The railway men: Prisoner journeys through the traumascapes of world war II

Abstract

Over 15,000 Australians were taken prisoner by the Japanese duringWorldWar II and around one-third of those men and women died in captivity. The forced labour and incarceration of prisoner of war is considered by many as one of Australia's greatest tragedies of World War II. This article argues that the story of incarceration did not end with those who actually experienced it. These wounding memories were passed down through families and communities; they were recycled and reimagined through the circulation of narratives, the making of memorials, and the constant renegotiation of life stories. Capturing the memory of this experience obliges historians to record the living testimony of both prisoners and their families. Interviews, surveys, and participant observation conducted by the author are utilized to explore the afterlife of memory during a pilgrimage to the traumascapes of World War II. Show more