Commando News Magazine Edition 23 Oct 2025

Registered by Australia Post ~ Publication No PP100016240 Edition 23 ~ October 2025

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CONTENTS

REGISTERED BY AUSTRALIA POST PUBLICATION No PP100016240

AUSTRALIAN COMMANDO ASSOCIATION INC.

NATIONAL OFFICE BEARERS

PRESIDENT: MAJGEN Greg Melick AO RFD KC

(Ret’d)

VICE PRESIDENT: MAJ Steve Pilmore OAM RFD (Ret’d)

SECRETARY: Jeff McLean

TREASURER: MAJ David Wonson (Ret’d)

PUBLIC OFFICER: MAJ Brian Liddy RFD (Ret’d)

STATE ASSOCIATION OFFICE BEARERS

ACA NSW PRES.: Mr Peter McCaffrey

ACA NSW SEC.: Mr Bruce Poulter

ACA QLD PRES.: Mr Mark Stanieg

ACA QLD SEC.: Mr Chris Jackson

ACA ACT PRES.: Mr Brendan O'Conner

ACA ACT SEC.: Mr Alex Meliuinas

ACA VIC PRES.: COL Doug Knight RFD (Ret’d)

ACA VIC SEC.: Mr Glenn MacDonald

ACA WA PRES.: Mr Steve Butler

ACA WA SEC.: Mr Paul Shearer

ACA TAS REP.: Mr Mike Turner

Editor’s Word....................................................................3

ACA National President’s Report ....................................5

Letters to the Editor ........................................................7

ACA NSW Report.............................................................9

ACA VIC Report .............................................................11

Significant Commando Dates ........................................15

Operation Jaywick .........................................................19

Commandos for Life ......................................................27

A beacon to mariner & pilot alike .................................29

Around the Units............................................................33

Australian Special Operations in the Philippines

World War II ................................................................37

Book Reviews .................................................................49

Vale .................................................................................53

Update on International and Australian Research

on Traumatic Brain Injury ............................................57

RSL Media Release.........................................................60

How can surfing support veteran mental health...........65

Leaving the ADF ............................................................67

PTSD article....................................................................69

Franchising .....................................................................72

WEBSITE/MEDIA

MANAGER:

WEBSITE:

EMAIL:

FACEBOOK:

EDITOR:

Vacant

www.commando.org.au

acanx.commandomageditor@gmail.com

Australian Commando Association

COL Doug Knight RFD (Ret’d)

The Australian Commando Association’s membership consists of Servicemen and

women who served with World War II Independent Companies, Commando

Squadrons and Regiments, all elements of Special Operations Australia (also

known as the Allied Intelligence Bureau), 1 and 2 Commando Companies, 301 and

126 Signal Squadron, 1 st Commando Regiment, 4 RAR (Commando) and the 2 nd

Commando Regiment. The Association also consists of Associate members who

have served in units that support Commando units in time of war and peace and

Social members whose direct family member was either Killed in Action, Died in

Service or Killed in Training or a member of the ACA who has passed.

DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed within this publication are those of the authors,

and are not necessarily those of the Editor, Publisher, Committee Members or

Members of our Association. We welcome any input as long as it is not offensive

or abusive but if any member has a problem with a printed article we would like to

be informed in order that the author may be contacted. We do encourage your

opinion.

Official Publishers:

Statewide Publishing P/L

ABN 65 116 985 187

Deadline for next edition (Edition 24, 2026)

THURSDAY, 30 TH APRIL 2026

All news on members and interesting articles

accepted.

(Subject to editor’s approval.)

Doug Knight

Registered by Australia Post ~ Publication No PP100016240 Edition 23 ~ October 2025

PO BOX 682, SURFERS PARADISE QLD 4217

PHONE: 0432 042 060

EMAIL: russell@commandonews.com.au

Printed by BOOST Design & Print

FRONT COVER: Medics from Australia's Special Operations

Web: boostgraphicdesign.com

Command conduct equipment checks and mission

Email: boostdesign@optusnet.com.au

preparations on a simulated casualty in Queensland

during Exercise Talisman Sabre 25.

Source: Defence Media

COMMANDO ~ The Magazine of the Australian Commando Association ~ Edition 23 I October 2025 1

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to Edition #023 October 2025 of

COMMANDO – The Maga zine of the

Aust ralian Com mando Asso ciation. This

is my tenth edition and there are continuing to be

developments of significance both for the maga zine,

ex service Special Forces Associations and for

Australian military history.

Unfortunately, this will be my last edition as Editor

as there has been a significant change to my time

availability due to the permanent injury to my wife and

therefore my priority of attention and time must go to

her.

To date a replacement editor has not been

identified and the magazine Editorial Committee will

meet in December to discuss future options.

This Edition

There is a very detailed article on recent additional

information obtained from UK archives on the develop -

ment of Operation JAYWICK and details the complex

planning and international and interagency rivalry that

preceded the successful operation.

