'Sandakan-Ranau Death Marches Reward Mission. At the latter end of 1946, a military mission in ...

'Sandakan-Ranau Death Marches Reward Mission. At the latter end of 1946, a military mission in charge of Major H W S Jackson, representing the Australian Government, and Major R K Dyce, representing the British Government, was sent to British North Borneo to repay and reward the natives who aided and succoured the Australian prisoners of war during the infamous Sandakan-Ranau death marches. In addition to other military personnel, Mr C Simpson went as writer for the ABC and BBC, and Mr W MacFarlane as recording technician. The Mission retraced stretches of the actual Death March track, and in all travelled 185 miles on foot.' Three members of a combined Australian-British Reward Mission after their arrival to retrace the path of the Sandakan-Ranau Death Marches which resulted in the deaths of some 1800 Australian and 600 British troops. The purpose of the Mission was to locate and reward natives who helped the Allied prisoners of war. From the left they are, V18803 Major H.W.S. Jackson, Australian Government representative and leader; Mr C. Simpson, Writer for the Australian Broadcasting Commission and British Broadcasting Corporation and Mr W. MacFarlane, Sound Recording Technician for the Australian Broadcasting Commission.