SANDAKAN MEMORIAL

BOYUP BROOK WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Boyup Brook Memorial

In 1991, Ted McLaughlin, an ex-POW of the Japanese and a resident of Boyup Brook in Western Australia erected a memorial in Boyup Brook in memory of three of his friends who had died at Sandakan, and to all those who had perished in Borneo. To Ted’s surprise, over 200 people turned up, many from hundreds of kilometres away, for the dedication of the memorial. Boyup Brook was the first place in Australia to erect a Sandakan Memorial. In September 1993, over 300 came to Boyup Brook for a Sandakan Memorial Service. This led to the erection and dedication of an even larger memorial on 14 th September 1994. Its centrepiece is the original Memorial erected by Mr E. McLaughlin in 1991. This memorial now contains the names of all those Western Australian soldiers who had died at Sandakan.

Location:
Behind Shire Council Offices at Boyup Brook Western Australia

Description:
Granite plinth on four shaped, sawn granite bases. There are four bronze name panels at the base and a bronze panel on top of the granite centerpiece.

Inscription:
1942 to 1945

This memorial commemorates the 2000 Australians who died as Prisoners of the Japanese at Sandakan Camp, and on the Death March to Ranau in North Borneo during 1944 to 1945. Of the 2500 Australian and British P.O.W in Sandakan only 6 survived.

Recorded are the names of the 130 West Australian POWs who died in Borneo.

On the plaque is a map of the South China Sea area, showing where these acts took place, covering Borneo, North Borneo and Labuan Areas.

A Remembrance Service is held at Boyup Brook on the second Tuesday in September every year.

Both the Shire of Boyup Brook and the Boyup Brook Lions Club support the concept of the Annual Sandakan Remembrance Service. Lion Grant Wardle of Boyup Brook has been co-ordinating this service for many years. Grant and his small band of helpers are to be commended for the ongoing effort in ensuring this Annual Sandakan Remembrance Service continues. Well done Grant.