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Sandakan MemorialPrint Page 
The plaque commemorates the 750 British and 1800 Australian prisoners who died at Sandakan and on death marches in World War Two. The plaque was donated by Mrs McGrath in memory of Archibald John McGlinn who died at Ranau in 1945.
After the fall of Singapore and Borneo to the Japanese, a prisoner of war camp was established just outside of Sandakan to house approximately 750 British and 1800 Australian prisoners who were sent to the camp during the period 1942-43.
In 1945, when the Japanese started to realise that the war may have been lost, and the Allies were closing in, the emaciated prisoners were force marched, in three separate marches, to the village of Ranau in the jungle, 250 kilometres away, under the shadows of Mount Kinabalu. Only six Australians of the 2400 prisoners survived the "death march" - they survived because they were able to escape from the camp at Ranau, or escaped during the march from Sandakan. No British prisoners survived.
Location
| Address: | Harbourview Crescent, Kirribilli Ex-Service Community & Bowling Club, Milsons Point, 2061 |
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| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -33.844136 Long: 151.209726 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
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| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | WW2 |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 03-September-1939 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 15-August-1945 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Saturday 1st August, 1992 |
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This plaque was unveiled by Father John Brendan Rogers, OFM Chaplain Sandakan and Kuching P.O.W. Camps British North Borneo 1943 - 1945 on August 1, 1992
In memory of 1800 Australian and 750 British members of the armed forces whilst prisoner of the Japanese at Sandakan during World War II.
There were only six survivors.
The 33 remaining survivors from the death marches were callously shot by the Japanese August 1, 1945.
The losses would have been greater had not the Japanese removed all by 12 of the officers to Kuching in 1943.
Sandakan Memorial Committee
Plaque donated by Mrs. E. McGrath in memory of NX6627 Gunner Archibald John McGlinn
Died Ranau 9 July 1945
We will remember them
