Commando News Magazine edition 4 2020

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HMAS Kuru – Sydney, NSW, c.1938. Port side view of the NorthernTerritory Administration Vessel Kuru. She was later commissionedas a Patrol Vessel by the RAN.(Naval Historical Collection, Print provided Mr J. James, Public RelationsOffice, Garden Island.). Retrieved from Australian War Memorial:https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C227874Australian 2/2 nd Independent Company) in February1942, however once the 2/2 nd’s ingenious SignallerLoveless had cobbled together a working wireless set(affectionately known as “Winnie the War Winner”) andre-established contact with Darwin in April, efforts weremade to commence urgent airdrops for criticallyneeded ammunition and other supplies. In May, aregular system of supply via the sea from HMAS Kuru,a small naval launch, was established. Kuru also par tici -pated in multiple Allied Intelligence Bureau operations.It cannot be under-estimated how dangerous thesere-supply missions were for both the naval personneland the Commandos involved, since both would beconcentrated in a small area, usually on a broad beachat Betano on the south coast of Timor, making themextremely vulnerable to attack. This was well withinrange of the patrolling Japanese aircraft and theCommandos themselves were under almost constantpressure from Japanese land forces and hostile localinhabitants as well. Even the thought of undertakingmultiple runs from Darwin, across almost 670km ofopen ocean, under skies full of Japanese aircraft, to thebeach at Betano in a small, slow, wooden hulled launchlike HMAS Kuru seems exceptionally brave in itself,especially given that the craft was fragile enough toeventually sink in a storm while at floating dock in1943!The 2/2 nd were expecting to see the Armidale onthe night of 30 th November to help extract around 190Dutch troops as well as 150 Portuguese civilians,however only the Kuru arrived, since Armidale and asister corvette HMAS Castlemaine had been delayedby aggressive air attack from the Japanese. TheArmidale did in fact arrive in Betano Bay, but by thenthe Kuru had already left the area. Although approxi -mately 70 Portuguese women and children wereloaded successfully onto the Kuru that night, the 2/2 ndmen must surely have been jittery knowing thatsomething was clearly going wrong with the plan.When originally told in late November of theirimminent extraction from Timor, the 2/2 nd had repliedasking to make sure there were “duplicate paybookswaiting for the Coy personnel who have lost theiroriginals whilst on the island” – they were more thanready to come home! They must have been devastatedto learn that their extraction, originally planned for thenight of 4/5 th December, was to be delayed. They hadbeen under immense pressure, in combat for over 9months, isolated from Australia under the most direconditions of malnutrition and sickness, and had evenbeen presumed killed or captured for many weeksfollowing the fall of Timor back in February. Now theywould have to re-group once more, hold themselvestogether, stay vigilant and prepare for a revised exfil.Having plans change so close to the perceived finishline is surely to be expected in military life, but it canstill be a demoralising experience. Even more un -fortunately for the 2/2 nd their delayed departure didcontribute to further contacts with the Japanese troopsin the area and one of their attached Engineers waskilled.Even once aboard naval ships, the men would havebeen keenly aware that they were far from being safe.The destroyer HMAS Voyager that deployed the 2/4 thIndependent Company to reinforce the 2/2 nd inSeptember 1942 had run aground in Betano Bay andbeen attacked by Japanese aircraft before beingdeliberately destroyed by her crew after abandoningship. And now they were to learn of the sinking of theArmidale and hours of relentless air attacks on the Kuruas well. Thankfully their eventual extraction wasachieved via the Dutch destroyer HMNS Tjerk Hiddes,which undertook three daring runs from Darwin toTimor between 10 th and 19 th of December andultimately withdrew not just the grateful men of theBetano Beach, Timor - Davis, Keith Benjamin, 15 December 1945.It was on this beach that the many of the men of the 2/2 nd and 2/4 thindependent companies embarked, disembarked and receivedstores during their stay in Timor. On the left is the hulk of HMASVOYAGER. Retrieved from Australian War Memorial:https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C20066742 COMMANDO ~ The Magazine of the Australian Commando Association ~ Edition 4 I 2020
2/2 nd but hundreds of Dutch troops and Portuguesecivilians as well.In the Official Report of the 2020 Expert Panel thatreviewed the event, Australian Chief of Navy, ViceAdmiral Michael Noonan, rightfully described TeddySheean’s actions on the 1 st December 1942 as being“absolutely amongst the most conspicuous and mostgallant we’ve seen in our Navy.” These incidents neverhappen in isolation, and it is more than worthwhile toreflect on why this teenager, of similar age to my owndaughter today, was in harm’s way so far from home.The fact that the troops Armidale was ferrying neverreached Timor and were not able to reinforce theremaining 2/4 th Independent Company surelyaccelerated the departure of the bulk of this remainingAIF force in January 1943.Commando operations, by their very nature, ofteninvolve the co-ordinated contribution of multiple assetsfrom combined arms. It is gratifying to know that in thiscase at least one (and thus far the only) young sailor hasbeen recognised with our highest Military Honour, andcommandos everywhere should reflect with thanks forhis sacrifice.Wilkinson, Stephan. ‘MYTH OF THE ZERO’. AviationHistory 22, no. 6 (2012): Page 28. Retrieved from :https://search-proquest-com.wwwproxy1.library.unsw.edu.au/docview/1318541537?rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3AprimoReferencesDepartment of Prime Minister and Cabinet, AustralianGovernment Website. “Historic Victoria Cross Reportof the Expert Panel.” Published Monday, 10 August2020. Retrieved from : https://www.pmc.gov.au/resource-centre/pmc/historic-victoria-cross-reportexpert-panel.Accessed 19 September 2020.Gill, (George) Hermon. Second World War OfficialHistories, Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 2– Navy. Volume 2, 1942 - 1945. Chapter 8, “South-West Pacific – Prelude to the Flood Tide.”(1968).Retrieved from Digitised Collection :https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1417531McCarthy, Dudley. Second World War Official Histories,Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army.Volume V – South–West Pacific Area – First Year:Kokoda to Wau (1 st edition, 1959). Appendix 2,“Timor.” Retrieved from Digitised Collection :https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1417255National Archives Australia. AWM52; Item Number25/3/2/11. 2 nd AIF Unit War Diary, 2/2 nd IndependentCompany. November 1942 to October 1943.Retrieved from Digitised Collection : https://s3-apsoutheast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1022711/bundled/RCDIG1022711.pdfRoyal Australian Navy Website. “HMAS Kuru.” Ret -rieved from : https://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-kuru.Accessed 18 September 2020.Royal Australian Navy Website. “HMAS Armidale (1).”Retrieved from : https://www.navy.gov.au/hmasarmidale-I.Accessed 18 September 2020.Royal Australian Navy Website. “HMAS.” Retrieved from : https://www.navy.gov.au/hmassheean.Accessed 18 September 2020.COMMANDO ~ The Magazine of the Australian Commando Association ~ Edition 4 I 2020 43
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