British Borneo

The island of Labuan has an area of 30 square miles (78 km2) and contains 6,800 inhabitants; it is an important shipping station between Singapore and Hong Kong.

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.

During the Second World War, the British realised they were unable to defend the colony from the powerful Imperial Japanese Navy.

Australia sent special operation forces, which trained and armed local militia units and aided the landing of an Australian division in June 1945.