Also included is a detailed article on Australian

special operations in the Philippines during World War

II which has had very little coverage in our military

history.

A significant proportion of the time since the last

magazine has been spent by SOCOMD in the

preparation and conduct of exercise TALISMAN SABRE

2025 and there is some limited coverage in ‘Around

the Units’. This was a significant exercise for SOCOMD

as there was great participation by partner forces from

many countries and for the first time also including

PNGDF and part of the exercise was con ducted in PNG

for the first time since the com mence ment of this

exercise series.

Magazine Distribution

There have been some ongoing adjustments to a

distribution process including electronic distribution

via email.

If you are experiencing difficulties with receiving

your electronic or hard copy (for those eligible) in the

first instance, contact to your ACA State Branch

Secretary or to the Magazine Editor with relevant

detail.

For those members that use the website to down -

load a digital copy of the magazine as previously

advised it is now restricted to financial members

through the Members Only portal of the ACA website.

Book Reviews

One Man War: Biography of a remarkable Special

Operations Australia (SOA) operative Jock McLaren.

Although a very old book and difficult to find this is a

very comprehensive review provided by a former

member of 126 Signal Squadron.

What’s the Point – Mark Dineen: An interesting

and easy to read biography of a former SASR operator

over his 30-year career in high-risk environments in the

lessons of life that is learned along the way.

Professional development

In my ongoing pursuit of items for professional

development for inclusion in this magazine I recom -

mend the following articles to anyone interested in

special operations education and training.

For anyone who has not had the pleasure yet of

working in Army Headquarters this recent article may

provide some insight and assistance should you ever

get a posting there.

Reflections on integrity and influence in Army

Headquarters

https://www.contactairlandandsea.com/2025/09/15/ -

reflections-on-integrity-and-influence-in-armyheadquarters/

I regularly receive Army’s ‘The Cove’ and frequently

find that is an excellent source for contemporary

thoughts on today’s Army and its planning for the

future.

Having served on numerous Officer Selection

Boards for both full-time and part-time officer trainees,

and innumerable promotion boards for officers I found

this article to be not only accurate, in my view, but also

worthy of consideration by the senior leadership group

of Army particularly over time when recruiting and

retention are problematic. A very thought-provoking

article.

Why the Best Don’t Rise – Leadership Lost in the

Military Promotion System | The Cove which is

available at.

https://cove.army.gov.au/article/why-best-dont-riseleadership-lost-military-promotion-system

The days of SMEAC appear to have been long gone

and now so has the Military Appreciation (MAP). This

article provides the quick ‘soldiers five’ on the changes.

Well worth reading prior to the changes in training and

(Continued next page)


Editor’s Word (Continued from previous page)

doctrine that will inevitably follow soon for all serving

and future SOCOMD and other ADF members.

The New ADF Planning Processes: A Soldier’s Five

on What’s Changed

https://cove.army.gov.au/article/new-adf-planningprocesses-soldiers-five-whats-changed

Several articles from US SOCOMD may be of

interest as well as several articles on US participation

exercise TALISMAN SABRE.

https://www.socom.mil/TipOfTheSpear/USSOCOM% -

20Tip%20of%20the%20Spear%20August%202025.pdf

https://www.war.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Exercise-

Talisman-Sabre/

Resilience and Resistance: Interdisciplinary Lessons

in Competition, Deterrence, and Irregular Warfare

https://jsou.edu/Press/PublicationDashboard/284

This comprehensive edited volume provides the

lines for strategic planners particularly special forces,

interagency, and conventional forces to understand

irregular warfare, competition, and deterrence. The

theories and concepts provide insights for students

and practitioners to appreciate the dynamics of intra -

state conflict as well as internationalized intrastate

conflict. It adds new research highlighting the asym -

metric strategies of adversaries to subvert the world

order, including the malign activities of the CCP, Russia,

North Korea, Iran, and violent extremist organizations.

A detailed 576-page volume is very worthy of review.

Narrative Intelligence in Internet-Based Military

Information Support Operations:

A Cyberpsychology Perspective Under the

Irregular Warfare Construct

https://sway.cloud.microsoft/KsdQDUgArv4bV9ku?ref

=email&loc=play

Blast overpressure-USSOCOMD

This topic has been raised several times in previous

editions. It is interesting to see the overseas develop -

ments in this field.

https://www.socom.mil/TipOfTheSpear/USSOCOM% -

20Tip%20of%20the%20Spear%20August%202025.pdf

page 34

Moral injury-the Enemy We Do Not See

This is a fact sheet about Moral Injury, with a

particular emphasis on special operations personnel, is

very worthwhile reading for all current and former

personnel who have served on operations or maybe

soon. Although undoubtedly this issue has existed

since warfare began it has only recently been accepted

into the professional medical field as a legitimate

contributor to anxiety, depression and PTSD.

https://jsouapplicationstorage.blob.core.windows.net/

press/524/Moral%20Injury%20FINAL_REV_7.31.pdf

Cognitive Warfare to Dominate and Redefine

Adversary Realities: Implications for U.S. Special

Operations Forces

https://jsou.edu/Press/PublicationDashboard/292

I trust that you will find this edition both informative

and educational and when finished with your hard copy

share it with a friend or mate; if you are reading the

magazine online forward it to a mate so that he or she

can also be informed.

