Question: when did the british empire arrive in borneo

title: British Borneo
text: 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 . Evolution