logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2024
1h 15m

243 - Borneo

Angus Wallace
About this episode

Borneo, the third-largest island in the world, held immense strategic value during WWII 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 served with the Royal New Zealand Artillery before transferring to the British Royal Artillery, 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 sent to Southeast Asia.

To order your copy The Borneo Graveyard, 1941-45, email johnsmtulloch@gmail.com.

patreon.com/ww2podcast

 

Up next
Jul 1
268 - The First US Army Rangers of WWII
In the early stages of America’s involvement in the Second World War, the U.S. Army began forming a new kind of fighting force—elite units trained for speed, surprise, and special operations behind enemy lines. These were the first Army Rangers, inspired by British Commandos and ... Show More
1h 2m
Jun 22
267 - The T-13 Tank Destroyer
During the critical interwar years, Belgium found itself walking a diplomatic tightrope—maintaining neutrality while neighbouring Germany rapidly rearmed. Faced with the growing threat of conflict, the country was forced to modernise its defences. One of Belgium’s key military de ... Show More
1h 14m
Jun 15
266 - Robert Capa's D-Day Photographs
On the morning of June 6th, 1944, war photographer Robert Capa waded ashore on Omaha Beach during the Allied landings in Normandy. What happened next became the stuff of legend: under withering fire, Capa supposedly captured over a hundred photographs of the chaos and courage of ... Show More
59m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
229. Britain’s Last Colony: The Second World War, Forced Deportations, and 9/11 (Ep 1)
The Chagos Islands have dominated news headlines over the past few months, but the struggle of the Chagossian people to reclaim their island home has spanned centuries. First colonised in 1513 by the Portuguese, the archipelago shifted from one imperial master to another over the ... Show More
34m 54s
May 2024
159. Battleground '44 - The Battle of the Philippine Sea
On this episode of Battleground '44 Saul speaks to friend of the show Evan Mawdsley about the subject of his new book -The Battle of the Philippine Sea. The often overlooked battle was one of the major naval battles of World War II that eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's abi ... Show More
52m 58s
Dec 2016
Case 39: Janelle Patton
After a string of failed relationships and other disappointments, Janelle Patton made the decision to relocate from Australia to Norfolk Island in search of a fresh start. With a population of around 2000 people, the small South Pacific island was considered a safe and friendly p ... Show More
1 h
Apr 17
Clearing landmines in Cambodia
Fifty years after the start of the genocide that wiped out a quarter of its eight million population, Cambodia remains one of the most heavily landmined countries in the world.More than 65,000 people have been killed or injured by explosive devices since the end of the conflict – ... Show More
9m 17s
Aug 2024
Burma 44: The Battle of The Admin Box (Part 3)
It was one of the defining battles of 1944, but what really happened at the Admin Box - and where was it? In this gripping series, they explore the extraordinary challenges faced by the British and Indian forces under the command of General Bill Slim as they confronted relentless ... Show More
59m 46s
Nov 2024
201. The Raj at War
For many years, commemorations of the two World Wars excluded the memorialisation of soldiers from the British Empire. But campaigners have gradually turned the spotlight on their experiences. In the First and Second World War, approximately 3.8 million soldiers from the Indian s ... Show More
40m 8s
Oct 2024
The War in the Pacific: How WWII Changed the World Forever - Dr Robert Lyman
Robert Lyman MBE is a British military historian. A former Major in the British Army, he has published over 16 books on the Second World War in Europe, North Africa and Asia. He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, regularly appearing on TV and radio, lectures at organisa ... Show More
1h 13m
Nov 2023
AT#873 - Travel to Papua New Guinea
Hear about travel to Papua New Guinea as the Amateur Traveler talks to Chris Shorrock from TravelObscure.com about the Milne Bay Province of this exotic island country.https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-papua-new-guinea-2/Why should someone travel to Papua New Guinea?Chris say ... Show More
1h 1m
Feb 2021
History of Burma / Myanmar
Sophie (age 7) & Ellie (age 5) tell the 1000 year history of Burma – Buddhism, Kublai Khan, Elephants, the British, WW2 and Aung Sung Suu Kyi.----more---- Sophie and Ellie are contacted by a listener who lives in Burma. The girls want to find out more about the place and what is ... Show More
9m 57s
Feb 2025
18. Attack on Greenpeace: France’s Nuclear Bomb (Ep 1)
Why were the French exploding nuclear bombs in the Pacific in the 70s and 80s? How did a spy manage to infiltrate Greenpeace? And what on earth are limpet mines? In the 1960s, the French started testing nuclear weapons in the South Pacific, causing untold ecological destruction a ... Show More
40m 45s