The group’s story - answering the call from The Old Sandakians
The Old Sandakians were a group of WWII Prisoners returned from Sandakan, formed on their relocation to Kuching POW prison in October 1943 after the discovery, by the Kempeitai, of POW underground activities.
This band of gentle men set about building memorials to the POW of Sandakan to remember those who suffered there and on the Death Marches to Ranau. The bronze relief atop these memorials indicates the 260km route through jungle and mountainous terrain from Sandakan on the East coast of North Borneo (now Sabah) to Ranau, below Mt. Kinabalu.
NEW FARM PARK BRISBANE
The Old Sandakians disbanded at their last meeting in Roseville, Sydney in 2007. The Queensland memorial had been finished in New Farm Park and only a few Queenslanders remained. Two of the Queenslanders, Maj. Ken Fox (1st Patron) & Lt. Bunny Glover called for the next generation to carry on the protection of the memorial and to keep the little-known Story of Sandakan POW from fading into the past.
A group of eight, children of returned Sandakan POW, soon grew to 26 in 2009 with other family and interested friends. In 2010 the Association was incorporated and membership expanded within five years to over 140 Association members throughout Queensland and other states of Australia. Including 3 of the returned Sandakan POW. Most members had a relative imprisoned at Sandakan either returned or had died there, or on the infamous Death Marches from the POW Camp, at the 8 Mile mark from Sandakan, to Ranau.
Our Co-Patrons in 2025 being Andrew Fraser (Grandson of a Sandakan POW & QLD Minister) and the Hon. Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO, FAAL, FASSA former Governor of Queensland and the first female Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia.
The work of our Association and its Committee is to help with the organisation of an Anzac Day service, at the New Farm Park Memorial site, each year and to keep the Story alive by this remembrance service. Attendance has grown from 100 to 1000+. Other community groups involved in the service have included the RSL, Scouts, Rotary, Lions along with other much appreciated community participants.
List of the Other Sandakan POW Memorials, Sites built in 1990’s – The Sandakan Memorial Foundation established the following memorial sites:
| Location | Date | Honour Roll |
|---|---|---|
| Burwood Park, Burwood N.S.W. | 01.08.1993 | Honour Roll 522 |
| Anzac Park, Tamworth N.S.W. | 31.07.1994 | Honour Roll 165 |
| Victory Gardens, Wagga Wagga N.S.W. | 28.08.1994 | Honour Roll 155 |
| Maitland Park, Maitland N.S.W. | 11.12.1994 | Honour Roll 149 |
| Strathdale Park, Bendigo Victoria | 09.05.1995 | Honour Roll 496 |
| New Farm Park, Brisbane Queensland | 24.09.1995 | Honour Roll 255 |
Boyup Brook Perth W.A the 1st Memorial organised, prior to the Foundation—Honour Roll 137
This Memorial was moved to Marri Walk, Kings Park & Botanic Garden in Perth in 2005
Sandakan Story & Related Publications
“The Boy from Bowen” Diary of a Sandakan POW
- Leslie Bunn Glover
ISBN: 9780646551258
Publisher Information: Kristan Enterprises 2013 (limited copies from the QLD Assoc.)
