Malaya and Borneo Archives - CONTACT magazine

Diggers retrace Sandakan Death March to pay tribute

In 1942, under Japanese occupation, Australian prisoners of war were sent to Sandakan in Borneo, Malaysia, to build an airstrip.

As part of their three-month deployment to Malaysia, soldiers from Rifle Company Butterworth (RCB) rotation 144 were given the opportunity

Known as Malaya and Borneo Veterans’ Day, today recognises Australian military personnel who served in two historical campaigns – the