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Quiz about The Real Bridge over the River Kwai

The Real Bridge over the River Kwai Quiz

It was great movie but a far cry from the real bridge building by those unfortunates who were prisoners of the Japanese. This is for the survivors of that experience.

A multiple-choice quiz by beterave. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
beterave

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
325,033

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
359

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What nationality were the majority of the POWs who worked on the 'Death Railway'? Hint

American

Dutch

Australian

British

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Question 2 of 10

2. What heavy equipment did the Japanese supply the POWS in construction of the Death Railway? Hint

none

graders

bulldozers

heavy duty trucks

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Question 3 of 10

3. What percentage of the POWs had malaria before construction began on the railroad? Hint

25%

50%

95%

75%

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Question 4 of 10

4. Who did the Japanese blame for failures during the construction of the railroad? Hint

they blamed the war

they blamed the weather

they blamed the POWs

they blamed the terrain

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Question 5 of 10

5. What was the basic cause of tropical ulcers in construction of the Death Railroad? Hint

Malaria only

Filthy conditions and malaria

Filthy conditions and lack of food

Filthy conditions only

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Question 6 of 10

6. What happened to a POW doctor who did not supply enough ambulatory patients for work details on the Death Railroad? Hint

he was beheaded

he was beaten

the Japanese supplied medicine and returned later

the Japanese never sought sick patients for work

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Question 7 of 10

7. The Japanese used romusha to work on the railroad. What are 'romusha'? Hint

local forced labor

looted items

elephants

penal battalions

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which disease was the biggest killer during construction of the Death Railroad? Hint

typhus

malaria

cholera

dysentary

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which was the best solution thought of by the POWs concerning the building of the railroad? Hint

sabotage it

ignore the Japanese

work slowly

get it built fast

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Question 10 of 10

10. It was dangerous to defy the Japanese. However, two famous officers did so. What became of them? Hint

they were not punished

they were beheaded and their men shot

they were beheaded

no one would dare defy the Japanese

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What nationality were the majority of the POWs who worked on the 'Death Railway'?

Answer: British

The majority of the POWs who worked on the railroad were British POWs who were taken at Singapore. 6,318 of them perished while building it.

2. What heavy equipment did the Japanese supply the POWS in construction of the Death Railway?

Answer: none

The Japanese supplied no heavy equipment to the POWs in construction of the railroad. It was all done with hand tools in some of the worst jungle conditions in the world.

3. What percentage of the POWs had malaria before construction began on the railroad?

Answer: 95%

A whopping 95% of the POWs were stricken with malaria before construction began on the Death Railroad. Despite this, the Japanese still demanded work in the jungle under grueling conditions.

4. Who did the Japanese blame for failures during the construction of the railroad?

Answer: they blamed the POWs

The Japanese always blamed the POWs for delays or failures during construction of the railroad. For the Japanese, it did not matter that they failed to supply enough food, or the proper equipment for its construction.

5. What was the basic cause of tropical ulcers in construction of the Death Railroad?

Answer: Filthy conditions and lack of food

Ulcus tropicum or tropical ulcers is caused by filth and a lack of food, which happened to be the condition of the POWs. A cut under those conditions could cause an ulcer. Untreated, a man could lose a leg or arm.

6. What happened to a POW doctor who did not supply enough ambulatory patients for work details on the Death Railroad?

Answer: he was beaten

A POW doctor who failed to certify enough walking sick fit to work was always beaten. The irony was they could force the sick to work despite any protest a doctor might raise, and the doctor could still be beaten.

7. The Japanese used romusha to work on the railroad. What are 'romusha'?

Answer: local forced labor

Romusha were Asian forced laborers. The majority of them were Burmese and Thai. Their death rate was about 30% while working on the Death Railroad.

8. Which disease was the biggest killer during construction of the Death Railroad?

Answer: cholera

Cholera was the biggest killer of the POWs while working on the railroad. It did not stop construction of the railroad despite the fact it was killing POWs at a record pace.

9. Which was the best solution thought of by the POWs concerning the building of the railroad?

Answer: get it built fast

The best solution available to the POWs was to get the railroad built fast and correctly despite the fact that building it aided them in the war effort. Sabotage could get men killed if the Japanese suspected it and, besides, the work still had to be done - and properly. Working slowly only insured that more men would die of tropical diseases and Japanese brutality.

10. It was dangerous to defy the Japanese. However, two famous officers did so. What became of them?

Answer: they were not punished

Philip J. D. Toosey (1904-1975) was actually able to defy the Japanese by reasoning with them. His argument was that able bodied and well fed men were more efficient workers than half starved slaves. H. H. Lilley dared the Japanese to kill him and his officers.

His defiance under these circumstances caused the Japanese to stand down. The fictitious character of Colonel Nicholson (played by Alec Guinness) in "Bridge over the River Kwai" was inspired these two brave officers.

Source: Author beterave

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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