During the second world war Australian and British Prisoners Of War (POW) were imprisoned at Sandakan by the Japanese Army. The first prisoners arrived from Singapore to build a military airstrip in July 1942 and by mid 1943 over 1800 Australian and 750 British were at work.
Living and working conditions for the prisoners were harsh. Food was scarce and the Japanese and Formosan Guards worked their captives hard. In providing assistance to the Prisoners the local people often defied the Death threats of the Japanese.
By 1945 the Japanese feared allied invasion of East Borneo. Consequently 1066 Prisoners were marched through the jungle to Ranau, 265 km to the West. The 290 hospitalised Prisoners at Sandakan, unable to move, died.
Over 1000 Prisoners perished either on the Death March or at Ranua Camp where conditions were much worse that at Sandakan. All these men were dead by August 1945, some after the war ended. Six of the Prisoners escaped to survive and reveal this episode of the Sandakan POW story.