Commando News Magazine edition 4 2020

SIGNIFICANT COMMANDO DATES
OCTOBER to DECEMBER
OCTOBER
October 1941
2 nd /2 nd & 2 nd /3 rd Independent Company’s were raised
at Wilsons Promontory, Victoria.
1 October 1942
2 nd /5 th Independent Company launched a raid on
Mubo, New Guinea.
October 1943
2 nd /3 rd Independent Company was renamed 2 nd /3 rd
Cav Commando Squadron (Cdo Sqn) after reform -
ing at Atherton Tablelands, Queensland.
2 nd /4 th Ind Coy reforms as the 2 nd /4 th Cav Commando
Squadron (Cdo Sqn) whilst deployed overseas.
Z Experimental Station (ZES) moved to the Fraser
Commando School (FCS), Fraser Island, Qld.
24 October 1943
SGT Leonard George (Len) Siffleet, M Special Unit
(Coastwatcher’s) was executed on Aitape Beach,
New Guinea. The moment is captured and became
an infamous image of Japanese brutality to POWs
during WW2.
October 1944
2 nd /8 th Cav Commando Squadron (Cdo Sqn) was
transported to Torokina, Bougainville to begin the
Bougainville Campaign.
2 nd /9 th Cav Commando Squadron (Cdo Sqn) relieves
US Forces in Aitape.
10 October 1944
Z Special Unit members aboard the junk Mustika are
compromised by a Malay Police Boat Patrol off
Kasoa and Samboe Islands, Malaya during Opera -
tion Rimau.
22 October 1944
2 nd /7 th Cav Commando Squadron (Cdo Sqn) departs
Brisbane to relive the US Army Regiment at
Babiang, New Guniea.
25 October 2001
4 RAR Commando returns to Australia after a
successful 6 months deployment as part of the
UNTAET Mission in East Timor.
NOVEMBER
20 November 1942
2 nd /6 th Independent Company was engaged in heavy
fighting around the New Strip airfield Bona, New
Guinea against the Japanese Imperial Army.
November 1944
2 nd /10 th Cav Commando Squadron (Cdo Sqn) con -
ducts combat operations in the Suain-Luain area of
New Guniea.
November 2008
1 Company, 1 st Commando Regiment deploys to
Afghanistan on SOTG Rotation VIII. This is the first
time an Army Reserve sub-unit had deployed on
Combat Operations since WW2.
DECEMBER
December 1941
2 nd /3 rd Independent Company is sent to New Cale -
donia to support the Free French against a
Japanese invasion.
The 2 nd /4 th Independent Company was re-raised at
Wilsons Promontory, Victoria
17 December 1941
2 nd /2 nd Independent Company arrives in Dili,
Portuguese Timor and begins to provide protection
to the Dili Airfield.
December 1942
2 nd /2 nd Independent Company begin withdrawing
from Portuguese Timor.
11 - 13 December 1944
2 nd /7 th Cav Commando Squadron (Cdo Sqn) is
involved in significant engagements against the
Japanese in Yourang & Kumbun New Britain, New
Guinea.
December 1944 – August 1945
This eight-month period saw the 2 nd /8 th Cav
Commando Squadron (Cdo Sqn) in action almost
continuously in the Bougainville area against the
Japanese.
15 December 2013
Charlie Commando Company, 2 nd Commando
Regiment is the last SOTG Commando Company to
withdrawal from Urazghan Province, Afghanistan.
This ended Australia’s presence in the Province
which began in August 2005.
COMMANDO ~ The Magazine of the Australian Commando Association ~ Edition 4 I 2020 23