When Batu Lintang camp was liberated on Sept 11, 1945 by the Australian 9th Division, the camp population was 2,024. Overall, there were 1,392 prisoners of wars (POWs), 395 were male civilian internees and 237 were civilian women and children. There were two death orders found among the official Japanese papers at
Tag: World War II
The forgotten All Saints Chapel of Sandakan POW Camp
The ruins of huts in the prisoner of war camp, Sandakan, North Borneo, October 1945. Those who were too ill for the march were eventually murdered here. Credits: Public Domain (Copyright expired) Courtesy Australian War Memorial: 120457 Do you know there was an Anglican chapel at Sandakan prisoners of war
The Berhala Eight, the daring escape from Berhala Island during WWII
Located in Sandakan Bay, Malaysian state of Sabah, the Berhala island is a small forested island. Before World War II (WWII), the island was used as a layover station for labourers coming from China and the Philippines. There was also a leper colony on the island. Then during WWII, the Japanese used
What happened to the 300 prisoners of Labuan POW camp during WW2?
Flying over the prisoner of war camp (POW) in Batu Lintang at a low height, RAAF Beaufighter pilots reported sighting white POWs, clad in khaki shorts, who excitedly waved as the RAAF aircraft flew over to drop leaflets announcing Japan's surrender. Credits: Public Domain (Copyright expired). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C242106 When it comes to
John Skinner, the last man executed at Sandakan POW Camp
Operation Kingfisher, the rescue mission that never took place
Do you know that there was a so-called rescue plan for the Sandakan Death Marches code-named Operation Kingfisher? The death march was a series of forced marches in Borneo from Sandakan to Ranau which resulted to the deaths of 1,047 prisoners-of-war (POWs). Meanwhile, the remaining 1,381 never left the Sandakan camp
Japanese immigrants in North Borneo before World War II
Somewhere near the Tanjung Batu Street of Tawau, Sabah there is an old cemetery site. There, Japanese people were laid to rest. One might assume that they died during World War II (WWII) when Sabah was under Japanese occupation. However, a vast majority of them died way before the Second World War. Who
Fighting for Japan: The Korean and Formosan soldiers during WWII
Atrocities aboard Japanese destroyer Akikaze during WWII
Adults executed, babies thrown overboard from Japanese destroyer Akikaze during WWII If you're a history buff, you might have heard of all kind of atrocities that took place during World War II (WWII). However, have you heard about how adults were executed and children thrown overboard while still alive? About Japanese destroyer Akikaze Akikaze
10 things you might not know about Japanese hell ships during WWII
When we look at how Prisoners-of-War (POWs) suffered in internment camps or death marches during World War II (WWII), little do most people know about the atrocities onboard Japanese hell ships. 'Hell ship' describes a ship with extremely inhumane living conditions or with reputation for cruelty among the crew. The term was