The Bridge on the River Kwai

The follwing weapons are seen in The Bridge on the River Kwai: (1957)

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Lee Enfield Mk III*

Interesting to note that the Japanese guards do not use Arisaka rifles. Instead they are using Lee Enfield Mk III* rifles ! The movie was filmed on Sri Lanka (Ceylon in 1957) and had been a British colony until just a few years earlier. The reality is that the production company was able to get British firearms with ease and the thinking probably was nobody would really notice or pay attention. But for the sake of the story it can be argued that the Japanese equipped the guards with British firearms because after the fall of Singapore in the spring of 1942 there was an abundance of British equipment. Incidentally the British used American firearms such as Thompson smg's as well. All the warring nations equipped the P.O.W. guards with second hand equipment. It was difficult enough keeping their front line troops equipped so far away from Japan. So some thrifty Japanese commanding officer decided to equip the guards with British equipment. They wouldn't be in much action and the need for constant re-supply would not be a concern.

Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk.III* - .303 British. This was the main battle rifle of British and Commonwealth forces during the First World War, introduced in 1907 it has seen action throughout the 20th century.

Japanese sentry with Lee Enfield and Pattern 1907 bayonet attached.Saluting the commander of the P.O.W. camp.

One of the British commandos is surprised by the Japanese soldier that he was hunting

Thompson Submachine Gun

In the opening credits when the British prisoners are marching from the railhead to the camp several of the Japanese guards appear to be equipped with Thompson M1928A1 Submachine Guns! See above for the logical explantion and my explanation to explain such a strange situation in the story.