AMONG those who carried out the decapitations was the son of a Japanese businessmen killed by the guerrillas on the night of the uprising. He was said to have wielded his Japanese military sword and hacked repeatedly at one of the prisoners (Mochizuki 1995: 60). Not much else is known of what transpired at Petagas after that, but news of the executions soon spread to Jesselton and the entire west coast. It had a profound impact on the morale and spirit of the people, striking fear in them. At the Batu Tiga prison the fate of those who had been sent to Petagas on 21 January was known to the remaining prisoners the following afternoon. Though the men were aware that Albert Kwok and the 175 men had been taken out and put on the train, they were under the impression that the men were being transported to another place to serve their prison sentences.
On 8 February 1944 the remaining prisoners, whose numbers had been increased by those arrested after 21 January, were once again taken