Sabah Salute
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SABAH SALUTE They had survived, somehow. he increasing threat of a pre- spiking their guns they boarded a ship and Conditions in the Japanese prisoner emptive strike by Japan upon eventually arrived at Batavia, Java, on 18 TBritish possessions in the Far East February 1942. of war camps on the island of had prompted Britain to reinforce its forces in Malaya and its garrison on the On 4 March 1942, the battery moved Borneo were utterly inhuman, but island fortress of Singapore. Amongst due south to an airfield at Tasikmalaya. many of the British and Australian those units was 78 Light Anti-Aircraft However, as a result of further Japanese prisoners had survived. Then as (LAA) Battery RA (TA), part of 35 LAA advances five days later they were ordered Regiment RA (TA). The battery set sail to surrender and became prisoners of war the war was reaching its climax the for Singapore from the United Kingdom of the Imperial Japanese Army. prisoners in the district of Sabah on 13 November 1941, and making the long journey by sea, via the southern The men were eventually dispersed to PoW were forced to march 164 miles Cape route, arrived at Singapore on 13 camps throughout South East Asia. Over inland through jungle and swamps January 1942.1 a period of three months approximately 3,500 prisoners from different locations from Sandakan to Ranau. Now, as On 28 January 1942, 78 LAA Battery were herded onto tramp steamers for Mark Khan and Major (Retd.) John was ordered to Sumatra and two days delivery to various parts of Borneo. Tulloch MBE report, a team from later landed at Palembang to protect the airfield and oil refineries. The battery The first PoWs to be moved to Sandakan, a the Royal Artillery has retraced represented the first British troops to set seaport and the capital of what was British the route of what became known foot on Sumatra and took over Bofors guns North Borneo, now the state of Sabah, were from the Dutch forces on the Island. On 14 1,500 Australians. On 7 July 1942, they as the Death Marches culminating February 1942, the Japanese mounted a were herded on to a 2,000 tonne tramp in the unveiling and dedication of parachute assault on Palembang. They steamer, the Yubi Maru. The conditions were heavily engaged by 78 LAA Battery were cramped and appalling. There was no the Royal Artillery Memorial at the but the numbers were too great. The ventilation, nor sanitary arrangements. The Kundasang War Memorial, Sabah. remnants of the battery withdrew. After captives were not allowed above decks. 56 OCTOBER 2011 South China Sea BRUNEI Sabah SABAH SALUTE MALAYSIASarawak MAIN PICTURE: The actual route of the Death Marches. The track the PoWs followed crosses the river and can still be seen in this photograph on the far side of the river. It climbs up the hill to the top. INDONESIA One of the Australian survivors from the first group later recalled: “That damn hill. We lost five blokes climbing it.” (Authors) RIGHT and BELOW: A map showing the route of the Death Marches undertaken from Sandakan to Ranau in early 1945. Sulu South Sea China SABAH Sea North Borneo South PoW Ranau Sulu China camp Sea Sea Sandakan SABAH Kota Kinabalu North Borneo POW Jesselton Ranau camp 0 20 40 60 80 100km Sandakan Kota Kinabalu Jesselton Temperatures far exceeding 40 degrees revolting mixture of rice and lukewarm On arrival the men were classified as very Centigrade and 95% humidity prevailed tea, the Australians moved up a steep ill and0 an20 estimated40 60 thirty80 British100km PoWs in the holds. There were sundry beatings; winding road until, after dark, they arrived were reported as having died on this the food was weevil-infested, maggoty at a church and convent where they spent hellish voyage. Most of these PoWs had rice, which the men described as tasting the night. The PoWs were then marched already been interned in several prison of rotten eggs, that was washed down with nine miles to a camp. The 1,500 Australian camps in South East Asia prior to arrival a cup of warm tea. There were only one soldiers, aged between 18 and 42, were at Sandakan. Their physical condition was and a half litres of water per man per day in poor physical condition and found the therefore wretched before their voyage and no salt. Dehydration set in, followed march exhausting in the heat and humidity. even started and was to deteriorate even by vomiting and diarrhoea. With the men Beatings and the use of rifle butts helped further. unable to make the upper deck, the holds to maintain the pace. The head of the became awash with filth and excrement. column struggled in at 12.30 hours to see Forced to work