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Memorial Windows honour Sandakan
POWs |
By writer and historian Lynette Silver, project co-ordinator. |
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A private project, to make and install stained glass windows
in the historic church of St Michael and All Angels in Sandakan, Borneo
(Sabah) has been completed. The world class, heritage windows are a memorial
to Australian and British prisoners of war who died in Sabah - at Sandakan,
Ranau or on the death marches - during 1942-1945, and a thanksgiving to
the local people who risked, and gave, their lives to help them. A total
of 2428 POWs (of whom 1787 were Australian) died at Sandakan or on one
of the infamous death marches to Ranau, the bulk of them in 1945, sixty
years ago. Only six Australians who escaped, survived. All 641 British
POWs perished. This the first time Australians from all states have had
the opportunity to participate in such a project or to show their gratitude
to the people of Sabah, many of whom were tortured or imprisoned for trying
to help the prisoners. Eight were executed by firing squad. How many others
died is impossible to assess.
Many of the prisoners, who were transferred from Singapore
by ship, spent the night in the church before marching to the Sandakan
compound, 12 kilometres away. Built in the late 1890s from local stone,
in the style of a cathedral, St Michael’s is one of only four buildings
to survive World War II. All, interestingly, were places of worship -
two small Chinese temples, and the town mosque.
The idea to create a memorial window was conceived in 2003,
during a trip to Sandakan, where I conducted an Anzac Day service with
a small group of POW relatives each year. I approached the Rector to discuss
my idea and, as a result, the church authorities made available the entire,
tri-panelled west window. Over five metres in height, it dominates the
main entrance. Response to the project from relatives of the prisoners
and other caring people was so great (over $100,000 donated) that it was
possible to commission the west window, and three more below, and to create
a beautiful POW Chapel in the church.
Philip Handel, a well-known Sydney artisan who has spent
a life-time designing and making stained glass windows for gothic-style
churches, came out of retirement to undertake the project. He used only
hand-blown, antique French glass of the highest quality, and which he
had not see in Australia for twenty years. Using this exquisite glass
as his basis, he then began creating his masterpiece. Coincidentally,
the main window consists of 2,500 pieces - one piece for each POW. Each
piece of glass, after Handel had added the detail he required to create
his design, was fired in a special kiln, up to three times, depending
on the depth of detail required.
The design of all four windows is integrated. The main
window is spread across the three panels, or lights. Various shades of
blue on the outer border represent the oceans which link the three nations.
The subject for the upper, or memorial section, is from the Acts of the
Apostles, Chapter 12, depicting a shining angel backed by ruby-coloured,
spiralling shapes suggesting movement, and enclosed by a rainbow-hued
circle – a symbol of peace and hope for the future. Below, in a
prison cell, sits St Peter, who is under sentence of death. He is amazed
at the awesome sight and incredulous at the miraculous loosening of his
chains, and his subsequent deliverance which the Roman guards are unable
to prevent. This scene is a reminder of the Almighty’s power to
free the spirit of mankind from evil and oppression. The text, ‘By
the strength of your arm, preserve those condemned to die’, reinforces
this message.
Above the angel, at the top of the central arch, sprays
of wattle surround the floral emblems of the Australian states from which
the men enlisted. The orange and yellow hues in the centre represent the
colours of the outback and the setting sun; the purple tones, the mountain
ranges.
The lower section of the window features the well-known
parable, The Good Samaritan. This story, which teaches compassion between
strangers, typifies the spirit of mate-ship which sustained the prisoners
until the end, and exemplifies the compassion of local people towards
strangers in need of help and comfort during many dark days. Included
in this setting is a representation of The Big Tree - a mengarris and
a prominent landmark at the infamous Sandakan POW Camp. Another coloured
spectrum, echoing the rainbow theme, frames the figures and the whole
picture is encompassed with the flowers of Australia, Britain and Sabah,
united by their wartime experience. The focus words Endurance, Honour,
Compassion, Courage and Sacrifice, describe the triumph of the spirit
and will over flesh – the purpose of the memorial.
Below the main window are a large arched window over the
west door, featuring a brilliantly coloured Christian cross, and two much
smaller windows to either side – an angel representing Peace and
another representing Eternity. The centre piece of the chapel, directly
below the main window and incorporating the small angel windows, is a
finely crafted, altar-like Table of Honour, with polished granite top,
on which are inscribed the words ‘For there are deeds that should
not pass away, And names that must not be forgotten.’ Over the granite
is a glass case, containing the Roll of Honour, inscribed with the names
of all our POWs, and local people who died or helped, and the Book of
Special Remembrance, containing the names of all donors, along with the
names of people they are jointly or individually honouring, and any special
inscription. The books, hand-bound in burgundy, Moroccan leather and hand-tooled
in gold, are composed of archival parchment guaranteed to last 500 years.
Each week, a new page will be turned. Resting on the blank left-hand page
of each book, as a paperweight, is a life-size pewter gum leaf, with a
cluster of gum nuts. Around the walls of the chapel are regimental plaques,
donated by associations and individuals and a hand-made pulpit banner,
donated by the family of Padre Mcliver, an Australian army officer, who
used it at his services, following the liberation of Borneo in 1945, and
which we had framed.
The breathtakingly beautiful windows and the chapel were
dedicated at 4 pm on Anzac Eve. The 130 Australians and four British present,
along with 50 family members of local people being honoured, knew they
were about to witness something very special when the opening notes of
the Trumpet Voluntary heralded a grand procession of a forty-voice choir
dressed in brand-new robes, colour parties carrying the flags of Australia,
Britain, Sabah and Malaysia (the Australian flag escorted by an Australian
soldier whose grandfather had died at Sandakan) and senior Anglican clergy,
headed by the Archbishop of South-East Asia Province, Datuk Yong Ping
Chung, all clad in gorgeous cream, gold and red regalia. The four windows,
draped in burgundy silk shot with gold, were unveiled and dedicated, one
by one, with various people from the POW families, and local people, assisting
the Archbishop. With the afternoon sun lighting up the three lower windows
in spectacular fashion, the strains of the Hallelujah Chorus filled the
church and the final curtain rose slowly, to reveal a window of such stunning
and awesome magnificence that every person present, some 300 all told,
stopped clapping and stood in rapt silence, absolutely transfixed. Tears
poured down almost every cheek, including those of cameramen and journalists.
I have never experienced anything like it. The Windows of Remembrance
must surely be Philip Handel’s finest work.
The following day, at 4 pm, there was an ‘official
opening’ by the Deputy Chief Minister and Sabah’s Minister
for Tourism, at a most joyous and moving celebration, a wonderful community
event at which children danced and balloons were released. The Minister,
along with representatives of the Australian and British High Commissions
and other dignitaries, entered the church, where they gazed in wonderment
as the The Windows were revealed one at a time, as on the previous day.
However, it was not until later, at the reception attended by the VIPs
and our donors, that I realised how much our windows meant to the wider
community. There was total silence and a good many more tears when a tiny
Chinese lady presented me with a beautiful oil-painting of Mt Kinabalu,
where local legend says the spirits of the dead ascend, to express her
gratitude for honouring the local people in the Windows of Remembrance.
Aged 82, she had travelled by public bus with her son, as her interpreter,
all the way from Kota Kinabalu – a journey of seven hours –
to meet me.
However, while I was the catalyst for the project, it was
the support of the donors who made it possible. Their generosity turned
a terrible, tragic story into something glorious and uplifting; a priceless
work of art which will not only last for centuries, but will bring joy
and pride to so many people.
Lynette Silver
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