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About the Expedition

About the Expedition

Team Cheerfulness & the March for Nations’ team will unite and complete a series of expeditions aimed at commemorating the 85th Anniversaries of 4 tragic World War Two events, with the goal of raising as much as possible  for our chosen charity. 

 

 

THE TEAM WILL COMPLETE:

2027
Bataan Death March
165km
85th Anniversary

 

Retrace the route of the infamous Bataan Death March which was a brutal forced march undertaken in 1942 after the fall of Bataan in the Philippines. Around 76,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war were compelled to march over 165 kilometres under appalling conditions, with thousands dying from exhaustion, starvation, disease, and mistreatment. The march remains one of the most tragic and enduring symbols of sacrifice and resilience during the Second World War. 

2028
F Force March
295km
85th Anniversary

 
 
In 1943, F Force, comprising thousands of British and Australian prisoners of war, was forced to march over 295 kilometres through the jungles of Thailand to work on the Burma-Thailand “Death Railway”. Enduring starvation, disease, brutal conditions, and relentless labour, many perished along the route and in the camps that followed. Their story remains one of the most powerful examples of sacrifice, endurance, and resilience from the Second World War.

2029
Stalag Luft VI to IV
200km
85th Anniversary

 
 
In 1944, Allied prisoners of war held at Stalag Luft VI in Lithuania were evacuated ahead of the advancing Soviet Army and forced towards Stalag Luft IV in Pomerania. The journey involved long marches, overcrowded ships and rail transport, inadequate food, and harsh conditions. For many prisoners, this gruelling movement marked the beginning of an even longer ordeal that would continue until the end of the Second World War, becoming a lasting testament to resilience, endurance, and comradeship in captivity.

2030
Sandakan to Ranau
Death March
260km
85th Anniversary

 
The Sandakan to Ranau Death Marches were a series of forced marches undertaken in 1945 by Australian and British prisoners of war held in North Borneo. Starved, diseased, and weakened by years of captivity, the prisoners were forced to march 260 kilometres through rugged jungle terrain under brutal conditions. Of the more than 2,400 prisoners held at Sandakan, only six survived the war, making the Sandakan Death Marches one of the most tragic examples of suffering and resilience during the Second World War.

The expedition will start and finish with acts of remembrance to commemorate the 80th Anniversaries of both VJ Day and the end of the Second World War.