Burma railway veteran Douglas has died at the age of 89 (From Keighley News)

Burma railway veteran Douglas has died at the age of 89

11:40am Thursday 16th September 2010 in News By Keighley News reporter

A man who survived appalling conditions as a prisoner of war in the Far East has died.

Douglas Firth, who lived at Eastburn for most of his life, died in Airedale Hospital last Friday. He was 89.

Glusburn-born, Mr Firth was sent as a soldier to Singapore in the early stages of Britain’s fight against Japan during the Second World War.

He was captured by the Japanese when the city fell in 1942 and spent more than three years in captivity.

Along with fellow PoWs and civilian slave-labourers he was forced to work on the infamous Burma railway and saw many of his friends die.

Mr Firth himself endured 40 bouts of malaria without proper treatment.

On being released in 1945 he met his future wife, Amy Stead, who lived in Glusburn. The couple were married in 1948 and moved to Eastburn. They had no children.

Mr Firth was ill for many years after the war. Although unable to work full-time he gave piano lessons, played the organ for Eastburn Methodist Church and was also a church steward.

He wrote two books about his wartime experiences, one called “Tapestry Story of the Kwai” and the other “The Spirit of the River Kwai”.

He was a member of the Royal British Legion and his wife was a Poppy Appeal collector for at least 30 years.

His funeral service takes place at Eastburn Methodist Church, at 2pm tomorrow. He will be buried at South Craven Baptist Church, at 3pm.