The Witness

'That bastard's still alive? I'm going to kill him with my bare hands.' POW Bill Moxham

At the Australian war crimes trials that followed World War II, one prosecution witness stood out: Warrant Officer Bill Sticpewich.

During his three years in the infamous Sandakan POW camp, Sticpewich had seen hundreds of fellow prisoners die of starvation, sickness and overwork. Others were shot or bayoneted to death by Japanese guards on forced marches through the Borneo jungle. Of more than 2400 Allied prisoners at Sandakan at the start of 1945, only six survived. It was Sticpewich's meticulous evidence that sent Sandakan's commandant and his murderous henchmen to the gallows.

But to his fellow prisoners Sticpewich was not a war hero, he was a collaborator who avoided heavy labour and obtained extra rations by ingratiating himself with the Japanese.

Was Sticpewich a traitor or a man who did what he needed to stay alive? Drawing on wartime records, original interviews and the recollections of other survivors, The Witness reveals the compelling story of Australia's most notorious POW.


'. . . a dramatic tale of war and survival.' - Sydney Morning Herald


'The Witness stands alone as the most comprehensive account to date of the Sandakan survivor Bill Sticpewich . . . Gilling has produced a sharp and compelling account of events through the eyes of key witnesses. In writing this book, Tom Gilling has helped keep the memories of the lost souls of Sandakan alive, and for that, he has done Australia a great service.' - The Australian


'A compelling story indeed.' - Australian Defence Magazine

'. . .a new stark tale stopping you dead in your tracks . . . A dark, disturbing and revealing yarn, Tom Gilling's book deserved to be read.' - Newcastle Herald

'a fascinating story' - Deborah Knight, 2GB