“One Family’s Unselfish Sacrifice”
- Melvyn, Olga & Gabriel Funk
ISBN: 9781921681417
Publisher Information: Published by Book Pal 2010
“Fighting Monsters” an intimate history of the Sandakan Tragedy
- Richard Wallace Braithwaite
ISBN: 978-1-925333-76-3
Publisher Information: Australian Scholarly Publishing Victoria 2016
“Defying the Odds” – Surviving Sandakan & Kuching
- Michelle Cunningham (daughter of POW Tom Earley)
ISBN: 100734409176
Publisher Information: Hatchette Livre Australia - Reprint ’02 / ’03 / ‘06
“Hell on Earth” Sandakan – Australia’s greatest war tragedy
- Michelle Cunningham
ISBN: 978 0 7336 2689 1
Publisher Information: Hachette Australia Sydney 2013
“the Story of Billy Young”
- Anthony Hill
ISBN: 940547252092
Publisher Information: Penguin Books 2012
“Borneo Surgeon” the story of Dr James Taylor
- Peter Firkins
ISBN: 0859052117
Publisher Information: Hesperian Press WA 1995
“The War”
- Danny Wong Tze Ken
ISBN: 978-983-3987-37-5
Publisher Information: Opus Publications Kota Kinabalu 2010
“Land Below the Wind”
- Agnus Newton Keith
ISBN: 983-812-083-9
Publisher Information: Published by Natural History Publications (Borneo) Malaysia 1939
“Sandakan” the untold story of the Sandakan Death Marches
- Paul Ham
ISBN: 978 1 86471 140 0
Publisher Information: Published by Random House Australia 2012
“Blood Brothers”
- Lynette Ramsay Silver
ISBN: 9799833987399
Publisher Information: Opus Publications Kota Kinabalu
Sandakan “Conspiracy of Silence”
- Lynette Ramsay Silver
ISBN: 1863512446
Publisher Information: Sally Milner Publishing
The Duke
- David Mathews (son of Lionel Mathews)
ISBN: 9781740084864
Publisher Information: Seaview Press West Lakes S.A. / 2008
Ceasars Ghost
- Robyn Arvier (Maurie Arvier)
ISBN: 0646416324
Publisher Information: 24 Freeland Cr. Launceston 7250 / Printed by Bokprint 69 Boland St. Launceston ’01 / ‘02
“The Battalion Story” 2/26th Infantry Battalion
- Lt. Col. Ron Magarry
ISBN: 0646820582
Publisher Information: Written & Published by R Magarry 5 Canowie Rd. Jindalee 4074
“Abandoned” Australians at Sandakan 1945
- Don Wall 1990
ISBN: 0731691695
Publisher Information: Printed by Griffin Press Adelaide
Sandakan “The Last March”
- Don Wall
ISBN: 064639073
Publisher Information: Don Wall Publications 98 Darley St West Mona Vale 2103 / Aug ’88 / 5th Ed ’97 / Reprint ’03 / ‘07
From Hell to Eternity
- Peter Firkins
ISBN: 0-586-06355-2
Publisher Information: Printed by Panther Books 1985 - Granada Publishing London Peter is a West Australian who served in the RAAF
Three Came Home
- Agnes Keith
ISBN: 978-9833987283
Publisher Information: 1st Published by Little, Brown & Co. Boston / OPUS Publications Kota Kinabalu Malaysia ‘08
Laden Fevered Starved
- Dept. of Vet Affairs
Publisher Information: available from the Australian War Memorial via the WEB
The group’s story – 1st 10 Years at work
In DECEMBER 2009 the group’s invitation to be founding Co-Patrons was accepted by Maj. (Ret.) Ken Fox, a Sandakan Foundation Queensland committee controller, returned Sandakan POW along with the Hon Andrew Fraser, QLD. Treasurer & grandson of returned Sandakan POW Jim Fraser. The group became an Incorporated NFP Association in February 2010.
May 2010 Bunny Glover, Russ Ewin & Billy Young Returned Sandakan POW at AWM Sandakan Service in the Memorial Gardens.
2010 Australia’s first Governor General to visit Sabah makes a visit for the Sandakan Memorial Day service at the POW Camp Memorial Park 15th August.
2010 Significant change to the Queensland memorial was approved and preparations commenced by the Committee. As the number of Sandakan POW were dwindling and more of the POW Story became known, an upgrade to the Queensland memorial to include a plaque beside the Story Plaque with the names of Returned Queensland POW complete the Roll of POW at Sandakan, enlisted or from Queensland. Dedicated in February 2011.
2011 Another project was underway for a Sandakan POW plaque in Cairns North Queensland, remembering those Sandakan POW of North Queensland. Plans included planting a Rain Tree from North Borneo adjacent. This was completed during the dedication of the Avenue of Honour at Yungaburra remembering Service in Afghanistan in June 2013. Russ Ewin joined the QUEENSLAND Association. Providing expressions of approval in the Sandakan POW Camp site Memorial upgrade by War Graves. Floods impacted New Farm Park requiring generator power to conduct the Anzac Day service.
2012 A programme of information on the Sandakan Story for schools was compiled and provided to some primary schools with Bunny Glover and Committee attending talks around Anzac Day gathering interest for Education Dept support.
The Association organised an exhibition at the Butter Factory, Logan City Historical Museum in Kingston for the 70th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore in February 1942.
2013 The group held a lunch ‘Conversations’ with two returned Sandakan POW Bunny Glover and Russ Ewin at New Farm, which allowed people to ask questions along with the POW members having a conversation about their experiences. Russ spoke about the underground movement and Capt. Lionel Matthews.
2014 was more of a quite year for the Group, with the passing of the generation of POW & their widows connected to us.