The Editorial Committee would appreciate any

feedback on the style, content, or delivery of this

magazine.

Doug Knight

Commando 4 Life

Editor - Commando Magazine

Email - acanx.commandomageditor@gmail.com

W: www.commando.org.au

Australian Commando

Association Inc

4 COMMANDO ~ The Magazine of the Australian Commando Association ~ Edition 19 I August 2024

AUSTRALIAN COMMANDO ASSOCIATION INC.

PRESIDENT: MAJGEN Greg Melick AO, RFD, SC (Ret’d)

azizgmelick@gmail.com

FROM THE ACA NATIONAL PRESIDENT

ACA Members,

Alleged War Crimes

As most of you are aware, Justice Brereton was only

asked to report on matters that required further

investigation, and his report never sought to make

findings about alleged inappropriate behaviour of

Australian troops in Afghanistan.

We, and many other veteran organisations, urged

the government and the ADF not to take any

precipitous action until all matters were fully

investigated and resolved.

Unfortunately, such precipitous action has caused

much unnecessary distress to veterans who have

already suffered a great deal in the service of their

country.

The Office of the Special Investigator (OSI) has

dropped the majority of its 36 investigations into

alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan due to

insufficient evidence and a weak case for prosecution.

We understand that at least 24 investigations will no

longer proceed.

This validates the approach that we have taken from

the outset, and we now hope that no further action will

be taken against anyone who served with the SAS in

Afghanistan until all matters have been resolved.

Please monitor and assist, as appropriate, all those

who have been impacted by the investigation and its

sequelae.

Royal Commission

Although the government has undertaken to

implement the majority of the Royal Commission’s 122

recommendations, there remains much to be done. We

agree that is appropriate to coordinate and

appropriately sequence the actions, but we continue to

monitor the efforts of those seeking to coordinate and

implement the recommendations to ensure no undue

delays.

The implementation will be at a significant cost, but

we must ensure that the government funds such

recommendations and that funding is not taken from

budgets allocated to Defence and/or DVA.

Transition On

Transition On is a new organisation established to

assist veterans from Australia and the Pacific. One of its

aims is to provide R&R to veterans, and a pilot program

has been conducted in Fiji.

Steve Pilmore and I have agreed to serve on its

board, which also includes veterans from New Zealand

and Fiji. More to follow.

Retirements

Our long-standing Vice President, Steve Pilmore,

OAM, RFD has stood down after many years of

dedicated and very effective service. All of us,

especially me, have been greatly assisted by his efforts,

and he will be very hard to replace. Volunteers and

suggestions will be very welcome, and from all of us,

thank you, Steve.

This will be the last magazine edited by Doug

Knight, who has performed magnificently, producing

very high-quality, very informative and very readable

magazines. Doug’s family situation has changed, and

(Continued on page 7)


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6 COMMANDO ~ The Magazine of the Australian Commando Association ~ Edition 23 I October 2025

ACA Nationall President’s Word

(Continued from page 5)

he will no longer be able to continue as our editor.

Doug’s work has been much appreciated, and he will

be a hard act to follow.

Nevertheless, it is important that we continue to

produce a magazine, and we need a volunteer or

volunteers to step up to fill the void.

Brian Liddy has served us very well as our public

officer, but he also wishes to hand over the reins. Could

we please have a volunteer from amongst our younger

members?

I have undertaken to remain available to continue as

President until all the Brereton matters are resolved.

Whether I remain so is a matter for you, the members,

but it is important that we continue to have a strong

voice and be available to assist members and others in

need through advocacy and direct assistance.

As we approach the season when we gather with

our families, please enjoy your break, take care, and

remember to look out for those who are not so

fortunate and may not have adequate support

available.

The Honours Reform Bill has been rejected by the

Senate on the 6 th of November, which is a great

outcome. This was a result of many ESO submissions,

including ours, both individually and as a member of

Alliance of Defence Service Organisations (ADSO).

Thank you to all those who contributed to the cause.

Commando 4 Life.

MAJGEN Greg Mellick, AO. RFD. SC. (Retd)

National President

Australian Commando Association

For further information please contact our National

Vice President, Steve Pilmore.

COMMANDO FOR LIFE

Dear Editor,

It was disappointing to read in the July 2025 Edition

22, the perceived negativity from our retiring National

Vice President (Steve Pilmore) on the future of 1 Com -

mando Regiment.

