Places | |
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Accession Number | 121752 |
Collection type | Photograph |
Object type | Negative |
Maker |
Burke, Frank Albert Charles |
Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
BERHALA ISLAND, NORTH BORNEO 1945-10-23. AN AUSTRALIAN INSPECTION PARTY ASHORE ON BERHALA ISLAND. ...
BERHALA ISLAND, NORTH BORNEO 1945-10-23. AN AUSTRALIAN INSPECTION PARTY ASHORE ON BERHALA ISLAND. QX21058 CAPTAIN R. K. MCLAREN MC, SERVICES RECONNAISSANCE DEPARTMENT (SRD) AND "Z" SPECIAL FORCE (CENTRE), IS TALKING WITH LOCAL A CHINESE WHO POINTED OUT A JAPANESE DUMMY ANTI AIRCRAFT GUN. THE PARTY INCLUDED VX108088 CAPTAIN L. G. DARLING, PRISONER OF WAR LIAISON OFFICER 9TH DIVISION; SQUADRON LEADER BIRCHALL, RAAF AND CAPTAIN HOUGHTON OF WAR GRAVES. BERHALA ISLAND IN SANDAKAN HARBOUR WAS THE SITE OF THE FORMER BRITISH QUARANTINE STATION AND LEPER COLONY AND WAS USED BY THE JAPANESE TO HOUSE ALLIED PRISONERS OF WAR AND INTERNEES. CAPTAIN MCLAREN (THEN A PRIVATE WITH THE 2/10TH FIELD WORKSHOPS) ESCAPED FROM BERHALA ON 1943-06-04, THE EVENING BEFORE THE JAPANESE MOVED THE PRISONERS TO THE SANDAKAN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP. SOON AFTER HE WENT TO TAWITAWI WHERE HE AND HIS FELLOW ESCAPEES JOINED THE GUERRILLA MOVEMENT BEFORE BEING EVACUATED TO AUSTRALIA.