Berhala Island — WWII Internment Camp, POW Escape and Sandakan's Historical Island
What is Berhala Island?
Berhala Island (Pulau Berhala) is a small island about 5 km from Sandakan city (Malaysiakini, checked 7 October 2026). Despite its modest size and simple appearance, Berhala Island holds profound historical significance for Sabah and Malaysia, representing one of the most poignant chapters of World War II history in the region.
Today, Berhala Island lies within a Class 4 Amenity Forest Reserve managed by the Sabah Forestry Department, known for its rock formations and its World War II history (Borneo Post, checked 7 October 2026). It is also home to a fishing community (Malaysiakini, checked 7 October 2026).
What was Berhala Island used for during World War II?
When Japanese forces invaded British North Borneo in January 1942, they needed to hold Allied civilians. Berhala Island was used as a camp for them; Agnes Keith and her son were sent there after the Japanese took Sandakan (Online Archive of California, Keith papers, checked 7 October 2026).
The island was also used for prisoners of war. In 1943, about 500 Australian prisoners from E Force were sent to Berhala Island, and in early June 1943 they were moved to Sandakan (Australian War Memorial, checked 7 October 2026).
The camp operated under harsh conditions, with internees subjected to the same deprivations that characterized Japanese military occupation across Southeast Asia. Food was scarce, medical care was minimal, sanitation was poor, and the tropical climate presented constant health challenges. Berhala Island became a place of hardship and survival for those held there.
Berhala is best known in Australia for an escape. On the night of 4 June 1943, a group of Australian prisoners including Raymond Steele, Charles Wagner, Rex Blow, Leslie Gillon, Rex Butler, Jim Kennedy and Jock McLaren escaped and made their way to the Philippines, where they joined the guerrillas (Australian War Memorial, checked 7 October 2026). Eight escapees joined guerrilla forces on Tawi-Tawi; two died fighting later in the war and six made it back to Australia (DVA Anzac Portal, checked 7 October 2026). Rex Butler was killed on patrol on 18 August 1943 (Australian War Memorial, checked 7 October 2026).
Who was interned on Berhala Island?
The civilian internees were mainly Europeans living in North Borneo and their families. Among them was Agnes Newton Keith, an American author who had written about North Borneo in "Land Below the Wind" (1939). She was held on Berhala Island with her young son George (Online Archive of California, Keith papers, checked 7 October 2026).
Many internees had lived in Sabah for years or decades, building lives, businesses, and families in the pre-war period. They were not foreign soldiers or spies, but ordinary civilians caught in the catastrophe of war.
What were conditions like at the internment camp?
Conditions in the camps were hard, with poor food, disease and little medical care. Agnes Keith's "Three Came Home" is the best-known first-hand account of civilian internment. The prisoners of war on Berhala also made contact with local Chinese and with the civilian internees on the island as part of a secret intelligence network (DVA Anzac Portal, checked 7 October 2026).
| Aspect | Berhala Island (Civilian Camp) | Sandakan POW Camp (Military) |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Berhala Island, Sandakan Bay | Mile 8, Jalan Labuk, Sandakan (now Sandakan Memorial Park) |
| Detainee Population | Allied civilians, including women and children; about 500 Australian POWs in 1943 | Australian and British military prisoners of war (POWs) |
| Conditions | Hard: poor food, disease, little medical care | Extreme: forced labour, starvation, death marches in 1945 |
| Survival Rate | Civilians moved to Kuching in 1943; eight POWs escaped in June 1943 | Of about 2,500 Australian and British POWs, only six Australians survived |
| Notable Accounts | Agnes Keith's "Three Came Home" (1947); AWM escape records | Australian War Memorial records, survivor testimonies |
What happened to the internees after Berhala Island?
In 1943 the civilian internees, including Agnes Keith and her son George, were transferred to a prison camp at Kuching in Sarawak, under the command of Colonel Suga. Her memoir "Three Came Home" (1947) was adapted into a film in 1950 (Online Archive of California, Keith papers, checked 7 October 2026).
The Australian prisoners of war who did not escape were moved from Berhala to Sandakan in early June 1943 (Australian War Memorial, checked 7 October 2026). Of about 2,500 Australian and British prisoners held at Sandakan, only six Australians survived the 1945 death marches.
The surviving internees were released when the Japanese occupation ended in 1945, after more than three years in captivity.
The psychological and physical toll of internment lasted long after liberation. Survivors carried trauma, health problems, and complicated emotions about their years of imprisonment. Some, like the Keiths, returned to North Borneo after the war (Sabah Museum, checked 7 October 2026).
What is Berhala Island like today?
Today, Berhala Island bears little resemblance to the wartime camp. The barbed wire of the detention camp has long gone (Malaysiakini, checked 7 October 2026).
Much of the island is forest reserve. In 2025 the Sabah government announced plans to develop 168 hectares of its coastal area as a recreational forest tourism destination with the private sector, with priority on sustainability and the needs of the local fishing community (Borneo Post, checked 7 October 2026).
Berhala Island is not a developed tourist resort. It is a forest reserve with a village community, and visitors need to arrange boat transport.
For those who visit, Berhala Island offers both natural beauty and historical resonance. Walking the island's beaches, one can observe the landscape where Agnes Keith and others endured internment. While formal memorials are minimal, the island itself is a memorial — a place where history happened, and where the traces of that history remain in the natural landscape and the stories of survivors.
How do I visit Berhala Island?
Berhala Island lies off Sandakan and is reached by boat. Ask local tour operators in Sandakan about trips and any permits needed for the forest reserve.
Before visiting, consider visiting the Agnes Keith House Museum in Sandakan town to understand the historical context. The museum has a gallery on Agnes Keith, her books and family, and displays war artefacts (Sabah Museum, checked 7 October 2026). This preparation will enhance your understanding and appreciation of Berhala Island itself.
Berhala sits off Sandakan, so it runs on the east coast calendar: driest April to July, when seas are calmest and the weather most predictable. December and January are the wettest months and can bring rough seas that make boat access difficult or impossible.
Bring sun protection, sturdy footwear for walking on rocky terrain, and water. Do not count on shops or restaurants. Respect the forest reserve and the village community, and take all rubbish with you.