Reading the article any active member from either 1

or 2 Commando Company would feel as if the world

were going to cave in on our unit.

I believe this is far from the truth and there is a vital

future for 1 Commando Regiment as Special Warfare

(SW) soldiers.

Furthermore, to continue about losing our Green

Beret does nothing to lift morale with our current active

members and this should be the Association’s primary

role to support our active colleagues.

Nothing will ever overshadow the commitment and

dedication that we all experienced in earlier times.

Let's wear the Green Beret on ANZAC Day, and wear it

with pride, but let's also collectively move forward and

support the efforts of Defence, to restructure our

available military disciplines to best combat the rapidly

expanding threats to Australia.

Let’s be positive and suggest to the Commanding

Officer 1 Commando Regiment, that they offer a brief

to the Association describing the role of our active

members, (as much as they can inform us).

I believe all members, both active and retired, know

what it is. It’s maybe only us grumpy old members that

don’t understand the big picture.

We urgently need to encourage these active

members into the Association to grow our numbers,

and to provide them with a connection to their prior

commitments and memories, otherwise we will be the

redundant ones, not 1 Commando Regiment, and I

believe this needs to occur without delay.

Whatever happens we must support our active

members and Cadre Staff, both privately and publicly

in magazines such as our own, otherwise it may be that

our Association will become irrelevant.

Once a Commando, always a Commando.

Des Forrester

Wayne Jenkins


RECENT ACTIVITIES

History Research Centre at Holsworthy

Barracks receives Historic Banner Dawn

Service

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

30 October 2025

Author: Peter McCaffrey

An M and Z Special Unit and Commando Asso cia -

tion Banner was recovered from Queensland recently

and placed into the History Research Centre (HRC) on

26 th September 2025. The historically significant item’s

location was discovered by Rod Hilliker, and this

initiated an epic, non-stop, 24-hour recovery trip to

Hervey Bay and back by Rod and Geoff Nangle.

Rod and Geoff are veterans of 1 Commando

Company 1 st Commando Regiment and were happy to

see the Banner placed into the HRC at Holsworthy

Barracks.

The remarkable addition to the collection enhances

the Centre’s ability to showcase unique aspects of

Australian Commando heritage. The Banner, repre -

senting the distinguished service of the M and Z

Special Units and Independent and Commando

Companies, later renamed in 1943 as Commando

squadrons, will not only be preserved but also made

accessible for educational displays and research

purposes.

Sgt LB, Manager of the HRC recieves the Banner from Rod Hilliker.

Peter McCaffrey

President

ACANSW

The Banner at its new home in the HRC.


AUSTRALIAN COMMANDO ASSOCIATION VICTORIA

Incorporated in Victoria A0014983Z

ABN 87 282 474 621

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

November 2025

RECENT ACTIVITIES

Presidents’ Shield Pistol Shoot 2025

Australian Commando Association Victoria

vs Australian SAS Association Victoria

By Glenn MacDonald, Secretary ACA VIC

and photos courtesy of Dick Pelling

Our annual ACA VIC vs ASASAV pistol shoot was

held on Sunday, 19 October 2025 in warm and cloudy

conditions.

The Yarra Pistol Club again welcomed us with an

army of staff and had their complex in Wellington

Road, Lysterfield looking a treat and ready for a great

afternoon’s shooting.

Following registration, a settling coffee and the

obligatory safety briefing, a total of 56 shooters moved

to Range 4 to demonstrate their skills (or slight

nervousness if first timers) with a trio of weapons (.22,

.38- & 9-mm pistols). Every shooter had a Club

instructor to expertly assist and/or guide them. Each

person had 10 shots with each calibre pistol. A perfect

score would be 300.

ASASAV President Travis Holland presenting the Presidents Shield

to ACA VIC Secretary Glenn MacDonald

The President’s Shield will hang on Yarra Pistol

Club’s trophy wall until Sunday, 18 October 2026 –

please put this date in your Calendar now and come

along to help your Association retain/regain the Shield

for another year.

Final Results:

Presidents’ Shield: ACA VIC 233; ASASAV 197

Yarra Pistol Club – Range 4 action

This year the outcome was the reverse of last year

with the ACAVIC Family besting the ASASAV Family –

see results below.

Congratulations to both Teams for some fine

shooting and a lot of good-natured catcalling during

the firing.

Individual shooting:

ACA VIC top shooter: Paul Storey 263

ASASAV top shooter: Ash Murphy 247

Non-Association Men’s top shooter: Ben Hopping 254

Non-Association Women’s top shooter: Jess Storey

242

An encouragement award went to Amber Renfree

for her gallant first attempt with a pistol.

