Forgotten, unsung WWII local heroes celebrated in book
On completion of my book, Kill the Major, I was well aware that I had not given due credit to the indigenous Borneo people who paid a heavy price for assisting the Semut guerrillas in their war against the Japanese and this led me to write ‘Forgotten Heroes’.
Paul Malone
MIRI: Australian author and journalist Paul Malone has written a book ‘Forgotten Heroes’ to pay tribute to the many forgotten and unsung heroes of Second World War from Sarawak whose contributions and names have largely been forgotten.
He had authored the book ‘Kill the Major’ which was published in 2020, describing vividly the story of the most successful Allied guerrilla war in Borneo where 42 Australian, New Zealand and British soldiers first landed in Bario to start the liberation of Borneo.
“On completion of my book, Kill the Major, I was well aware that I had not given due credit to the indigenous Borneo people who paid a heavy price for assisting the Semut guerrillas in their war against the Japanese and this led me to write ‘Forgotten Heroes’.
“Recently uncovered records of the recommendation revealed so many forgotten heroes and many in Sarawak paid a heavy price but were never on record and current generations are in the dark of their contributions and sacrifices,” he said.
This book aims at telling a series of stories of the courageous Sarawak people who fought and died assisting the Semut guerrillas in World War II. It would be best read together with ‘Kill the Major’ for a fuller account, he told The Borneo Post when met in Miri.
An email from retired colonel Kim Hoskin, whom he met at the commemoration in Bario last year, asking how much he knew of the recipients of King’s medal led him to search The National Archive, UK to uncover two files of documents with names and contributions recommended for this prestigious award for people of Sarawak and British North Borneo (now Sabah).
This led him to pen down the names in this book, offering fascinating stories behind the scenes of courage cited in the award and untold horrors of locals which were largely omitted or given passing mention in the past.
‘Forgotten Heroes’ was launched in Bario yesterday in conjunction with the 79th anniversary of the landing of eight paratroopers under the Z Special Unit of the Allied Forces – codenamed ‘Semut 1’ – led by Tom Harrison on March 25, 1945 in the Kelabit homeland of Bario.
The guerrillas trained up a 1,000 strong local rag-tag army which eventually saw the final surrender of the last batch of Japanese soldiers in Borneo, months after it was declared by the Japanese Emperor.
Semut I covered Trusan, Limbang and Padas rivers from mountains stretching from Kalimantan to Brunei Bay flowing to the west coast, while Major Toby Carter and Major Bill Sochon respectively commanded Semut II in Baram and Semut II in Rejang.
The book offers fascinating untold stories of the huge sacrifices and heroics of the locals by putting names, contributions and retributions suffered in the hands of the Japanese soldiers.
On the book cover, former federal minister and former Kapit district officer Tan Sri Datuk Amar Leo Moggie expressed his appreciation and recognition of the crucial role of local people who were mainly Dayaks from rural Sarawak in the success of the Semut operations in Sarawak.
He had the privilege to know personally some of the figures named in the book but was unaware of their brave exploits.
“Now, due recognition is recorded – to be known, honoured and remembered,” he said.
Rurum Kelabit Sarawak president Dato Dr Philip Raja, who has been closely associated with the hosting of commemoration events in Bario, agreed, saying it provided documentary proof of the critical role of Sarawak locals and native tribes during WWII.
Several of the Kelabit guerrillas were awarded medals of bravery.