WAGGA and district men who died in the Fall of Singapore or as prisoners of war afterwards were honoured at a commemorative service on Wednesday.
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About 70 people attended the service at the Sandakan Memorial in the Victory Memorial Gardens, 75 years to the day after Japanese forces inflicted one of the heaviest Allied defeats of World War II.
Keynote speaker Michael Johnston said 22,000 Australian soldiers were captured at Singapore, while 7500 Allied soldiers, including Australians, died in the fighting leading up to the February 15, 1942, surrender.
“Of the 22,000 Australians made prisoner of war, nearly one in three, being about 8000, died in captivity,” Mr Johnston said.
He said among the men who died in the fighting were WA Folkard, RF Howard, GW Miller (all Wagga), KF Murphy (Marrar) and LA Tipping (Coolamon).
Among those who died as prisoners were JJ Crandall (Adelong, in Japan), JE Hughes (Batlow, in Thailand) and HW Wilmot (Coolamon, in Burma).
The service included the laying of wreaths on the Sandakan Memorial by representatives of ex-service organisations and representatives of the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force.