Paul Storey Ash Murphy Ben Hopping Jess Storey Amber Renfree

www.synqor.com

The top 4 shooters in each Association then put on

a moving target demonstration on Range 1 for the rest

of the Group. The ACA VIC team comprised Paul

Storey, David Campion, Geoff Lander and Trevor


Bergman while the ASASAV Team had Ash Murphy,

Scott, Travis Holland and Brett Campbell. The ASASAV

Team was in fine form and accuracy, scoring 222 to

ACA VIC’s Team <200, and were declared the victors.

Given the fun everyone had while cheering for their

Teams, we will look at providing a team prize for this

exercise in future years.

Following the surprise proposal from the Storey

Family to make an award to the Family registering the

greatest number of registered (scored) shooters on the

day, the inaugural Ian Storey Memorial Family Shooters

Plaque was awarded to Rob (Ozzie) Osborne & Family

(6 shooters - the baby wanted to shoot but Mum said

not yet) by Ian’s son Paul.

encouraged to participate as the Association has a

long-standing friendship with the Foster RSL. Many of

their members and families have had experiences and

then related stories of the men who trained at Wilsons

Promontory during World War II. A very worthwhile

event if you’re in town on the night.

2026 Double Dagger Ride and Rock

It is with immense pleasure that I advise that Neal

King and his team are once again conducting the

Double Dagger Ride and Rock on 28 February 2026.

Having attended a previous event I highly recommend

attendance at this activity which provides support to

not only Neil but also the Commando related charities

that he supports including the ACA and the

Commando Welfare Trust.

Paul Storey presents the inaugural Ian Storey Memorial Family

Shooters Plaque to Robert (Ozzie) Osborne & Family

A huge thank you to the Yarra Pistol Club and the

staff who turned out on the day. Their hospitality, venue

and support for our families are first class, and I would

be happy to endorse any of our family who might be

thinking of joining the Club. They have growing junior

and female contingents as well as a very reasonable

subscription package.

Yarra Pistol Club, Lysterfield – Contact Paul on

newmembers@yarrapistolclub.com.au

FORTHCOMING ACTIVITIES

22-23 November 2025. Annual Pilgrimage to

Commando Memorial at Tidal River, Wilsons

Promontory.

The annual commemoration of the birth of not only

Australian Commandos but also the beginning of

Australian Special Operations will take place

commencing at 1245 at the Commando Memorial at

Tidal River. Following the commemoration service a

not so light afternoon tea is being catered for by the

ladies of the Tidal River Space Project The evening

prior the Foster RSL will be conducting a barbecue for

ACA Vic members and friends The, and all are

Tickets are available online at....

https://www.ticketebo.com.au/double-daggerprojects/double-dagger-ride-and-rock-victoria-2026.

1 and 2 Commando Company’s

70 th Anniversary Decanter

In the quarter of 2024 commenced enquiries I com -

menced enquiries regarding the manufacture of a 70 th

anniversary 1 and 2 Commando company’s high quality

unique decanter. Initially we thought of filling with

either Australian Scotch or Rum but decided not to as

there are many high-quality versions of these on the

market, so we decided to go with the decanter only.


Unfortunately, the original concept was unable to

be manufactured in Australia at a reasonable cost and

so we sourced a UK-based supplier, who has provided

similar items to UK and French special forces. We

provided initial artwork to be laser etched into the

decanter and the final sample arrived well after the 70 th

anniversary celebrations in February. ACA VIC intends

to market these in conjunction with PLATATAC

however there are two limiting factors. Firstly, the

minimum order size is 50 and the delivery time will

take approximately three months, due to existing

backorders in the UK. Also, currency fluctuation

frequently affects international imports, not to mention

import tariffs etc.

Illustrated below is the 70 th Anniversary Decanter

and shows the 1955 Commando and on the opposing

side the 2025 Special Warfare Operator.

Empty decanter with black

Fairburn Sykes pourer.

One of the two empty sides

available for laser engraving.

Due to the limitededition

number of these

decanters the priority for

purchase will go to cur -

rent and former members

of the Com mando Com -

panies and 1 st Commando

Regiment and then others

who may be interested.

As the ‘dagger’ cannot be

removed and is not an

authentic weapon it is not

classified as a restricted

weapon under state and

federal legislation.

To indicate your in -

terest in obtaining one or

more of these memo rable

items please use one of

the following.

1. This will link you with

the ACA merchandise

page and enter 75 th

decanter and insert

the required informa -

tion.

2. Forward an email to

acavic.presi -

dent@gmail.com

containing the fol low -

ing information:

• Full name.

• Dates of service

Decanter opened and pouring

and refilling spout shown.

with in commando com panies or 1 st Commando

Regiment.

• Are you a member of ACA and if so which

branch?

• Delivery address.

• Is laser engraving of your service details

required?

3. Alternatively, and preferably the last resort to be

used that the information can be texted to Mobile

0400 877 323.

The indicative cost for the decanter is $340 and $45

for laser etching of service details.

Because the festive season is quickly approaching,

we request that an Expression of Interest be

forwarded prior to 14 December 2025 so that we can

order from the UK prior to Christmas.

