Australian invasion of Borneo in pictures.
The Australian forces landed on Labuan island on 10th June 1945 and quickly gained control of the whole island. On 17th they crossed to the mainland landing near Weston and finding the roads impassable due to mud decided to advance along the railway. Initially their jeeps straddled the metre gauge rails so they were able to drive along them. By the 27th they were about a mile west of Beaufort where they captured a train complete with steam locomotive after the Japanese abandoned it. Two days later they had crossed the Padas river and taken control of Beaufort and both stations.n Supplied then came in via both the railway and the river.
The advance then turned northwards along the railway towards Jesselton. By now they had captured some Japanese Jeeps which they quickly converted to run on rails along with some of their own. The captured steam engine was on the Weston line which is separated from the main line by the Padas river which was not bridged and the ferry had been detroyed. Progress was slow as allied bombing had destroyed some bridges and track and this had to be repaired while the Japanese were still putting up some resistance.
By July 5th they had taken Klias station and commenced a half-hourly train service between there and Beaufort, using mainly Jeeps and hand trollies. The next day the RAAF bombed the Beaufort - Tenom line to prevent the Japanese from making a counter attack from that direction. By 20th they had reached Membakut and the following day the Sentinel locomotive was used to haul loaded wagons of "metal" quarried from Greig's siding back to Beaufort to rebuild the roads. The Weston branch needed repairing again after some more Jananese turned up there and the RAAF were called in to bomb them out.
By 1st August they had reached Papar but the trains could go no further as two spans of the bridge had been destroyed. Instead a new temporary station was built to the north of the bridge. Although the Japanese Emperor announced acceptance of the peace terms on 15th August it would be another month before most of the Japanese military commanders in the field formally surrendered.
Below is an index listing of the photographs reproduced on this page in date order with partial captions. The full captions appear on each individual picture which follow the index.
1. 109676 16 Jun 1945 Patrol finds disused railway tunnel on Labuan island.
2. 109677 16 Jun 1945
3. 109678 16 Jun 1945
4. 018680 17 Jun 1945 Landed Weston amphibious tractor 4-4. Patrol towards Beaufort.
5. 018682 17 Jun 1945 Infantry of 2/32nd Battalion, 9th Division AIF, move along railway.
6. 018683 17 Jun 1945
7. 018684 c17 Jun 1945 Signallers make contact with forward infantry.
8. 018685 c17 Jun 1945 Advance continues.
9. 018689 25 Jun 1945 2/16TH FC RAE 60 leaves LST 562 driving along railway track from Weston.
10. 110703 27 Jun 1945 C Coy, 2/2 MGB, by railway 1 mile west of Beaufort.
11. 110705 27 Jun 1945 Laying signal wire beside captured engine and train left undamaged by retreating Japanese forces.
12. 110706 27 Jun 1945 Native carriers with 24 IB Signals escort carry heavy equipment.
13. 110707 27 Jun 1945 228 IB with equipment on hand trolley
14. 110252 28 Jun 1945 3 platoon, 2/43 infantry battalion west of Beaufort (S) station.
15. 110273 28 Jun 1945 2/3 Field Ambulance, 2/43 IB, rail trolley with wounded man for regimental aid post.
16. 110656 29 Jun 1945 Manhandling a railway wagon at Beaufort (S) station.
17. 110657 29 Jun 1945 2/43 IB clean up Beaufort railway station.
18. 110659 29 Jun 1945 Locals and 2/43 IB troops wait for a train at Beaufort station.
19. 110667 30 Jun 1945 Sally-Ann rail tea trolley for 2/43 IB mortar positions overlooking Japanese positions.
20. 110670 30 Jun 1945 2/43 IB shelters by Beaufort railway station.
21. 110673 30 Jun 1945 2/43 IB with a tank near Beaufort railway station.
22. 110681 1 Jul 1945 2/16 FC RAE with converted Jeep.
