Traces of war: Survivors of the Burma and Pakanbaroe Railroad

Jan Banning: “Traces of War” , book cover (© bol.com )

“Traces of War” is a book created by photographer Jan Banning about 24 men who survived slave labour on the construction of the notorious Burmese and Pakanbaroe railroads. The railway links were built during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia during the Second World War. Photographer Banning made black-and-white portraits of the 24 men, bare-chested as they were at the time of their imprisonment, and they include his father among fifteen Dutch men, as well as nine of the nearly forgotten Indonesians. In this programme, they tell of their ordeal.

Producer: Chris Chambers

Broadcast: August 13, 2003