<P> The island of Labuan has an area of 30 square miles (78 km) and contains 6,800 inhabitants; it is an important shipping station between Singapore and Hong Kong . The prefect Apostolic lives at Labuan . The stations served are Labuan and Kuching (Sarawak), the two most important towns . Outside of these two places where the missionaries live ten stations are visited: Sibu, Kanowit, Igan, Oya, Mukah, Baram, Papar, Jesselton, Putatan, and Sandakan . According to the "Missions - Atlas" of P. Streit, the statistics of the Catholic mission in the early 20th century were: 19 regular priests, 2 lay brothers, 15 sisters; 8 churches; 20 chapels; 16 catechists; 14 schools with 740 pupils; 2,600 baptisms; about 1,000 catechumens . </P> <P> The British had obtained the island of Labuan in 1846; they gradually extended their power over the petty rulers of the northern part of Borneo until, in 1888, the British protectorate of North Borneo was formally acknowledged . English speaking missionaries being desired in the British part of Borneo, the Propaganda (19 March 1881) confided the mission of North Borneo and Labuan to the Society for Foreign Missions of Mill Hill, from England . The first prefect Apostolic appointed under the new administration was the Rev. Thomas Jackson . The society continued in charge of the mission . </P> <P> During the Second World War, the British realised they were unable to defend the colony from the powerful Imperial Japanese Navy . They destroyed the airfields, and especially the oil fields there and in Brunei before the Japanese landed on 16 December 1941 . The small British forces surrendered . In 1943, the Chinese population of about 50,000 rebelled against Japan and seized some towns . They were overwhelmed with many executed . Australia sent special operation forces, which trained and armed local militia units and aided the landing of an Australian division in June 1945 . Japanese forces numbered about 31,000, and held out until October 1945, long after the Emperor had surrendered . </P>

When did the british empire arrive in borneo