23. 110682 1 Jul 1945
24. 110683 1 Jul 1945 2/16 FC RAE are using the Jeep to repair the line east of Beaufort.
25. 110684 1 Jul 1945
26. 110685 1 Jul 1945 View from Beaufort railway station.
27. 111937 1-5 Jul 1945 The captured locomotive on the Weston line is about to make its first run from Beaufort to Weston.
28. 111938 1-5 July 1945 Fireman and driver (engineer) with the captured locomotive.
29. 111939 1-5 Jul 1945 Train backing up to the Padas river ferry crossing point to load supplies.
30. 111941 5 Jul 1945 Beaufort station.
31. 111942 5 Jul 1945 Hand trolley tea break on Beaufort Jesselton line.
32. 111946 5 Jul 1945 Repairing damaged track.
33. 111948 5 Jul 1945
34. 111808 5 Jul 1945 24 IB with trolley of RAE gear which they are pushing towards Lumat.
35. 111809 5 Jul 1945 24 IB RAE with wagon of rubble from Beaufort filling in bomb craters on the line to Jesselton.
36. 111810 5 Jul 1945 Flooded line on way to Lumat.
37. 111811 5 Jul 1945 Forward guard on flat wagon ahead of Jeep train.
38. 111812 5 Jul 1945 Klias station has been taken and renamed St Kilda.
39. 111813 5 Jul 1945 Unloading the jeep train, probably between Klias and Lumat.
40. P00956.050 6 Jul 1945 31 Sqn RAAF bombing the Beaufort Tenom line.
41. P00956.051 6 Jul 1945 31 Sqn RAAF bombing the Beaufort Tenom line.
42. 111835 20 Jul 1945 Beaufort with a Jeep train bound for Membakut about to depart.
43. 111838 21 Jul 1945 Carrying supplies from Padas River barge mooring to Beaufort town along railway track due to muddy impassable roads.
44. 111839 21 Jul 1945 Padas river barge unloading point, Beaufort.
45. 111841 21 Jul 1945 A train leaves Beaufort for Membakut behind the Sentinel geared steam locomotive.
46. 111842 21 Jul 1945 Beaufort North station yard with one of the 4-6-0 steam locomotives.
47. 111843 21 Jul 1945 Unloading rock at Beaufort North, 4-6-0 in background.
48. 111845 22 Jul 1945 Jeep train passing 4-6-0 at Beaufort North.
49. 111847 22 Jul 1945 Beaufort North station office.
50. 111849 22 Jul 1945 View from Beaufort North.
51. 111851 22 Jul 1945 Jeep train picking up passengers at Padas Valley station.
52. 111855 22 Jul 1945 Jeep train from Beaufort South entering Weston station.
53. 112733 25 Jul 1945 Weston station.
54. 112735 25 Jul 1945 Repairing track after RAAF bombed Japanese in the area.
55. 112737 25 Jul 1945
56. 112738 25 Jul 1945
57. 112739 25 Jul 1945
58. 112740 25 Jul 1945
59. 112911 26 Jul 1945 Rerailing a derailed wagon on the Weston Beaufort line.
60. 112912 26 Jul 1945
61. 112913 26 Jul 1945
62. 112918 29 Jul 1945 Beaufort station.
63. 112928 31 Jul 1945 Ferry berthing at new ramp on Padas river.
64. 112929 31 Jul 1945 Passengers leaving the ferry which links the 2 stations and lines in Beaufort.
65. 112930 31 Jul 1945
66. 112931 31 Jul 1945
67. 112932 31 Jul 1945 2/15 F Coy RAE C constructing the new ferry ramp at Padas river.
68. 112934 31 Jul 1945 122 FW Coy, AEME, overhauling a 4-6-4T near Beaufort.
69. 112935 31 Jul 1945 I platoon, 2/43 IB at the Padas river crossing.
70. 112941 1 Aug 1945 24 IB troops reverse a Jeep train at Kimanis with a portable turntable.
71. 112942 1 Aug 1945 Sally-Ann tent near Papar railway station.
