Sandakan Death Marches

The Sandakan Death Marches are the most infamous incident series of events which resulted in the death of more than 6,000 Indonesian civilian slave laborers and Allied prisoners of war (POW), held by the Empire of Japan during the Pacific campaign of World War II, at the prison camps in North Borneo.In total, only 6 has survived the Death Of Marches. The 6 Australian Servicemen managed to escaped during the marches. 

BACKGROUND

In 1942 and 1943, Australian and British POWs who had been captured at the Battle of Singapore in February 1942 were shipped to North Borneo to construct a military airstrip and prisoner-of-war camps at Sandakan, North Borneo (Sabah). As on the Burma Railway the prisoners were forced to work at gunpoint, and were often beaten whilst also receiving very little food or medical attention. In August 1943, with the intention of controlling the enlisted men by removing any commanders, most officer prisoners were moved from Sandakan to the Batu Lintang camp at Kuching.

POW of Sandakan Death March

Conditions for the remaining prisoners deteriorated sharply following the officers' removal. Any rations given were further reduced, and sick prisoners were also forced to work on the airstrip. After construction was completed the prisoners initially remained at the camp. In January 1945, with only 1,900 prisoners still alive, the advancing Allies managed to successfully bomb and destroy the airfield. 

It was at this time with Allied landings anticipated shortly that camp commandant Captain Hoshijima Susumu decided to move the remaining prisoners westward into the mountains to the town of Ranau, a distance of approximately 260 kilometers (160 mi). He claimed that this was an order of Lt Gen Baba Masao, commanding officer of the 37th Japanese Army.The former military airstrip is now known as Sandakan Airport, which serves Sandakan town.