Joyce Braithwaite, twice widowed of Sandakan POW, Gnr. Wal Blatch (who died on the 2nd Death March) and married to Bdr J.R. Braithwaite in 1946. Cyril Gilbert OAM POW at Thailand railway construction passed away, a driving force in the Ex-POW Association. Anthony White (Returned Sandakan POW), who loved walking in the Blue Mountains in his earlier years had recalled, at difficult times as a POW, he would close his eyes and conjure up the views and walks he remembered there.
There were increasing numbers at the Anzac Day rememberance services held at the Queensland Sandakan Memorial and in Association membership. Michael and Quentin Bryce become members of the Queensland Association with Dame Quentin Bryce accepting an invitation to be Co-Patron of the Association. Ken Fox was finding it difficult to commit to any work, now residing in a care home.
2015 Remembrance service on Anzac Day was also well attended. Works commitments to improve the Memorial surrounds by BCC with assistance from our Assoc. member Councillor Vicki Howard & the Parks team at BCC. The Melbourne Cup was organised to visit Sandakan and the POW Camp Memorial as part of the Melbourne Cup tradition of ‘travelling’ the Cup’ around Australia and abroad, with the help of Sandakan POW Bunny Glover and his brother in-law John from Kurumba Nth Qld.
Association members and friends again joined those in Sandakan for the Sandakan Day Memorial service. This visit included that years Melbourne Cup (inclusive of security) visiting Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan cities.
A replica of the Sandakan POWs 1942 Melbourne Cup, used by the POW to hold an Aussie Melbourne Cup event during a Sunday’s day of rest for Prisoners, was presented to the Sandakan Council President James Wong, for the local Sandakan History Museum.
2015 This Melbourne Cup Tour, in memory of the activities of the POW at Sandakan camp in 1942, was followed up by a talk by one of the last Sandakan POW, at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne with the two cups on display (thanks to the AWM for loan of the Sandakan POW relic).
2016 The association supported Bunny Glover with submissions to the Defence Honours & Awards Appeals Tribunal inquiry into recognition for Far East Prisoners of War who were killed whilst escaping or following recapture for, Sgt Rex Butler SX2600; Pte Keith Costin QX15730; Gnr Wally Crease NX38584; Cpl Edward Emmett NX51899; Pte John Fletcher VX47892; Driver Herman Reither VX48478; Pte Edward Skinner NX41647; Pte Sidney Webber NX53777; Pte Alexander Wilmott NX78032. Lt Les ‘Bunny’ Glover provided sworn submission with questioning from the Tribunal members. The findings in 2017, provided for Emmett and Webber be recommended for Commendation for Gallantry.
Returned POW and Association member Russ Ewin turned and celebrated his 100th birthday in Sydney with family and friends. School visits were undertaken presenting information and talks to students about the Sandakan POW story.
2017 The association hired a large display unit for the Anzac Day service, enabling Video content of Sandakan video and images to those attending. Being the 75th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore during WWII the committee agreed to add to the service in remembrance. Other activities included gathering content, requesting input from members for upgrading the Web presence.
Prof. Claire Jackson AM became President with Arthur Eustace Earl taking over as Secretary from Jeff Hufer of the Queensland Association.
Sadly, Russ Ewin passed away. Leaving Bunny Glover and Billy Young as the last of the Returned Sandakan POW soldiers.
2018 The Queensland New Farm Memorial had the area improved with porphyry stone, recycled from another memorial site, with thanks to approvals and the Brisbane City Council.
The Association suffered another loss with passing of Patriarch Bunny Glover. The last returned Sandakan POW from Queensland. Thoughts and memories of his drive and passion for remembering the Sandakan Story were expressed in Anzac Day service speeches this year.
2019 The Queensland POW remembrance plaque at St Marys Church’s reflection gardens was initiated. There was a large attendance for the Anzac Day service at the New Farm Memorial and at a 25th Anniversary (of the QLD Memorial dedication) function which followed in New Farm, the Association Committee was presented with a Centenary Armistice Medallion from the City-New Farm RSL Sub-Branch President.
2020 Covid 19 and restrictions in Queensland resulted in the Memorials 25th Anniversary remembrance Service, planned for September 2019 delayed until November 2020 with safe distancing implemented. This year’s Anzac Day service was cancelled with a few locals able to visit the site and pay their respects. Most people may remember an Anzac Day tribute from driveways at dawn on Anzac Day 2020.
