In 1942 and 1943 the Japanese brought about 2700 Australians and British POWs to Sandakan POW camp. Most of them had been captured at the surrender at Singapore, in February 1942. The POWs were used as a labour force to build a military airstrip in Sandakan. In late 1944, as the Allies advanced in the Pacific, the airstrip was bombed and destroyed. Early in 1945 the Japanese decided to move the POWs 240 kilometres west into the mountains to the small valley settlement of Ranau, immediately below the majestic Mt Kinabalu, rising 4,095.2m above sea level (13,435 ft). On three forced marches between January and June 1945 approximately 500 prisoners died. The remainder died at Ranau or at the Sandakan camp.

By the end of August 1945, all POWs were dead except for six Australian survivors. No British survived.

Two of the six escaped into the jungle during the second march in June 1945. Assisted by local people, they were eventually picked by Allied units. The other four escaped from Ranau in July and again, with the help of local people, were fed and hidden from the Japanese until the end of the War. A total of 2,428 Australians and British POWs died at Sandakan, Ranau or on the Death Marches.