Ernest was an agnostic philosophy student at St Andrews when WW2 broke out. He was taken captive by the Japanese while defending Singapore. Ernie was engaged in building the notorious railway & bridge over the River Kwai.

He wrote a book about his experiences, made into the acclaimed film “To End All Wars”. It relates his experiences of Japanese POW camp, and how Christianity became very real to many of the POWs in desperate conditions.

Ernest Gordon

Scottish Hero Presentation

SUITABILITY : S1 - S6

Ernest GordonchallengeEdu2017-04-19T09:52:11+00:00

Key Lessons

The power of forgiveness
What is mercy?
The importance of hope
How Christianity became very real and relevant to many POWs
Reconciliation

Informative Points

What is philosophy?; WW2 in the Far East; Japanese military code; conditions in POW camps; how civility and social norms can break down