Lucky Johnny: The Footballer who Survived the River Kwai Death Camps

By: Johnny Sherwood

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Synopsis: In 1938 Johnny Sherwood was a young professional footballer on the brink of an England career, touring the world with the all-star British team the Islington Corinthians. By 1942 he was a soldier defending Singapore against the Japanese. Taken prisoner he was sent to a POW camp deep in the heart of the Thai jungle, where he was starved, beaten, and forced to build the notorious 'railway of death' on the River Kwai. Johnny kept his and his men's spirits up with tales of his footballing past, even organising matches until he and the other prisoners became too weak to play. One day, he encountered a brutal Japanese guard, and was shocked to recognise him as a Japanese footballer Johnny had played against. Despite the inhumane treatment he received at the hands of the guards, and the trials the POWs continued to face even after liberation, Johnny's story is an inspirational tale of survival against the odds. Many years after Johnny's death, his grandson Michael discovered an old manuscript hidden in the attic of his mother's house. It was Johnny's own account of his wartime experiences - the story too horrific to reveal to his loved ones. Now, in publishing Johnny's memoirs, Michael is finally fulfilling Johnny's wish that the world should know the truth about his traumatic time as a POW, and his long journey back to civilisation.