In this special Clarkson, Hammond and May don’t just buy three knackered old lorries and drive miles through the beautiful landscapes of Burma. Oh dear no. They actually have to use their lorries to do something useful. They have to build a real, use able bridge over the River Kwai. On their way to the river they almost bring down Burma’s power supply, encounter the world’s least relaxing truck stop, race around the streets of a deserted capital, saddle up a trio of unhelpful horses and attend a completely deranged party.

During World War II, Allied POWs were forced by Japanese Soldiers to work on the construction of the Thailand to Burma railway which included the Bridge on the River Kwai. The prisoners worked under savage conditions and only with basic tools. Based on witness testimonies and photographic evidence, the documentary tries to answer the questions as to how this feat of engineering was built. The documentary special also tells of the development of America's first precision guided munition, the' Azon' bomb, and how it was used to destroy the bridge.