Eric Lomax
| Eric J Lomax | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Eric Sutherland Lomax 30 May 1919 Edinburgh, Scotland, UK |
| Died | 8 October 2012 (aged 93) Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England, UK |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Military officer, author |
| Known for | The Railway Man |
Eric Sutherland Lomax (30 May 1919 – 8 October 2012) was a British Army officer who was sent to a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in 1942. He is most notable for his book, The Railway Man, about his experiences before, during, and after World War II, which won the 1996 NCR Book Award and the PEN/Ackerley Prize.
Lomax was born in Edinburgh on 30 May 1919. He left the Royal High School, Edinburgh aged 16, after entering a civil service competition and obtaining employment at the Post Office. On 8 April 1936, he became a sorting clerk and telegraphist in Edinburgh. On 10 March 1937, he was promoted to the clerical class.
In 1939, aged 19, Lomax joined the Royal Corps of Signals before World War II broke out. Following time in the 152nd Officer Cadet Training Unit, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 28 December 1940. He was given the service number 165340. He was a Royal Signals officer attached to the 5th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. As a lieutenant, he was captured by the Japanese following the surrender of Singapore in February 1942. He, along with the other Far East Prisoners Of War (FEPOW), undertook a forced march to Changi Prison. He was then taken to Kanchanaburi, Thailand and forced to build the Burma Railway. In 1943 he and five other prisoners were tortured by the Kempeitai and convicted of "anti-Japanese activities" after a clandestine radio was found in the camp. He was transferred to Outram Road Prison in Singapore for the remainder of the war.
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