei Kempei Tai knew later Lieutenant Colonel Liverpool London Louis Baume diary Mae Khlong Major Malaya medicine move Nakhon Nayok night Noguchi Nong Pladuk officers organised parties Patrick Percival Phil Toosey Pierre Boulle prison camps prisoners of war realised Reggie Lees regiment rice River Kwai Saito Sam Spiegel senior September sick Singapore Spiegel Stephen Alexander Tamarkan Thai Thailand Thailand-Burma railway thing told took Toosey autobiography Toosey Camp Report Toosey tapes Toosey wrote Toosey's train tropical Ubon V-scheme Weary Dunlop weeks