The mechanical behaviour of various types of BeO, Al2O3, and AlN have been investigated at confining pressures up to 1.25 GPa, at 25° C, and at strain rates of 3 to 7×10-5 sec-1. The stress-strain data taken in uniaxial compressive-stress loading indicate the BeO aggregates undergo a transition from brittle fracture at low pressures to plastic flow at high pressures. Depending on the fabrication process, this transition pressure in BeO occurs at 0.4 to 0.7 GPa. Concurrently, the ultimate compressive strength of BeO increases from 1.0 to 1.9 GPa at 0.1 MPa pressure to over 4.0 GPa at 1.O GPa. Alumina remains brittle at all pressures up to 1.25 GPa; its strength increases from 4.5 GPa at 0.1 MPa pressure to over 6.0 GPa at 1.25 GPa. Aluminium nitride behaves similarly to BeO, having a brittle-ductile transition at 0.55 GPa. Its ultimate strength increases from 3.2 GPa at 0.1 MPa pressure to 4.7 GPa at 0.8 GPa. The distortional strain energy (proportional to the area under the stress-strain curve) absorbed by each material during compression at pressure was calculated and compared to available data from the literature. Alumina shows a degraded energy absorption with pressure, but both BeO and AlN yield a strongly enhanced performance at moderate pressures. Beryllium oxide and AlN thus appear to be promising structural materials for certain applications where high strengths and ductilities are required at moderate pressures.