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It became clear that Japan was losing the war so the Commanding officer Susumi Hoshijima ordered marches across wide marshland, dense jungle, and then up the eastern slope of Mount Kinabalu occurred between January and March 1945. The Japanese had selected 470 prisoners who were thought to be fit enough to carry baggage and supplies for the accompanying Japanese battalions relocating to the western coast. In several groups the POWs, all of whom were either malnourished or suffering serious illness, started the journey originally under the intention of reaching Jesselton (Kota Kinabalu). Although the route took nine days, they were given enough rations for only four days. As on the Bataan Death March, any POWs who were not fit enough or collapsed from exhaustion were either killed or left to die en route. Upon reaching Ranau, the survivors were halted and ordered to construct a temporary camp. As one historian later commented: "Those who survived... were herded into insanitary and crowded huts to then die from dysentery. By 26 June, only five Australians and one British soldier were still alive. Due to a combination of a lack of food and brutal treatment at the hands of the Japanese, there were only 38 prisoners left alive at Ranau by the end of July. All were too unwell and weak to do any work, and it was ordered that any remaining survivors should be shot. They were killed by the guards during August, possibly up to 12 days after the end of the war on 14 August. Furthermore, it has been estimated that 16% of the population of North Borneo were killed during the three years of Japanese occupation, a reflection of the sheer brutality. In total, only six Australian servicemen managed to escape. During the second marches, Gunner Owen Campbell and Bombardier Richard Braithwaite managed to escape into the jungle, where they were assisted by locals and eventually rescued by Allied units. During July, Private Nelson Short, Warrant Officer William Sticpewich, Private Keith Botterill and Lance Bombardier William Moxham managed to escape from Ranau and were also helped by the local people, who fed them and hid them from the Japanese until the end of the war. Of the six survivors, only four (Sticpewich, Botterill, Short, & Campbell) survived the lingering effects of their ordeal to give evidence at various war crimes trials in both Tokyo and Rabaul. The world was able to receive eyewitness accounts of the crimes and atrocities committed. Captain Hoshijima was found guilty of war crimes and hanged on 6 April 1946. Capt Takakuwa and his second-in-charge, Capt Watanabe Genzo, were found guilty of causing the murders and massacres of prisoners-of-war and were hanged and shot on 6 April 1946 and 16 March 1946 respectively. My uncle John was a member of the RAFVR was murdered by Japanese Guards 26th March 1945 aged 22. The Japanese reported my uncle John died of Malaria, they forgot to add brutal beating and treatment and lack of rations and medical treatment. As my uncle has no known grave his name is on the wall of Kranji War Memorial along with thousands of others. It was reported that Captain Hoshijima bit the executioner as the noose was placed around his neck. By all accounts he was a sadistic bastard who took great pleasure in causing pain and suffering on Allied POW's. |
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There were three RAF flying operational bases, Tengah, Changi and Seletar and a few satellite stations as well as army Royal Signal bases. |
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Driving from the hotel out to Kranji I remember them being on the right hand side of the road near or on a large sweeping lefthand curve in the road.
Looking at Google maps I suspect it was Bukit Timah Satellite Earth Station so he may have been pulling our legs as well although the dishes did not look that big. ![]() If you want to look it up we stayed at the Ramada hotel so you can check possible routes to Kranji via Google maps https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bu...!4d103.7912177 |
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