MovieChat Forums > The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) Discussion > 'In Singapore we were ordered to surrend...

'In Singapore we were ordered to surrender by Command Headquarters'

posted 11 years ago by waynejoseph
8 replies | jump to latest

Hallo all,

Just one question: in the prison hospital quite near the start of the film when Colonel Nicholson is explaining to Shears about why they should not make an escape plan he says; "In Singapore we were ordered to surrender by Command Headquarters.."

Does anybody know the logical, tactical reason why they would have been ordered to do so?

Did I miss an important plot point, or was this never explained? I thought the Colonel's comment was very intriguing.

Cheers!

[–] PunishU 11 years ago

There's some brief implication of possible bayoneted rifles along with stealth attacks and ambushes and it apparently was rather common as shown here:

http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/worldwarii/p/World-War-Ii-Battle-Of-Singapore.htm

[–] foster1234 10 years ago

It's not unusual for High Command to surrender all command s under them.

Waiwright was forced to do just that when he surrendered in the Phillipines.

He surrendered all American forces in the Phillipines, not just the ones that were in combat. The Island of Mindinawo had a lot of troops on it many went in the hills many surrendered when the Japs showed up

Same with the British

You don't have to stand tall, but you have to stand up!

[–] Blueghost 10 years ago

You mean the "Japanese".

It's probably advisable not to use that other term.

[–] david-842-304518 10 years ago

You have got to be kidding this is more proof the PC crowd is out of control.

[–] chudddds-775-350714 10 years ago

yes, the is complete BS, the PC effect on america is just plain funny. i violate every chance i get. read a book written by the black law professor at harvard named randall kennedy about the etymology of the word nl66er. its pure brilliance.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Blueghost 10 years ago

reported; no, it's a derogatory term to refer to ethnic Japanese. That's not being PC, that's having good manners and not using offensive language.

[–] foster1234 10 years ago

Report whatever you want

It's a shortened version Japs==JapANESE see

Who the fark are you to judge my manners

It' is being PC

And by your refusal to accept that it is makes you un-mannerly

Maybe I should have said NIPs instead

Piss off

In a world where a carpenter can be resurrected, anything is possible.