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T oday, May 29, is Sandakan Day - the anniversary of one of the darkest moments in Australia's wartime history.Sandakan was a POW camp run by the Japanese in North Borneo (now known as Sabah), where the POWs were used to build airstrips.As the war drew to an end, the Japanese lost interest in the airstrips, stopped feeding the POWs as a result, and the death rate rocketed.By the start of 1945, 4 5 0 of the ttest POWs were sent on a 250km march to Ranau, where they worked carrying rice between Japanese bases until they died of disease and exhaustion.On May 29, as the Allied forces closed in, the camp at Sandakan was burned and 536 POWs set out on the second death march to Ranau.The pace was relentless, food was non-existent, air attacks were persistent, and anyone who fell behind their sub-group of 50 prisoners was shot.Many were from northern NSW, and of some 3000 Australian soldiers sent on the death marches, only six soldiers escaped and lived to tell the tale.

Southern Cross University academic Professor Dick Braithwaite's father was one of the lucky few who escaped.

"My father spent a few days in the jungle and was able to receive help from an old man he approached on the Labuk River.The river was the main Japanese transportation artery into central Borneo and was very heavily patrolled.He was hidden in a nearby village and then taken to an island near the coast by canoe on a long and hazardous journey.Here he hailed down an American PT boat and was taken to the Philippines and eventually home, " he explained.

But for many, including the families of the 19 Lismore men who died at Sandakan, it remains a chilling tale of horror.

"Many of the a ected families were from the Lismore region and many of the families are still here and have still not reached closure over the events at Sandakan, " Prof Braithwaite said.

D on't drink and walk is the message from a new study by the Australian Transport Safet y Bureau.The report, based on three years of coronial records for deceased male pedestrians, aged 15 to 54, found that 66 per cent - 7 in every 10 - of road deaths among male pedestrians were attributable to alcohol or other drugs.

Blood tests found that those killed often had a blood alcohol level of 1.5 or higher.Cannabis was found in almost 2 5 per cent of blood tests.About 85 per cent of the fatal collisions occurred between 6pm and dawn, particularly on Th ursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

And in more than 30 per cent of cases, the pedestrian had been simply standing or lying on the road rather than attempting a crossing.The number of deaths occurring on rural highways was also much greater than expected.The ATSB's study is available online at www.atsb.gov.au J ust in case you're wondering, the number crunchers at the Australian Bureau of Statistics have been taking a close look at the glamorous world of accounting, nding that there's 81, 000 people employed in some 9, 860 practices,, earning $7.7 billion.Male accountants outnumber females 1.7 to 1.Anyone who pays GST probably won't find it surprising 3 7 per cent of their work comes from dealing with business taxation - more than double the 18 per cent from personal income tax accounting.Now go amaze your friends at parties with these gures.

More spooky ABS stats for NSW.

The state population grew from 1996 to 200by 5.5n to 6, 371, 745 people.Sydney's population grew 6.8n to 3, 997, 321 .In 2001, 28n of births happened outside marriage - up from 13n 2 0 years ago.

Income to clubs was a whopping $4.6bn, while pubs and raked in $2.7b.

The net gambling take was $1, 154 per adult.

Aerial reconnaissance photograph, taken by the 307th Bombardment Group. The POW sign erected in September 1944 (upside down in the middle of the photograph) can be clearly seen. Sandakan POW Camp. Photo: Australian War Memorial.

This somewhat unusual sculpture by Lismore visual arts student Craig Mason (pictured) will be on show at the Casino Beef Week Arts & Photography Show in the Canterbury Street sports stadium. He’s used cow bones to make a motorcycle, complete with tyre pump and tool kit. The show is on this Friday and Saturday, 9am-4pm. Entry is $2.50.

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