Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation Fundraiser
Many thanks to Hood Sweeney for their kind donation and to everyone who bought raffle tickets and sold books on my behalf as part of the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation Fundraiser “Sandakan - march for a cause”. We raised $7,201. The money raised will purchase incubators for sick babies to give them a fighting chance of survival.
Sandakan Trek
Allied POWs were transferred to Sandakan in 1942 to construct a military airfield. In 1945 it was decided to move the POWs. A track had been cut through the mountains across the most inhospitable terrain. There was no medical assistance and little food.
Back at Sandakan the death toll rose to about 1400. Of the 1000-odd prisoners who left on the death marches, approximately half died along the trek. Those who survived the trek died at their destination. Of the 2434 POWs at Sandakan, 1787 were Australian, the remaining 641 were British. Six Australians who escaped were the sole survivors.
Leaving Adelaide on 23 April 2011, I will be trekking for six days, for approximately 7 hours per day covering the last 140km of the route across the mountains.
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