James became a member of the Army at Mackay, Queensland on 28 April 1941.
He travelled to Bathurst, New South Wales as a one of the first Re-inforcements of 2/26 Battalion, where he finished his training and travelled with original Battalion members when they left Australia on 31 July 1941.
Australian prisoners were first sent to Sandakan, Borneo in 1942 to build an airstrip. On 7 July 1942, those selected as part of "B" Force left Changi bound for the wharves and the ship which would take them to Sandakan. After loading, the ship sat in Singapore Harbour for over 2 days before commencing its journey.
Ten days later they arrived at Borneo, disembarking in the afternoon. During 1942, their life was bearable and they lost very few men but in 1943 there was a change. New Formosan guards and the discovery of an Allied intelligence network led to harsh reprisals.
Those at Sandakan were subjected to ever-harsher conditions - The POWs' health and diet deteriorated and, in late 1944, Allied bombing raids caused a further reduction in the men's daily rice ration. By January 1945, their Japanese rice issue stopped altogether and they were given approximately 85 grams per day from accumulated stores built up by the POWs themselves.
The Japanese decided to move the large group of prisoners at Sandakan nearly 300 kilometres further west to the town of Ranau. Two groups of these debilitated and starving men were marched 260 kilometres through the jungle. Those who were too ill to leave Sandakan were left there to die and hundreds of other men died during the two death marches.
James whose Japanese PoW number was 439, survived the 2nd death march, died at Ranau Jungle Camp from acute enteritis and was buried in the main cemetery at Ranau Jungle Camp.
His body was unable to be found identified by War Graves after the war and he is remember on Panel 15 of the Labuan Memorial.
He is commemorated in Australia at The Australian War Memorial, Canberra; The POW Memorial Wall, Ballarat, Victoria.
He travelled to Bathurst, New South Wales as a one of the first Re-inforcements of 2/26 Battalion, where he finished his training and travelled with original Battalion members when they left Australia on 31 July 1941.
Australian prisoners were first sent to Sandakan, Borneo in 1942 to build an airstrip. On 7 July 1942, those selected as part of "B" Force left Changi bound for the wharves and the ship which would take them to Sandakan. After loading, the ship sat in Singapore Harbour for over 2 days before commencing its journey.
Ten days later they arrived at Borneo, disembarking in the afternoon. During 1942, their life was bearable and they lost very few men but in 1943 there was a change. New Formosan guards and the discovery of an Allied intelligence network led to harsh reprisals.
Those at Sandakan were subjected to ever-harsher conditions - The POWs' health and diet deteriorated and, in late 1944, Allied bombing raids caused a further reduction in the men's daily rice ration. By January 1945, their Japanese rice issue stopped altogether and they were given approximately 85 grams per day from accumulated stores built up by the POWs themselves.
The Japanese decided to move the large group of prisoners at Sandakan nearly 300 kilometres further west to the town of Ranau. Two groups of these debilitated and starving men were marched 260 kilometres through the jungle. Those who were too ill to leave Sandakan were left there to die and hundreds of other men died during the two death marches.
James whose Japanese PoW number was 439, survived the 2nd death march, died at Ranau Jungle Camp from acute enteritis and was buried in the main cemetery at Ranau Jungle Camp.
His body was unable to be found identified by War Graves after the war and he is remember on Panel 15 of the Labuan Memorial.
He is commemorated in Australia at The Australian War Memorial, Canberra; The POW Memorial Wall, Ballarat, Victoria.
James became a member of the Army at Mackay, Queensland on 28 April 1941.
He travelled to Bathurst, New South Wales as a one of the first Re-inforcements of 2/26 Battalion, where he finished his training and travelled with original Battalion members when they left Australia on 31 July 1941.
Australian prisoners were first sent to Sandakan, Borneo in 1942 to build an airstrip. On 7 July 1942, those selected as part of "B" Force left Changi bound for the wharves and the ship which would take them to Sandakan. After loading, the ship sat in Singapore Harbour for over 2 days before commencing its journey.
Ten days later they arrived at Borneo, disembarking in the afternoon. During 1942, their life was bearable and they lost very few men but in 1943 there was a change. New Formosan guards and the discovery of an Allied intelligence network led to harsh reprisals.
Those at Sandakan were subjected to ever-harsher conditions - The POWs' health and diet deteriorated and, in late 1944, Allied bombing raids caused a further reduction in the men's daily rice ration. By January 1945, their Japanese rice issue stopped altogether and they were given approximately 85 grams per day from accumulated stores built up by the POWs themselves.
The Japanese decided to move the large group of prisoners at Sandakan nearly 300 kilometres further west to the town of Ranau. Two groups of these debilitated and starving men were marched 260 kilometres through the jungle. Those who were too ill to leave Sandakan were left there to die and hundreds of other men died during the two death marches.
James whose Japanese PoW number was 439, survived the 2nd death march, died at Ranau Jungle Camp from acute enteritis and was buried in the main cemetery at Ranau Jungle Camp.
His body was unable to be found identified by War Graves after the war and he is remember on Panel 15 of the Labuan Memorial.
He is commemorated in Australia at The Australian War Memorial, Canberra; The POW Memorial Wall, Ballarat, Victoria.
He travelled to Bathurst, New South Wales as a one of the first Re-inforcements of 2/26 Battalion, where he finished his training and travelled with original Battalion members when they left Australia on 31 July 1941.
Australian prisoners were first sent to Sandakan, Borneo in 1942 to build an airstrip. On 7 July 1942, those selected as part of "B" Force left Changi bound for the wharves and the ship which would take them to Sandakan. After loading, the ship sat in Singapore Harbour for over 2 days before commencing its journey.
Ten days later they arrived at Borneo, disembarking in the afternoon. During 1942, their life was bearable and they lost very few men but in 1943 there was a change. New Formosan guards and the discovery of an Allied intelligence network led to harsh reprisals.
Those at Sandakan were subjected to ever-harsher conditions - The POWs' health and diet deteriorated and, in late 1944, Allied bombing raids caused a further reduction in the men's daily rice ration. By January 1945, their Japanese rice issue stopped altogether and they were given approximately 85 grams per day from accumulated stores built up by the POWs themselves.
The Japanese decided to move the large group of prisoners at Sandakan nearly 300 kilometres further west to the town of Ranau. Two groups of these debilitated and starving men were marched 260 kilometres through the jungle. Those who were too ill to leave Sandakan were left there to die and hundreds of other men died during the two death marches.
James whose Japanese PoW number was 439, survived the 2nd death march, died at Ranau Jungle Camp from acute enteritis and was buried in the main cemetery at Ranau Jungle Camp.
His body was unable to be found identified by War Graves after the war and he is remember on Panel 15 of the Labuan Memorial.
He is commemorated in Australia at The Australian War Memorial, Canberra; The POW Memorial Wall, Ballarat, Victoria.
Inscription
Australian Infantry
Gravesite Details
QX18656
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