VJ Day Anniversary Lunch and Talk
Our VJ Day 80th anniversary event begins with a fish and chips lunch. This is followed by a talk by Dr Richard Marks on “Over the Kwai: The Story of the Burma-Siam Railway in World War 2”.
Over the Kwai: The Story of the Burma-Siam Railway in World War 2
During World War 2, the Japanese Army built the Burma-Siam railway to supply their armed forces with men and material for the fight against the British and Allied military ranged against them. This was no ordinary railway. It was built through almost impassable terrain and requiring some ingenious feats of engineering. The railway should have been an outstanding example of railway building but it was not. The use of forced labour to construct the railway made it something to be judged not appreciated. This talk will look at why the Japanese needed to build the railway and why they treated prisoners of war in the way that they did.Â
The talk will finish with a short discussion of why Japan was defeated and how VJ Day came about.
To Book
Pre-booking is required, ticket sales end three days before the talk. If you have any allergies or require a vegetarian or non-fish option – please advise us of this during the booking process. We will then contact you separately about alternative options. Please note this event begins at the earlier than normal time of 1pm.    Â
To book – scroll down.
Image: Adam Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Date
- Thu 14 Aug 2025
Time
- 13:00 - 15:30
Tickets
- £12.00
Location
- 2nd Floor, Reading Central Library, Abbey Square, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 3BQ
Organiser
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The Centre - Berkshire FHS
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Email
booking@berksfhs.org.uk -
Website
https://berksfhs.org/branches/
Speaker
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Dr Richard MarksIndustrial, Military and Railway HistorianRichard is a published historian based in Berkshire who specialises in industrial, military, and railway history and also the history of science. His current areas of research are industrial development in the Victorian period, the development of the railway and canal systems in Britain in the mid to late 19th Century and the history of British Rail. He has a PhD in economic history. Richard’s books on British Rail Engineering and the Wantage Tramway Company were both both published by Pen and Sword in 2024.