on the airfield the Dysentery broke out, but amazingly no the sign “No.1 PoW Camp, British North maltreatment of the prisoners increased. one died on that appalling voyage. Borneo”. Some 4,000 Javanese were brought in as forced labour to assist and these people It took the ship eleven days to sail from Having arrived at their final destination, also suffered severely at the hands of the Singapore to Sandakan. On the afternoon the Australians were now to act as labour Japanese. The guards used torture of all of 18 July 1942, the order to disembark in building a military airfield nearby. Over kinds to enforce discipline and maintain the was given. The soldiers filed off the ship the following months further batches work schedule. Rations were reduced for and were sprayed with a carbolic acid of PoWs arrived – including the men of the slightest reason and the workload was solution to kill all germs and to end 78 LAA Battery. In April 1943, Captain increased. The local Sabahans, at great risk the dysentery. Under heavy guard they Ian Patterson, the Battery Captain of 78 to themselves and their families, covertly were then escorted onshore, silently and LAA Battery, and about 400 members of provided food and limited supplies of drugs apprehensively watched by the locals, the Royal Artillery arrived at Sandakan (quinine being the most sought after) and many of whom were visibly distressed. having travelled in the same horrendous radio parts (the Australians were building conditions as the Australians on another a short wave radio in their camp). A local At 17.30 hours, after their standard 1,000-tonne tramp steamer. uprising produced further maltreatment OCTOBER 2011 57 SABAH SALUTE BRITAIN AT WAR LEFT: Men of 69 Battery, 21st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA (TA) pictured on Tuesday, 6 June 1939, during their last summer camp before the outbreak of war. This unit is one of those commemorated on the Royal Artillery Memorial at the Kundasang War Memorial, Sabah. (HMP) BELOW LEFT: One of the many PoWs to be sent to Sabah was 1817400 Gunner Ernest John Hazzard of 48 LAA Battery RA (TA), part of 21 LAA Regiment RA TA – seen here on the left under the hand-drawn cross. At 6’1” tall and weighing 142 lbs, Gunner Hazzard was a lean 36-year old, whose civilian trade was a meter reader. He arrived at Sandakan, aboard the “hell ship” De Klerk on 12 April 1943. He is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as having died on 22 February 1945. His body was never found or identified and is he duly commemorated on the Singapore Memorial. (Courtesy of Major (Retired) John Tulloch MBE) and abuse with a food reduction not only without warning or any publicly-declared BELOW RIGHT: Pictured here are thirteen of the for the prisoners but also the local people. reason, the operation was delayed and fourteen-strong marching team who took part in eventually cancelled. The last vestiges of the Sabah Salute. The last member of the team, On 30 October 1944, USAAF P-38 trying to save the lives of the 3,000 men Corporal Vorster (a trained jungle medic), was already based in Brunei where the team underwent Lightnings attacked the Japanese airfield were lost. It is not known if the Japanese initial training and acclimatising before starting the at Sandakan, destroying aircraft but also had got wind of Operation Kingfisher, but march. The team was lead by Major Claire Curry killing several British and Australian PoWs. they decided to move the prisoners from RA (a qualified helicopter pilot who has flown on operations in Iraq) and all are volunteers and The immediate Japanese reaction was to Sandakan to another location, Ranau, 164 serving members of the Regular and Territorial reduce the food rations even further. The miles away in the interior, in a series of Army. The team was made up from nine different mortality rate increased dramatically – in “elimination” marches. Royal Artillery units, and comprised both male and particular the deaths from meningitis. By female personnel some of whom have recently served in Afghanistan. The team included a Piper, now the PoWs were walking skeletons. It Local Sabahan Deputy District Corporal John Moffat, and a Bugler, Bombardier was estimated that most had lost 30% of Commissioner, Sandshoe Willie, and his Sarah Sanderson. (Courtesy of Mark Khan) their body weight. assistant Orang Tuan Kulang, headman of the Dusan tribe, were directed by the On 28 December 1944, a heavy Allied Japanese to prepare a route from Sandakan in some places, was along jungle tracks bombing raid destroyed many aircraft and to Ranau using local and Javanese some of which the prisoners had to hack finally closed the airfield.