Petagas War Memorial
Encyclopedia
The Petagas War Memorial is a poignant reminder of all those who lost their lives defending Sabah against the Japanese Occupation during World War II, particularly those of the ill fated Kinabalu Guerillas.
Led by Albert Kwok, the Kinabalu Guerillas stage a surprise attack on the invaders on the eve of 10 October (Double Tenth) 1943 in Tuaran and Menggatal and marched onto Jesselton before they were finally defeated.
Out of the 176 killed, the remaining 131 were sent to labour camps in Labuan. It is believed that only nine survived. In 1948, the remains of the Kinabalu Guerillas who perished in Labuan were brought back in jars and buried next to their heroic comrades. Their return remained a well-kept secret until 1979 when the jars were discovered during the reconstruction of the memorial.
Every year, a memorial service is held here on January 21st to commemorate those who fought and fell during the war.
It is situated across the highway from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport about 9 km from the city of Kota Kinabalu
, Sabah
, Malaysia.
Led by Albert Kwok, the Kinabalu Guerillas stage a surprise attack on the invaders on the eve of 10 October (Double Tenth) 1943 in Tuaran and Menggatal and marched onto Jesselton before they were finally defeated.
Out of the 176 killed, the remaining 131 were sent to labour camps in Labuan. It is believed that only nine survived. In 1948, the remains of the Kinabalu Guerillas who perished in Labuan were brought back in jars and buried next to their heroic comrades. Their return remained a well-kept secret until 1979 when the jars were discovered during the reconstruction of the memorial.
Every year, a memorial service is held here on January 21st to commemorate those who fought and fell during the war.
Location
The Memorial is located on the exact spot where 176 Sabahan guerillas were massacred on January 21st, 1944.It is situated across the highway from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport about 9 km from the city of Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
, Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
, Malaysia.