72. 112949 1 Aug 1945 Jeep train arriving at Papar station.
73. 113566 1 Aug 1945 Wrecked northern and central spans of Papar bridge.
74. 113572 1 Aug 1945 Papar river barge off-loading point for 2/32 IB.
75. 122950 1 Aug 1945 Engine (Sentinel?) and wagons at Greigs siding about 10 miles from Beaufort.
76. OG3136 1 Aug 1945 Jeepomotive designed by S/L Jack Liberty. Beaufort?
77. OG3137 1 Aug 1945 Staff at Beaufort?
78. OG3138 1 Aug 1945 Jeepomotive at Beaufort?
79. OG3139 1 Aug 1945 Jeep train at Lumat railway station.
80. OG3140 1 Aug 1945 Turning a jeep manually.
81. OG3141 1 Aug 1945 Jeep train at Beaufort.
82. 113580 2 Aug 1945 2/16 F Coy RAE repairing Kimanis river bridge.
83. 113581 2 Aug 1945
84. 113582 2 Aug 1945 Jeep train crossing the repaired bridge.
85. 113587 3 Aug 1945 Blueprint at Beaufort station.
86. 116316 9 Aug 1945 Jeep train at Papar.
87. 072953 15 Sep 1945 Japanese surrender party at Papar river by broken bridge
88. 072954 15 Sep 1945
89. 122633 15 Sep 1945 Derailed Jeeps at Montenier Ktjel bridge.
90. 122634 15 Sep 1945 Bomb damaged Montenier Ktjel bridge.
91. 122635 17 Sep 1945 Japanese official party arrive by rail at Beaufort for the surrender
92. 120772 28 Sep 1945 2/32 Battalion march through a ruined Jesselton, seen from the railway station entrance.
93. 121223 5 Oct 1945 Barges near destroyed Papar bridge.
94. 121317 5 Oct 1945 Destroyed railway bridge at Papar.
95. 121329 5 Oct 1945
96. 121356 6 Oct 1945 Papar railway station and RC church.
97. 121369 6 Oct 1945 Jeep train at Papar, ready to leave for Jesselton. This must be a temporary station north of the river bridge.
98. 121370 6 Oct 1945 Jeep train about to leave Papar (temp) station for Jesselton.
99. 121374 6 Oct 1945 Bomb damaged railway station and trains at Jesselton.
100. 121381 6 Oct 1945
101. 121624 8 Oct 1945
102. 121629 9 Oct 1945 Jeep train at Kinarut station, run by 2/14 TP 2/156 GTC.
103. 121634 9 Oct 1945 Tunnel 3 miles N of Papar.
104. 121636 9 Oct 1945 Jeep train at Papar (south) railway station.
105. 121645 10 Oct 1945 Japanese POWs clearing the line in a cutting between Beaufort and Tenom. They are guarded by engineers of 215 F Coy.
106. 121646 10 Oct 1945 POWs clearing a cutting at Jimpangar on the Tenom line.
107. 121647 10 Oct 1945
108. 121648 10 Oct 1945 Railway school in carriages at Jimpangah.
109. 121649 10 Oct 1945
110. 121650 10 Oct 1945
111. 121652 10 Oct 1945
112. 121654 10 Oct 1945
113. 121655 10 Oct 1945
114. 121656 10 Oct 1945
115. 121657 10 Oct 1945
116. 121658 10 Oct 1945
117. 121660 10 Oct 1945
118. 124960 18 Nov 1945 Railway Jeep at Beaufort station.
119. 124961 18 Nov 1945 Railway Jeep at Beaufort station.
120. 124962 18 Nov 1945 Railway Jeep at Beaufort station.
121. 124963 18 Nov 1945 Steam train leaving Beaufort station behind Dick Kerr 0-4-2T Marudu.
122. 124964 18 Nov 1945 The steam train behind the 0-4-2T is carrying POWs to Papar.
123. 124965 18 Nov 1945 Kimanis railway station.
