It is August 1945 and World War 2 is over. Japan has surrendered. As the Western world rejoices, deep in the jungles of British North Borneo the small number of remaining Australian and British prisoners of war are massacred. Of the 2434 prisoners incarcerated by the Japanese at the Sandakan POW camp, only six, all escapees have survived. The POW’s sent from Singapore in 1942-43 to work on airfield construction, endured frequent beatings, and were subjected to other, more diabolical punishment. Sustained only by an inadequate and ever diminishing rice ration and with little medical attention, many died of malnutrition, maltreatment and disease. In 1945, in response to an order from the Japanese High Command that no prisoners were to survive the war, those still able to walk were sent on a series of death marches into the interior. Anyone unable to keep up was ruthlessly murdered. Those left behind were systematically starved to death, or massacred. In late 1944, the Allied, aware that POW’s were being eliminated, had evolved a plan for their rescue - a rescue which, after months of bungling, was finally cancelled in April 1945, in the erroneous belief that the camp had b been evacuated. Gross incompetence and faulty intelligence were to blame for the failed rescue attempt. When it was realized that mistakes and stupidity were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of men, those at the highest level shifted the blame to others, before embarking upon a policy of willful and deliberate suppression. Lynette Silver, through painstaking research and interviews with survivors, as well as a study of Japanese records, has pieced together a detailed and highly readable account of the lives and ultimate fate of Sandakan’s POW’s. She tells a totally gripping and horrifying tale, not only of the prisoners, but the reasons why they, and their story, became World War 2’s most deadly secret.
Shipping Details
We provide shipping to most Australian addresses (excluding some areas outside of our courier's delivery zone).
We use a combination of Australia Post, Aramex and Direct Freight Express to get your order to you.
For an accurate shipping cost, add the items you want to your cart and enter your shipping area.
Orders of multiple items may come in separate parcels.
All returns must be started within 30 days of delivery. We kindly request that you don’t try to return the item without letting us know as every situation can be resolved differently.
Damaged, defective or incorrect items
Sometimes items are damaged during delivery, or have manufacturing defects. If this is the case or you have received an incorrect item, get in touch with us as soon as possible and we will do our best to fix as soon as we know. Visit our contact page to send a query.
Change of mind returns
Change of mind returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery for most items in resellable and unopened condition. Most items are eligible for free returns however each item in your order may have a different return policy. Some items cannot be returned due to change of mind.
To check the return policy for your item look on each item page for the returns section. Please note that the few items that are not eligible for free returns may incur a re-stocking fee in addition to having to pay for shipping to return the item.
,gravity=Center,allowExpansion)