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2012-09-09 悼念納閩島戰亡的將士

8月12日早上
管雲華居士與另一位開車的居士
載我參觀島上一些較具特色的風光

第一站是一個墓園
西方基督教式的墓園
以前這種墓園只有在電影上看到
想不到居然在現場看到一整片的墓碑
原來是當年日本在世界大戰中侵略納閩島
與來自澳洲與各國的軍隊發生激戰
今天你在這裡可以看到的墓碑
全是在激戰中死亡的澳洲與各國將士們
可憐啊
一整片啊
當我走進這一整片墓園中時
我的內心是悸動的
感到極為震憾
人類貪瞋癡導致的戰爭
帶來如此嚴重的後果
若沒有在日常生活中好好收攝自心
時常斷除貪瞋癡
那麼戰爭一觸即發
人類將落入永無休止的生死輪迴中

(感恩謝玲玲老師提供的資料：) 納閩島二次大戰紀念墓園所埋的軍人，包括澳洲、英國、紐西蘭、印度與馬來西亞﹝如下﹞，其中澳洲軍兵有1千多人；如下所貼的照片，有「INDIAN ARMY」的字眼，顯示該墓園也埋有犧牲的印度士兵。

During World War II, Labuan was occupied by Japan from December 1941 to June 1945 and governed as part of the Northern Borneo military unit by the Japanese 37th Army. Labuan was renamed Maida Island (Pulau Maida, 前田島 [Maeda-shima]) after Marquis Toshinari Maeda, the first commander of Japanese forces in northern Borneo. The liberation of Borneo began on 10th June 1945 when the Allied Forces under the command of General McArthur landed at Labuan with a convoy of 100 ships. The 9th Australian Division launched an attack supported by massive air and sea bombardments that resulted in the surrender of the Japanese. On 9 September 1945, General Masao Baba, commander of Japanese military, surrendered at the Layang-layang beach before Major General George F. Wooten, commander of Australian 9th Division Army.

The World War II Memorial is the largest in the country and is one of the most visited places in Labuan. Located along Jalan Tanjung Batu, it is the final resting place of 3908 war heroes from Australia, Britain, India, New Zealand as well as Malaya.

Every year, an elaborate memorial ceremony conducted in full military tradition is organised to mark Remembrance Day. Held on 11 November (or a Sunday closest to it) a-the serene grounds of the World War II Memorial, it is attended by war veterans from Commonwealth countries as well as famiy members, relatives and friends of those who perished in the war.