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Sandakan Prisoner of War Death Camp MemorialPrint Page 
Two rain trees commemorate World War Two servicemen from the Cairns region who suffered and died while prisoners of war (POW) in Sandakan and on the death marches to Ranau in North Borneo.
The Sandakan Death Marches were a series of forced marches in Borneo from Sandakan to Ranau which resulted in the deaths of 2345 Allied prisoners of war held captive by the Empire of Japan during the Pacific campaign of World War Two in the Sandakan POW Camp.
By the end of the war, of all the prisoners who had been incarcerated at Sandakan and Ranau, only six Australians survived, all of whom had escaped. It is widely considered to be the single worst atrocity suffered by Australian servicemen during World War Two.
Location
| Address: | Tinaburra Drive, near Avenue of Honour, Yungaburra , 4884 |
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| State: | QLD |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -17.250879 Long: 145.582452 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Trees |
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| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | WW2 |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | 2013 |
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Sandakan P. O. W. Death Camp Memorial
This Rain Tree from Borneo is planted to honour the memory of the World War II servicemen of the Cairns Region who served Australia and its citizens and died from starvation disease or were murdered at the Sandakan Japanese P.O.W. Camp and on death marches to Ranau, North Borneo.
Four men returned home.
Of 1800 Australian and 750 British P.O.W. sent to Sandakan more than 95% did not survive. Only 6 AIF soldiers escaped from the death marches to be rescued from the horror by the 9th Div. Troops. On August 27th 1945, 13 days after the war ended, the last 15 P.O.W. were executed at Ranua P.O.W. camp.
May we that are left never forget the horror these P.O.W. from Cairns Region suffered.
[ Names ]
Lest we Forget