1955 Commando etching.

Empty decanter with black

Fairburn Sykes pourer.

2025 updated unit badge and

Special Warfare Operator.

HISTORICAL COLLECTION

Ongoing work with cataloguing the collection is

going slowly with priority being given to the Magazine

and other issues. We have recently been donated

several items from the commando Lodge, Freemasons

Victoria as the lodge has now ceased to operate. It was

formed initially by World War II veterans and later many

members of the postwar 2 Commando Company also

joined.


The display at Fort Gellibrand is expanding and

negotiations are currently underway to establish a

photographic and display at Newport RSL, where they

have established a ‘Commando Corner’.

JAYWICK SERIES

As mentioned in previous editions the development

of this six-part series is going very well, and an initial

preview will be conducted in late November and

supported by the SAS Historical Foundation and SASR

as the producing company Wondership Entertainment

is in WA. A webpage specifically for readers can be

found at www.wondership.com.au/operation-jaywick.

WELFARE

Ongoing Liaison. ACA Vic continues to liaise with, and

attend regular meetings with, the Victorian Veterans

Council, Legacy, RSL and DVA networks to promote

ACA Vic’s objectives/expectations and support

requirements in the very crowded Welfare and

Advocacy arena.

Doug Knight

President

ACAVIC

Mobile: 0400877323

Email: acavic.president@gmail.com


SIGNIFICANT COMMANDO DATES

SEPTEMBER to DECEMBER

SEPTEMBER

September 1942

Camp Z at Refuge Bay, NSW was established and

from here the operators selected for Operation

JAYWICK began their training. Some of the

operators and crew members departed from Camp

Z onboard the MV Krait for Cairns on 18 January

1943.

23/24 September 1942

No. 4 Independent Company lands on the beach

just west of the village of Betano, Portuguese Timor

from HMAS Voyager to replace the No.2 Inde -

pendent Company. HMAS Voyager becomes

aground and both Independent Company’s begun

to fight against the Japanese.

2 September 1943

14 members of Operation JAYWICK depart

Exmouth aboard the MV Krait the first raid into

Singapore Harbour..

11 September 1944

23 men of Operation RIMAU depart Garden Island

in WA aboard HMS Porpoise as part of the second

raid on Singapore Harbour.

2 September 1945

Japan formally signs the instrument of surrender

onboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Harbour, ending

WW2, thus ending the combat operations and the

beginning of the demobilisation and eventual

disbandment of the Commando Squadrons &

Regiments and a number of special operations

units. Japanese formal surrenders continued until 22

Feb 1946.

11 September 2001

19 Islamic Terrorists flew four commercial passenger

jets into three buildings & a field in the United

States, which intern began The Longest War in

Australia’s Military History & forever changed the

way Australia’s Commando Regiments operated

and conducted their operations.


2/6 th Cdo Sqn in action during the battle of Kaiapit,

New Guinea.

24 September 1943

After a relatively uneventful voyage, MV Krait arrived

off Singapore. That night, six men left the vessel and

three Foldboats boat and paddled 50 kilometres to

establish a forward base in a cave on a small island

near the harbour.


Six members of Operation JAYWICK led by Major

Ivan Lyon conduct raids using three Foldboats and

carrying limpet mines on Japanese Shipping in

Singapore Harbour. In the resulting explosions, the

limpet mines allegedly sank or seriously damaged

seven Japanese ships, comprising over 39,000 tons

between them. The six operatives waited until the

commotion over the attack had subsided and then

returned to the MV Krait which they reached on 2

October 1943.

4 September 1944

2/4 th Cdo Sqn landed at Lae during the Salamaua-

Lae campaign. This was the first Australian amphi -

bious landing since Gallipoli in 1915.

OCTOBER

October 1941

No.2 and No.3 Independent Company’s were raised

at Wilsons Promontory, Victoria.

1 October 1942

No.5 Independent Company launched a raid on

Mubo, New Guinea.

No.3 Independent Company was renamed 2/3 rd

Cavalry (Commando) Squadron after reform ing at

Atherton Tablelands, Queensland.

No. 4 Independent Company reforms as the 2/4th

Cavalry (Commando) Squadron whilst deployed

overseas. Special Operations training conducted at

Z Experimental Station (ZES) Cairns moved to the

Fraser Commando School (FCS), Fraser Island, Qld.

24 October 1943

Sergeant Leonard George (Len) Siffleet, M Special

Unit was beheaded on Aitape Beach, New Guinea.

The moment was captured by a Japanese soldier in

a photograph and became an infamous image of

Japanese brutality to POWs during WW2.

(Continued on page 17)



SIGNIFICANT COMMANDO DATES

SEPTEMBER to DECEMBER (Contiinued from page 15)

October 1944

2/8 th Commando Squadron was transported to

Torokina, Bougainville to begin the Bougainville

Campaign.

