Pictures of Labuan

I was given a short tour round the island yesterday and I took some pictures.

The Beach
Labuan (pronounced as Laa-boo-arn) is a small island, with great beaches, but laden with jellyfishes.


Labuan is the Malaysian off shore banking financial hub but good for fishing as well.


The Chimney
The Chimney is an artefact from Labuan's coal mining era (1847-1912). During that period, Labuan was used as a coaling station for ships sailing in the Far East area.


The Labuan War Cemetery and Memorial
I was brought to visit the Labuan War Memorial, where the graves of soldiers who either died in battle or captivity during World War II lay here. The remains of the Allied troops were gathered from all over Borneo to be interred at the Cemetery. The place was constructed, and is maintained by Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The Labuan War Cemetery and Memorial is visited very regularly by War Veteran groups, especially from Australia who have included Labuan as an important destination on their battle-field tours circuit. A special service is held on the first Sunday of November every year, to mark Remembrance Day and is attended by locals and foreign visitors. (text from www.virtualmalaysia.com)


The graves lie in long neat rows all bearing a plaque, mostly bearing identification.










A magnificent cross is erected at the centre of the memorial.


The names of soldiers are etched on the pillars and walls in this pavillion.








The lawns at this cemetary are beautifully kept and visitors can appreciate the peace and tranquility of the place as they seek to understand the senselessness of the deaths of so many brave young men.


There are 3,908 of them and I took pictures of some. Looking at them gave me a sense of poignancy and regret. If you can't read the words, click on them to enlarge. It's worth it.










































pearlie