Photos

A little over 60 years ago in 1945, this was hell on earth to more than 2000 Allied soldiers, held prisoners by the Japanese Occupation in Sandakan. With only their tropical infested skins keeping their brittle bones together and with little else in between, Australian and British inmates, looking more like living skeletons in tattered clothing, were practically on deathrows here. They were systematically put to their shallow graves through hunger, murder and forced labors.

From January to May 1945, in three separate Death Marches, the genocidal Japanese then, herded over 1000 disease stricken heavily undernourished prisoners of war with some assuming duties as porters in the 1st Death March, over 250km of jungle terrain and mountainous country, along jungle footpath called rentis, to another prison camp in the mountainous hinterland called Ranau. The Japanese soldiers were instructed to kill any prisoners who collapsed or too weak to continue.

In the 1st Death March late January 1945,280 were systematically killed along the way. Only 190 made it to Ranau,out of 470 whom were fit enough to walk. From this 190 survivors, only 3 survived to see the survivors of the 2nd Death March on May 29th.

In the 2nd Death March, 536 barely able to stand POWs were selected for the march. 186 prisoners of war made it to Ranau. The rest, 353 of them were murdered along the 250km rentis.

In the 3rd Death March, the remainders in the prison camp were the bottom of the barrels cases. They couldn't hardly stand let alone march. The Japanese selected 75 from the remainder 250 POWs. The 75 POWs that were forced march on June 9th, marched to their death within 50km off the prison camp. The rest in the prison camp whom were unfit to march were executed.

Only 38 from these three Death March lived long enough to see the light of day on August 1st but only to be executed, before the Japanese surrendered in August 15th.

It is estimated there were 1700 Australians and 600 Britishs POWS in this camp. The only survivors from the Sandakan Death Marches were the 6 Australians whom had escaped during the marches.All British prisoners, perished in the camp, along the rentis and in Ranau.

In the photo,scaled model of the Sandakan Prison Camp based on aerial photo taken by the Australian Recon during the war. The precinct upfront and off center in the photo was the Australian prison blocks with the British, top right.

Photo taken inside the museum of the Sandakan War Memorial. The Memorial is located on the forested hill overlooking the camp. The museum within the memorial ground is labeled by the no. 4(lower center)in the photo.