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LAMBERTO
APOSTAL
THE HEROES OF SANDAKAN
When World War Two finally arrived at the doorsteps of Sabah. Lamberto M. Apostol was
working as a Grade One Forest Ranger. Life was peaceful and Apostol was enjoying his life
in North Borneo.
Two years into the Japanese occupation, Apostol's world was turned upside down. He was
arrested and tortured for his part in assisting the Allied Prisoners of War (POWs). This
is his story.
Lamberto M. Apostol belonged to the distinctive northern Filipino community in Sandakan
who had monopolized almost all the positions at the Forestry Department in the North
Borneo Service.
Apostol joined the Forest Department in 1923 as a Junior Ranger upon completion of his
training at the Forest School of the College of Agriculture of the University of
Philippines at Los Banos at Laguna.
Unlike others who have joined the service upon the completion of their general education,
Apostol was a trained professional, and his qualification was highly regarded.
At that time, the salary of a junior Forest Ranger was almost equivalent to the salary of
a senior Grade Two clerk.
He rose through the rank, becoming a Senior Ranger in 1926.
By the time War broke out, Apostol was 37 years old, and he was already a Forest Ranger
Grade I, drawing a handsome salary while supporting a family.
Upon taking over the country, the Japanese also took over the Forestry Department and the
Agriculture Department. Prior to the War, both departments were placed under the same
directorship, in this case, Harry G. Keith, the husband of the celebrated writer, Agnes
Keith.
The Japanese continued with such arrangement but allowed some movement of staff. The
Japanese issued orders for all the staff to continue working.
They were threatened with a six-month prison sentence should they failed to report for
duty.
So, Lamberto Apostol, who was not keen in helping the Japanese, was forced to stay on but
requested to transfer to the Agriculture Department for he felt that the forestry work
would result in assisting the Japanese war effort.
So, instead of a timber camp or the jungle, Apostol found himself working at the Mile 8
Agriculture Experimental Station.
His main task was to supervise the production of rice and tapioca.
Sometime in late 1942, the Japanese began to turn the agriculture experimental station
into a POWs camp. According to Apostol, the main site of the camp was where they formerly
kept the water buffalos.
By early 1943, the camp was already the home to about 2,300 Allied Prisoners of War.
People like Apostol found themselves made redundant. nevertheless, he was still on the
payroll.
Apostol was at that time, staying at the quarters situated next to the station (i.e. the
POWs Camp).
Like many of his friends and neighbours, like the Funk brothers who lived at Mile 7,
Lamberto Apostol was drawn into the circle of people who were secretly extending help and
assistance to the POWs.
According to Apostol, "While as an Agriculture Officer in Mile 8 I could not help the
POWs who were treated badly by the Japanese soldiers".
While common humanitarian feelings have definitely prompted his decision to act, it is
possible that Apostol, being a Filipino, would like to contribute to the Allied War effort
especially after news had reached Sandakan of the terrible fate of the Allied-Filipino
POWs from Bataan suffered under the harsh treatment of the Japanese Army.
And like the Funk Brothers, Apostol was also a member of the 'B' Company of the North
Borneo Volunteer Force. Another possible impetus to act was the presence of J. Valera, who
was a junior colleague of Apostol in the Forestry Department.
Valera had links with the United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) guerrillas
fighting in the Sulu Islands. Valera held the rank of a lieutenant.
Lamberto Apostol's main contribution to the efforts to help the POWs came in the form of
supplying radio parts to the POWs. He had interest in Ham Radio, and had some radio spare
parts which he had not surrendered to the Japanese at the beginning of the occupation.
These, he passed on to the POWs. With the parts from Apostol as well as those supplied by
Johnny Funk and Ngui Ah Kui, the Allied POWs were able to construct a radio.
The presence of a radio that could receive shortwave broadcast had done marvelous good to
the morale of the POWs.
Apostol also helped to translate some of the news that were being taken out from the camp
by Corporal Arbin of the North Borneo Constabulary.
The news were then being circulated among the underground movement. There were also
efforts in bringing the news to the civilian internees, then interned on Berhala Island.
Apart from the radio parts, Apostol had also secretly provided agricultural supplies to
the POWs. These including six bottles of fresh milk daily and occasionally, chicken eggs
and salt.
Apostol was also involved in transmitting letters between his former boss, Harry Keith,
who was detained on Berhala Island and Dr. James Taylor at the hospital in Sandakan. Also
involved in this activity was Paddy Funk and Henry Chang.
Another daring effort of Apostol was the procuring of Kumpit sailing boasts from the
Filipinos to facilitate the escape of a group of Australian POWs who were still interned
on Berhala Island.
The group consisted of RexClow and Ray Steele and six others. The venture was a success
and the men eventually caught with the USFIP guerrillas in Sulu.
Apostol also used his position as Agriculture Officer to secretly channel food supplies to
the internees on Berhala Island.
All the activities that were carried on by Lamberto Apostol to help the Allied POWs and
the civilian internees on Berhala Island were risky and precarious.
Apostol surely knew of the consequences should the Japanese got wind of his activities.
Yet, despite the perilous risk, Apostol continued with his efforts until the Japanese
finally caught up with him.
In July 1943, the so-called 'Sandakan Incident' took place.
The Japanese found the radio in the POWs camp and a series of arrests were being carried
out.
Apostol was soon arrested, accusing of supplying radio parts and food to the Allied POWs.
The Japanese, probably through information supplied by informants and spies, and possibly
through interrogation of others, also found out Apostol's involvement in assisting POWs to
escape from Berhala and that he was also involved with the passing of messages.
The Japanese interrogated him through torture for two months.
Apostol and the rest of his underground members, including the POWs who were involved,
were later shipped to Kuching where a trial awaited them.
Apostol was given a 10 years' prison sentence and was imprisoned at Kuching Gaol before
being transferred to work in Bau.
According to Apostol, it was while at Bau that Paddy Funk escaped and went into hiding
until the end of the war.
Like most of those who were sent to Kuching, their fate remained unknown to their family
until after the war.
Apostol remained in Bau until the end of the War. He was later repatriated and reunited
with this family in Sandakan.
After the war, Apostol returned to his position in the Forestry Department. He later
joined a timber company.
For his efforts in helping the POWs, Apostol received some financial reward from the
Australian Government.
It is difficult to see how the meagre reward of A$92 could actually compensate for all the
tortures and sufferings that he went through while undertaking the risky business that he
was involved with in helping the Allied POWs.
However, like all his colleagues who were involved, Apostol did not complaint.
Neither did he ask for more. It is most likely that people like Apostol sincerely believed
that what they have done was the least that a decent human being should have done.
By : Dr. Danny Wong
Sabahan Associate Professor
Deparment of History, University of Malaya.
Taken from : Daily Express. 27 September 2004, pg 8. |
