Sandakan War Memorial Park Sabah

The site is just next to the actual POW (Prisoners of War) camp, which was set up during the World War Two Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945, which witnessed the death of 2400 Australian and British POWs held by the Japanese here.

This war memorial was officially opened on February 15, 1999. The memorial park is dedicated to the men who lost their lives in the Borneo Death Marches during the Second World War.

Sandakan War Memorial Park Sabah

One of the ponds at the Sandakan War Memorial Park.

On my trip to Sandakan in December 2009 to visit and document places of interest, I made it a point to stop here, as I had also visited the Kundasang War Memorial a couple of years back.

Getting to the Sandakan War Memorial Park was relatively easy. It is located 11 kilometres from Sandakan town, and my tour guide, Ben, arranged this at my last-minute request.

Sandakan Memorial Park.

We arrived at the Sandakan War Memorial Park at about 5.00 pm, just as it was about to close, and as we walked in, we saw several locals who utilized this park for their evening walks and exercise.

Once you step inside the park, you will see a beautiful pond filled with water lilies.

Walkways throughout the park.

Well-manicured lawns and concrete pathways show that the place has been cared for. It was an easy walk through the park, but bring mosquito repellent if you need it.

Sandakan Memorial Park information.

History of the Sandakan Memorial Park

In 1942, 2700 British and Australian soldiers were transported from Singapore to Sandakan and set to work building an airstrip.

By early 1945, many had died, but the surviving 1800 Australians and 600 British troops were force-marched to Ranau by the Japanese, where they were to start work on a new project.

Just six soldiers, all Australian, survived the 240-kilometre march through mud and jungle, and two of the six escaped into the jungle during the second march in June 1945.

Assisted by local people, they were eventually picked by Allied units. The other four escaped from Ranau in July and again, with the help of local people, were fed and hidden from the Japanese until the end of the War.

In total, 2,428 Australians and British POWs died at Sandakan, Ranau and during the Death Marches.

The Big Tree.

As you walk into the park, you will find numerous plaques and notices dedicated to this place. Stop and read them as they will tell you in detail about what happened at each spot.

Sandakan Memorial Plaque.

A substantial polished granite memorial is located within the POW camp’s original boundary. The famous ‘big tree’ and the camp guardhouse stood near the monument.

Also beside the big tree was the ‘cage’ in which many prisoners suffered brutal punishments during Borneo’s Japanese occupation.

WWII Boiler at the park.

Remains of a World War Two boiler are seen along the walk around the park. Walking around the park would take 45 minutes to an hour.

The path goes one big round, and along your walk, you will see remnants of the camp scattered around the park’s grounds.

WWII Excavator on display at the park.

A World War Two excavator is also on display along the park walk. In addition to the two items, there are some other remains of the original POW camp here. One was a kitchen area and a water storage unit just next to the mini-museum.

The Sandakan Death March route.

A plaque with some information about the Sandakan death march.

In a statement published on December 16, 2008, Australian Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Alan Griffin ranked the Sandakan Memorial Park as one of the very best memorials built to remember fallen Australian soldiers he has visited.

Sandakan War Memorial Commemorative Pavilion.

Located within the park is a small museum or commemorative pavilion where the inside is filled with wall-mounted displays of documented accounts of the prisoners’ lives at the camp, plus text panels, maps, and photographs that tell the story of the Sandakan POW camp and the ‘death marches’ to Ranau.

Details of the death camp mounted on the walls.

Death Camp model at Sandakan War Memorial Park.

An intricate model of the actual POW camp is also displayed in one section of the mini-museum, which shows you the actual camp details.

The Sandakan atrocity story.

The 6 Australian soldiers that survived the POW Camp at Sandakan.

Memorial Book for the soldiers.

Exiting the mini-museum at the park, we saw a book dedicated to all the soldiers who lost their lives.

This memorial book’s many pages include pictures of soldiers with notes from loved ones. Informative flyers are also available here, so check with the attendant if you are still looking for them.

A map of all the POW Camps throughout Asia.

Anzac Day Sandakan Sabah

Finally, an official Anzac Day Ceremony is held here every year in memory of the Australian, British and New Zealanders who suffered and died in this area.

Please check with your local travel agents if you are interested in participating in this annual event.

Also, to commemorate those who died and suffered the terrible atrocities, relatives and friends in Australia have initiated August 15 as the Sandakan Memorial Day.

If you are interested, below are some of them. You can also contact the Sabah Tourism Board‘s information centre for more information.