8 Australian veterans to visit Brunei to mark Oboe campaign against Japan in WWII

Eight World War II ( WWII) Australian veterans will visit Brunei from June 8 to 11 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Oboe campaign -- amphibious landings of Australian troops on Borneo in 1945 to liberate its people from Japanese occupation, the Australian High Commission in Brunei said on Sunday.

In a press release, the Australian High Commission said Australian Minister for Veterans'Affairs, Senator Michael Ronaldson, and a delegation of eight Borneo campaign veterans will visit Brunei from June 8 to 11. The eight veterans will represent all service arms and major aspects of the landings. They are aged from 89 to 96 years old and are from across Australia.

Senator Ronaldson will also be opening here a multimedia exhibition entitled Stories through Memories, showcasing stories through the memories of survivors who witnessed the tumultuous events of WWII in Brunei and historical images of Australian forces' leading role in the 1945 liberation of Borneo.

Liberating the people of Borneo from Japanese occupation involved more than 75,000 Australians supporting the Oboe landings on Borneo from May to July in 1945, including the largest Australian amphibious landing of the WWII, the press release said.

The exhibition will be open to the public from June 12 to 30, and is a joint research project between the High Commission and Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Endi