The Sandakan Death March - Only 6 Survived
Did You Know? The Sandakan Death March – The Forgotten Hell of Borneo
Most people have heard of the Bataan Death March in the Philippines. But fewer know about an even deadlier forced march that happened in Borneo. Here are some little-known facts about the Sandakan Death March – one of the most brutal atrocities of World War II.
Only 6 Survived Out of 2,500
Of the 2,500 Australian and British prisoners of war sent to Sandakan, only six survived the war. All six were Australians who escaped during the marches or from the camps at Ranau. This makes it the single worst atrocity committed against Australian servicemen in any conflict.
The Six Survivors:
| Name | Fate After the War |
|---|---|
| Richard Braithwaite | Died 1986 – escaped on 8 June 1945, rescued by an American PT boat |
| Owen Campbell | Died 2003 – the last surviving marcher |
| Bill Moxham | Committed suicide in 1961 – profoundly affected by his experiences |
| Nelson Short | Died 1995 – died of a heart attack |
| Bill Sticpewich | Killed crossing the road in 1977 – died 32 years after surviving the war |
| Keith Botterill | Died 1997 – died on the eve of Australia Day |
The tragedy: These men survived the war only to die in accidents and from the lasting trauma of their experiences.
The Impossible Journey: 260km with Only 4 Days' Rations
The prisoners were marched from Sandakan to Ranau – a distance of approximately 260 kilometres (160 miles). The journey took nine days through dense jungle, marshland, and up the eastern slope of Mount Kinabalu.
They were given rations for only four days.
Any man who collapsed from exhaustion was either killed or left to die by the side of the track. According to one of the six survivors, Keith Botterill:
"No effort whatsoever was made to bury the dead. They would just pull them five to fifteen yards off the track and bayonet them or shoot them depending on their condition."
The Third March: A Death Sentence
On 9 June 1945, the Japanese sent 75 prisoners on a final march. So weak were these men that none survived beyond 50 kilometres. As each man collapsed, he was shot by a Japanese guard. The prisoners left at Sandakan who could not walk were killed or died from starvation before the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945.
A Sacrifice for a Mate: The Story of Richard Murray
Private Richard Murray was one of the prisoners at Ranau. By May 1945, only about thirty prisoners remained alive.
Murray and Keith Botterill (who would later become one of the six survivors) stole rice from the Japanese to build up food stocks for an escape. When the theft was discovered, Murray stepped forward to take responsibility, knowing he would be killed.
He was bayonetted and his body thrown into a bomb crater at Ranau on 20 May 1945.
Murray sacrificed his life to save his mate – Botterill survived the war and lived for another 52 years.
A 90-Year-Old Witness Remembers
Alban Joseph Lagan was seven years old when he watched the prisoners being marched past his home near St Mary's Church in Sandakan.
"I remember the noise, the marching, the singing at three o'clock in the morning."
His father, Ernesto, was betrayed and shot dead in Kuching for helping escaped prisoners. Today, at 90, Alban still returns to Sandakan for the annual remembrance ceremony.
The Route Was Lost for 65 Years
The original Death March route through the Borneo jungle was lost for decades.
A tour operator named Wayne Wetherall spent years piecing it together using:
Japanese military records
Death certificates of POWs
Interviews with local carriers still alive in their 90s
His discovery: 20km of previously unknown track across the Maitland ranges.
"You can feel the energy coming out of the ground. This is a significant part of our history."
One such discovery: The site of Lalosing – a dense forest that was once a Japanese camp and POW site – had not been entered since the war. A local carrier named Ambugang, who was a child during the war, guided the expedition to its location.
The Grandson of the Japanese Commander Came to Apologize
Yoshio Baba is the 74-year-old grandson of Masao Baba, the Japanese commander of forces in Borneo who was executed for war crimes in 1947.
For decades, the family kept the story hidden. Then, in 2023, Yoshio and his son Takao became the first Japanese family to ever lay flowers at the Sandakan memorial.
Yoshio reflected:
"Even Japanese soldiers didn't want to die here. Everyone wanted to live, but it was war."
The Babas have vowed to continue coming back – to inspire other Japanese families to face this history alongside the people of Sabah.
The Brothers Who Never Came Home
Twins Fred and Cecil Glover were among the Australian prisoners at Sandakan. Cecil, suffering from malaria, was fatally wounded in an Allied air raid on the camp. Fred volunteered to join the march, hoping he could survive to take the news home to their mother.
He was shot halfway through the march – too exhausted to continue.
Neither brother came home.
The Mission to Thank the Helpers
In December 1946, a military mission was sent to Borneo to reward the natives who had aided the prisoners of war during the marches. Major H.W.S. Jackson represented the Australian Government, and Major R.K. Dyce represented the British Government.
They retraced stretches of the actual Death March track, travelling 185 miles on foot to find and thank those who had helped.
Why This Matters
The Sandakan Death March is a lesson in human endurance – and in the brutality of war. It also serves as a reminder that the war in Southeast Asia was not just a battle of armies. It was a human tragedy involving soldiers and civilians from many nations.
The marchers walked 260 kilometres through the jungle and over mountains. They suffered starvation, disease, and brutal treatment. And of the 2,500 men who started the journey, only six survived – all by escaping with the help of local villagers who risked their lives to help them.
As one of the six survivors, Keith Botterill, later said:
"The enemy broke our bodies, but they never broke our spirit."
📚 Further Reading on 1942MALAYA
Resources
Australian War Memorial – Sandakan-Ranau Death Marches – Official records and photographs of the mission to reward those who helped the survivors.
Australian Government Defence – Diggers retrace Sandakan Death March – Modern-day tribute by Australian soldiers retracing the march route.
Wikipedia – Sandakan Death Marches – Comprehensive overview of the marches, including dates, routes, and casualty figures.
Singapore War Crimes Trials – Records of the trials of Japanese officers for atrocities committed in Borneo.
Australian War Memorial – Fighting Monsters: An Intimate History of the Sandakan Tragedy – The story of Richard Braithwaite, one of the six survivors.
Comments
Post a Comment