This country is at war with Germany. We shall go on to the end.

I remember the sheets of flame which came up and almost blinded us from our guns.

Borneo, the third largest island in the world, held immense strategic value during World War II and quickly became a top priority for Japanese control.

With its vast reserves of oil and rubber, the island was essential for fueling the Japanese war effort.

But Borneo would also become a tragic battleground

claiming the lives of countless prisoners of war,

internees, locals and even Japanese forces.

Joining me today is John Tulloch.

John has served with the Royal New Zealand Artillery

before transferring to the British Royal Attery,

gaining experience across the globe and instructing on the British Army's Jungle Warfare Course.

He is also the author of the Borneo Graveyard, 1941-45, which tells the story of Borneo's occupation and the deployment and eventual capture of five Royal Artillery Air Defence Sections

that were sent to Southeast Asia.

John, thanks for joining me.

Before we dive into the events of the war, it might be helpful to give listeners a bit of

background on Borneo itself.

I call it a country, but it's actually more complex than that, isn't it? It's

divided between the British and the Dutch. Right. Borneo was several countries. The bottom

part was Dutch Borneo, which is today's Kalimantan. And then you had Sarawak, which was,

it was actually a private country. You then had Brunei, which was a British

protectorate, and then you had British North Borneo, which again was a funny sort of organisation.

It was part British government, part chartered company. And then you had Lab one, which was again,

...