Retracing the Sandakan Death March – Kevin Vallely, Frank Wolf
In 1945, 2500 Australian and British POW’s died at the hands of the Japanese during forced jungle marches in the region of Sabah, Borneo.
“The Sandakan Death March went down in infamy as arguably the worst atrocity ever suffered by Australian soldiers, but it remains largely invisible on the historical map. The details of the event were so shocking that it was easier for the Australian government to withhold information than go public. It is only in the last few years that the story has come to light. When I approached authorities in Borneo with my idea of retracing the Death March route, they told me it would be a first since the war, 61 years earlier.”
In 2006, Kevin Vallely and Frank Wolf joined 9 Australian military personnel as they retraced the 250 km route of the march for the first time in 61 years. The journey would take them six exhausting days.