OFFICIAL Commando News Magazine Edition 15 2023

SIGNIFICANT COMMANDO DATES
APRIL to JUNE
APRIL
April 1942
Detachment, No.1 Independent Company under
the command of Captain Roy Howard (later the first
Qld Cdo Assoc President), was moved to Kudjeru,
New Guinea, to guard against possible Japanese
movement south of Wau along the Bulldog Track. In
the process they became one of the first Australian
Army units to cross the Owen Stanley Range.
17 April 1942
No 5 Independent Company arrives in Port
Moresby, New Guinea during an air raid.
19/20 April 1942
Members of the No. 2 Independent Company were
able to make contact with Darwin from the
mountains of Timor for the first time since beginning
the guerrilla campaign, using a wireless transmitter
nicknamed Winnie the War Winner.
06 April 1943
Inter-Allied Services Department (ISD) becomes
Special Operations Australia (SOA) in May to avoid
confusion in the names between SOA & Special
Operations Executive (SOE) the cover name
Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD) was
used instead. Shortly after this In June Z Special Unit
was established to provide admin, training and
personnel support and comes under command
SRD.
April 1945
The 2/4 th Cdo Sqn embarked from Townsville and
sailing to Morotai, Dutch East Indies. From here the
Squadron took part in the landings at Tarakan Island,
British North Borneo as part of the "Oboe"
operations.
30 April 1958
The Chief of The General Staff made a decision to
raise No 1 Independent Signals Squadron to sup -
port clandestine operations and this led to the
formation of 301 Signal Squadron (Home Defence)
in 1960 at Lidcombe, NSW.
25 April 2001
4 RAR Cdo officially commences a six-month
operational deployment to East Timor as part of the
United Nations Transitional Administration East
Timor (UNTAET). The Bn deploys to SECTOR WEST
as the Australian Battalion (AUSBAT) and monitors
the Northern region against the West Timor border.
4 RAR deploys with two Commando Coy’s (B Cdo
Coy & C Cdo Coy) and two light Infantry Coy’s (A
Coy & D Coy). This is the first time that Australian
Commando Company’s have deployed to Timor as
a complete unit since the No.2 and No2. in WW2.
2021 marks the 20 th Anniversary of 4 RAR(Cdo)
deployment to East Timor.
April 2003
Bravo Commando Company, 4 RAR (Cdo) deploys
elements into Baghdad, Iraq to secure the
Australian Embassy. These elements of Bravo
Commando Company are the first Australian
Combat Troops to arrive in Baghdad during the Iraq
Invasion in 2003.
April 2007
Alpha Commando Company, 4 RAR (Cdo) returns to
Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan as part of the Special
Operations Task Group (SOTG) Rotation IV. SOTG is
also known as Task Force 66 (TF66) to distinguish
itself from other Coalition SF units in Afghanistan.
This begins the continuous presence of an
Australian Commando Company in Afghanistan
until 15 December 2013.
MAY
May 1941
No1 Independent Company was formally raised
having completed training at Wilsons Promontory
Victoria, the home and birthplace of the Australian
Commando and Special Operations.
May 1942
2/6 th & 2/7 th Independent Companies were formed
at Wilsons Promontory, Victoria.
17 May 1942
Inter-Allied Services Department (ISD) is formed in
Melbourne, Victoria.
May 1943
53 men of 2/3 rd Cav Commando Squadron conducts
an attack on Ambush Knoll in New Guinea against
the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) and takes the
position. The IJA attempts several counter attacks
over several days but are repelled each time.
(Continued next page)
COMMANDO ~ The Magazine of the Australian Commando Association ~ Edition 15 I 2023 17