2/9 th Commando Squadron relieves US Forces in

Aitape, New Guinea.

10 October 1944

Services Reconnaissance Department operatives

aboard the junk Mustika were compromised by a

Malay Police Boat Patrol off Kasoa and Samboe

Islands, Malaya during Operation RIMAU.

22 October 1944

2/7 th Cav Commando Squadron 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-month deployment as part of the

UNTAET Mission in East Timor.

NOVEMBER

20 November 1942

2/6 th Independent Company was engaged in heavy

fighting around the New Strip airfield Bona, New

Guinea against the Japanese Imperial Army.

November 1944

2/10 th Commando Squadron conducts combat

operations in the Suain-Luain area of New Guinea.

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.

No. 4 Independent Company was re-raised at

Wilsons Promontory, Victoria following the

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. It had previously

ceased training at the direction of General

Headquarters due to queries regarding its

operational employment.

17 December 1941

No. 2 Independent Company arrives in Dili,

Portuguese Timor and begins to provide protection

to the Dili Airfield.

December 1942

No 2. Independent Company begin withdrawing

from Portuguese Timor and is replaced by No.4

Independent Company.

11 - 13 December 1944

2/7th Commando Squadron is involved in significant

engagements against the Japanese in Yourang and

Kumbun in New Britain, New Guinea.

December 1944 – August 1945

This eight-month period saw the 2/8 th Commando

Squadron in action almost continuously in the

Bougain ville 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.

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DECEMBER

December 1941

No.3 Independent Company is sent to New Cale -

donia to support the Free French against a

Japanese invasion.

153 Arcadia Drive, Shoalwater WA



Operation JAYWICK – a close-run thing …

By Noah Salittle, a former member of 2 Commando Company with an interest in military history.

In 2023, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of

Operation JAYWICK, this magazine featured

several articles on Operation JAYWICK, the well

known, daring canoe raid on shipping in Singapore

Harbour, carried out by Special Operations Australia

(SOA) in September/October 1943. 1

We don’t propose in this article to re-hash what is

already well known about JAYWICK, but to shed some

light on some perhaps lesser-known aspects of this

operation. The operational details of the raid and its

aftermath have been recounted many times and there

are readily available contemporaneous accounts of

precisely what happened. What is equally interesting

however, we believe, are the bureaucratic machinations

behind the scenes as intra-Allied and intra-service

politics and interests were navigated, successfully in

the end. We have deliberately chosen not to include in

this article any of the usual photos relating to

Operation JAYWICK.

Much of the account below is taken from files of the

Special Operations Executive (SOE) held in The

National Archives (TNA), UK. 2

Operation JAYWICK, as it came to be known,

underwent a number of planning iterations over a

period of 15 months. We’ll call these, for the purposes

of this article at least, “Plans A, B, C and D”.

“Plan A” (and, briefly, “Plan B”)

The first version, “Plan A” we’ll call it, was hatched

by CAPT Ivan Lyon of the Singapore-based Oriental

Mission (OM) of the British Special Operations

Executive (SOE), as he pondered matters on his escape

from Singapore through Sumatra to safety in India, in

the wake of the British surrender in Singapore on 15

February 1942.

On his arrival in India, he set about drawing up a

plan to attack the Japanese in Singapore using a

former Japanese shipping vessel (“Kofuku Maru”,

which later became the KRAIT) together with the

services of an Australian civilian mariner W R “Bill”

Reynolds whom he had met in Sumatra on the way to

India. Reynolds had, under never clearly explained

circumstances, commandeered the “Kofuku Maru” in

Singapore and used it to assist the escape of military

and civilians from Singapore, for which feat he was

awarded a Member of the British Empire (MBE)

decoration. Reynolds ended up escaping with the

vessel to India.

On 12 June 1942, SOE (India Mission) cabled an

outline of Lyon’s plan 3 to SOE HQ in London to the

effect that:

• CAPT Lyon’s scheme for “raiding Japanese

occupied harbours, particularly Singapore” had

received approval from the Commander-in-Chief,

India, GEN Sir Archibald Wavell, and the Royal Navy

Commander in Chief, East Indies.

• CAPT Lyon would lead the party and be responsible

for training; MAJ H A Campbell would be the

administrative officer; and Bill Reynolds would fit

out the ships and be responsible for navigation.

CAPT G Chester would accompany the party, in

charge of stores and equipment.

• The plan would involve two mother craft – the

KRAIT plus “a trading schooner to be acquired in

Cooktown, Australia”. No. 1 craft would establish a

food and fuel dump midway between Australia and

Singapore, while No. 2 would act as a parent ship to

the raiders.

• Reynolds – “a middle-aged Australian” - would be

paid GBP 100 per month for the hire of the KRAIT

(including insurance and crew) and he was also to

be reimbursed GBP 250 for his work assisting SOE

in evacuations from Sumatra in February 1942. 4 Allup

costs for the operation would be no more than

GBP 25,000.

