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Grave Locations - Malaysia

Total Australian commemorations in Malaysia: 3,461 + 7 Australians in other Allied Units + Post war

RED - this indicates those cemeteries that have been completed.
BLUE - this indicates those cemeteries that have been offered for completion
BLACK - this indicates those cemeteries that have yet to be completed.

Status Current as of the 1st October 2007

 

KUALA LUMPUR (CHERAS ROAD) CIVIL CEMETERY, Malaysia

Location:

The Cemetery is situated south of Kuala Lumpur, to the left of Cheras Highway toll gates. It can be reached by turning left immediately after the toll gates. Crossing the car park, follow the top left hand lane to the end, thus reaching the Commonwealth Cemetery gate. The Commonwealth Cemetery is enclosed by a fence planted with climbers and hedges and backs onto the new highway. Many of the graves are of servicemen who died in Pudu Jail, a temporary prisoner of war camp.

Historical Information:

At the time of the Japanese invasion of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur was the headquarters of the 3rd Indian Corps. Early in 1941 part of the recently raised 8th Division of the Australian Infantry Force was assigned to Malaya, a territory of strategic importance to Australia. The headquarters divisional staff arrived on February 18th in advance of the main force, which numbered some 6,000 men, and the divisional headquarters and attached units were posted at Kuala Lumpur. As the Japanese moved successfully down the peninsula a temporary prisoner-of-war camp was established at Pudu jail, to which United Kingdom and Commonwealth serviceman were taken before being sent to Changi Camp on Singapore island. Some of them died, of wounds or sickness, while in this camp and were buried in the Cheras Road Civil Cemetery.

LABUAN WAR CEMETERY, Malaysia

Location:

Labuan is a small island in Brunei Bay, off the coast of north-west Borneo. The island is best reached by air from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, from where there are daily flights. There are also flights from Singapore and Manila. The cemetery lies on the right side of the Jalan Tanjong Batu road, which leads from the airport to the town. The Cemetery is close to the airport, within a short taxi ride, and about 3 kilometres from the Island's town, Victoria, Within the Cemetery will be found the Labuan Memorial and the Labuan Cremation Memorial.

LABUAN MEMORIAL, Malaysia

Location:

The Labuan Memorial stands in Labuan War Cemetery which is on the small island of Labuan (part of Sabah, Malaysia) in Brunei Bay, off the coast of north-west Borneo. The island is best reached by air from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, from where there are daily flights. There are also flights from Singapore and Manila. The Cemetery lies on the right side of the Jalan Tanjong Batu road, which leads from the airport to the town. It is approximately 0.5 kilometres from the airport and about 3 kilometres from the island's town of Victoria. The Labuan Memorial was primarily intended to commemorate the officers and men of the Australian Army and Air Force who died while prisoners of war in Borneo and the Philippines from 1942 to 1945, and during the 1945 operations for the recovery of Borneo, and who have no known grave. Subsequently, it was found that a number of men belonging to the local forces of North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei who were killed on war service also have no known grave, and they, too, are honoured here. Men of the Royal Australian Navy who lost their lives in the south-western Pacific region, and have no grave but the sea, are commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial in England, along with many of their comrades of the Royal Navy and of other Commonwealth Naval Forces. The Memorial consists of a colonnade forming a forecourt immediately inside the wrought iron gates of the main entrance to the cemetery. On the inner faces of the pillars are bronze panels on which are engraved the names of those whom it honours, and the dedicatory inscription given below is on the frieze facing the entrance: HEREON ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS WHO DIED WITHIN AND AROUND BORNEO DURING THE 1939-1945 WAR AND WHOSE GRAVES ARE KNOWN ONLY UNTO GOD.

Historical Information:

The Labuan Memorial was primarily intended to commemorate the officers and men of the Australian Army and Air Force who died while prisoners of war in Borneo and the Philippines from 1942 to 1945 and during the 1945 operations for the recovery of Borneo, and have no known grave. Subsequently it was found that a number of men belonging to the local forces of North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei who were killed on war service also have no known grave, and they too are honoured here. Men of the Royal Australian Navy who lost their lives in the south-western Pacific region, and have no grave but the sea, are commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial in England, along with many of their comrades of the Royal Navy and of other Commonwealth Naval Forces. This memorial consists of a colonnade forming a forecourt immediately inside the wrought iron gates of the main entrance to the cemetery. On the inner faces of the pillars are bronze panels on which are engraved the names of those whom it honours and the dedicatory inscription is on the frieze facing the entrance. Some of those whose names appear on the memorial are undoubtedly buried in unidentified graves in this cemetery.

PENANG (WESTERN ROAD) CEMETERY, Malaysia

Location:

The cemetery is on Burma Road (Jalan Burma), off Jalan Macalister West, off Jalan Scotland. The nearest landmark is a Youth Park. The Commonwealth war graves can be found halfway up and to the right of the central drive, and on the left side of the right hand drive.

Historical Information:

PENANG CEMETERY is within the Colony.

SANDAKAN CHRISTIAN CEMETERY, Malaysia

Sandakan is located on the east coast of Sabah, the north-eastern state of Malaysia.

 

TAIPING WAR CEMETERY, Malaysia

Location:

Taiping is a town in Perak State, about 97 kilometres south-east of Penang in the north- west of Malaysia. It can be reached by motorway either from Penang or from Ipoh, capital city of the state. Both Penang and Ipoh have airports. The cemetery is 2 kilometres from the town, past the open park on the road to the waterfall and swimming pool. Locally known as Perkuburan Peperangan Taiping; the Cemetery is on the Jalan Bukit Larut (Bukit Larut Road).

Historical Information:

At the time of the Japanese invasion of Malaya, Taiping was on the British line of retreat down the west coast. Its normal garrison of one Indian Infantry Battalion had been augmented, a casualty reception station organised, arrangements made with the civilian authorities for the provision of 500 beds for military patients, and 20 Combined General Hospital (Indian Army) had been posted there. During the fighting the Indian 6th and 15th Brigades used Taiping as a rest and re-fitment centre for a few days; and, as the withdrawal southwards developed, numerous Indian Army medical units worked there for short periods before each in turn had to move towards Singapore with the fighting forces. Taiping War Cemetery was created by the Army after the defeat of Japan for the reception of graves brought from the battlefields, from numerous temporary burial grounds, and from village and other civil cemeteries where permanent maintenance would not be possible. There are separate entrances to the two parts, the plots of Christian graves lying on the south-eastern side of the road and the Muslim and Gurkha graves on the opposite side. In the Muslim and Gurkha section the Stone of Remembrance stands in front of a high bank which forms the north-western boundary. The two small shelters in the cemetery have been constructed of local stone, and a low stone wall flanks the road on each side. There are now over 850, 1939-1945 war casualties commemorated in this site, more than 500 of whom are unidentified.

TELOK ANSON CATHOLIC CEMETERY, Malaysia                                                OTHER UNITS

Location:

Telok Anson is in Perak state, about 64 kilometres south-south-west of Ipoh. This cemetery is at the junction of Anderson Road and Canal Road, adjacent to the Protestant Cemetery which lies alongside St. Anthony's School. The one war grave is marked by a permanent private memorial.

 

 

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australianwargraves@bigpond.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

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