Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Norman died of illness at the hands of the Japanese on the 10th of July, 1945. He was aged 25.
Norman was one of the 2,400 Australian and British prisoners captured at Singapore in February 1942, and were members of the 8th Australian Division, British Army anti-aircraft gunners or Royal Air Force personnel.
His death is recorded as being as a result of the Sandakan Death Marches of 1945 in Borneo and his name is listed on the memorial at Wagga Wagga ( the names on the memorial list are those who served from the Riverina region).
Norman is also listed by the Australian War Memorial as being at the No. 2 Prisoner of War Jungle Camp at Ranau, Borneo.
Norman is listed as dying of illness.
The Sandakan Memorial in Wagga Wagga gives the following information:

In memory of 1800 Australians of the 8th Division A.I.F. and 750 British troops. They fought gallantly in the defence of Malaya and Singapore during World War II. Following the fall of Singapore, they became prisoners of the Japanese and were transported to Sandakan in British North Borneo, now Sabah, in 1942 to construct an airfield, where 900 died of ill-treatment.

By the end of 1944, when Allied Forces were within striking distance of Sandakan, the Japanese Command ordered the removal of prisoners inland to Ranau 165 miles (265 kilometres) west. On 29 January 1945, 470 prisoners guarded by 500 Japanese marched towards Ranau. Those unable to carry on were killed.

The Second March comprising 532 prisoners left Sandakan on 29 May 1945, 183 Arrived at Ranau on 26 June 1945. Only eight survived from the First March.

Of the 288 prisoners left at Sandakan there were no survivors.

On 1 August 1945, the surviving 22 prisoners at Ranau were massacred. Six who escaped were rescued by Special Forces.

This memorial honours those men who enlisted from the Southern Region of New South Wales.

Further to this a Third March was to take place the details of which are:

Approximately 250 people were left at Sandakan after the second march departed. Most prisoners were so ill that the Japanese initially intended to let them starve to death, forcing many to scavenge in the surrounding forest for food. However, on 9 June 1945 it was decided to send another group of 75 men on a final march. The remaining men were so weak that none survived beyond 50 kilometres (31 mi). As each man collapsed from exhaustion, he was shot by a Japanese guard. All remaining prisoners left at Sandakan who could not walk either were killed or died from a combination of starvation and sickness before the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945.

The evidence of the date and listed cause of his death suggests that Norman was one of the 250 who were left at the time of the third march and that he died from “a combination of starvation and sickness. He was not one of the 75 men listed on the Final march.
Of the 1290 Australian Prisoners of War on the three marches, six survived.

Norman is listed as having “no known grave.Known unto God.”
Norman died on the 10 th of July, 1945. Japan surrendered just over a month later on the 15 th of August, 1945.