• The raiding party would consist of 12 men in 8

canoes, including 2 towed supply canoes for an

attack on shipping and warehouses in Singapore

harbour.

• The use of Australia as a base “may produce com -

plications”, but it was essential for the vessels to use

cover of the islands on the approach to Singapore

(and not transit via the geographically restricted

waters of the Malacca Strait). The disadvantage of

launching from Australia though was “difficulties

caused by the attitude of Australians towards British

following the fall of Malaya”. This disadvantage

1

These were in Edition 14 (exercise in Townsville to prove the concept),

Edition 15 (preparation and training), Edition 16 (Conduct and

aftermath), and Edition 17 (results and aftermath), all in 2023.

2

In particular, we have used HS1/257, SOE Far East – Australia,

Operations: JAYWICK - China Seas Project: Destruction of Shipping in

Singapore Harbour (Maj Ivan Lyon), (HS1/257) and HS1/258, SOE Far

East – Australia, Operations: JAYWICK – China Seas Project. Maj Lyon’s

Reports, Diary, Awards & Citations, (HS1/258).

3

Cipher telegrams, dispatched 12 June 1942. HS1/257 p 97 and Lyon’s

plan with covering comments from Director India Mission (B/B 100), pp

90-95.

4

There was to be much bureaucratic to and from over the next year about

who the KRAIT actually belonged to and whether Reynolds should be

allowed to claim it as salvage and whether SOE should/could purchase it

from him.


could however be mitigated by ensuring the

expedition was “largely Australian”; several

Australian officers had been rescued by SOE from

Singapore and “their support would be enlisted’;

and “political contacts (were) already partially

established”. GEN Wavell had at first been

“somewhat doubtful or reluctant” about using

Australia as the base but acceded to Lyon’s

reasoning.

• The party would include “11 volunteers to be

recruited from the yachting community of the South

Island of New Zealand, six of whom would be

specially selected Maori, specially trained for fixing

limpet mines to the bottom of warships. Crews for

the two (mother) ships would be recruited by

Reynolds in Australia”.

• The expedition party should be in place in Australia

by November 1942, ready for deployment in

February 1943, near the one-year anniversary of the

fall of Singapore, when there might be a con -

centration of Japanese warships there.

• SOE (India Mission) would bring the Melbournebased

Inter-Allied Services Depart ment (ISD) in on

this plan, after approval from SOE HQ. 5

• There was (almost) an admission that the plan was

ambitious, but it was pointed out that “particular

merit lies in (the) relevant experience and per -

sonality of (its) leaders.”

A telegram from SOE HQ back to SOE (India

Mission) dated 7 July 1942: 6

• Approved the plan and allotted the codeword

JAYWICK.

• Suggested the best targets would be loaded

merchant ships, in particular those transport ing/ -

loading critical commodities: oil installations at

Seria (in Brunei) and Miri (in Sarawak); an iron ore

loading point at Bukit Besi (in Trengganu on the

east coast of Malaya); bauxite from Bintan Island (in

the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), but only about 40

km southeast of Singapore); nickel shipped from

Malili (NEI, South Sulawesi); and salt from Madura

Island (NEI, a large island off the northern coast of

the eastern end of Java).

• In view of the importance of these objectives, urged

consideration of acquiring more vessels and per -

5

ISD was the Special Operations organisation set up in Australia in April

1942, headed by SOE officer LTCOL Egerton Mott. Its establishment was

approved by both Australian authorities and the US-led GHQ South West

Pacific Area (SWPA) headed by GEN Douglas MacArthur. ISD’s activities

were co-ordinated by the Australian-led Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB),

which was under GHQ SWPA. After disputes with GHQ SWPA, ISD was

disbanded in February 1943, but was in effect re-badged as Special

Operations Australia (SOA) officially in April 1943, with the cover name

Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD).

6

Cipher telegram dated 7 July 1942, HS1/257, p 96. The telegram from

London notes “ACSS” as an addressee and this is presumably “Assistant

Chief of the Secret Service” (i.e. of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS)).

If that presumption is correct, SIS in London at least was aware of

JAYWICK from the very beginning.

sonnel and the use of naval vessels to carry craft

closer to the target areas.

• Asked if the party need any “special toys” and

hinted at possibly fitting small craft with 18-inch

torpedoes.

Within the space of less than 4 weeks, the raid had

therefore gone from Lyon’s original plan (“Plan A”) to

attack warships in Singapore harbour using 2 vessels

and 6 raid canoes to a much more ambitious activity

involving attacks on targets all over the NEI (but not

including Singapore), on freighters and strategic

materials (“Plan B”). That is the last record on file of

“Plan B” and it appears to have been quietly shelved.

CAPT Lyon arrived in Fremantle from India on 3 July

1942 and shortly thereafter moved on to Melbourne.

On arrival in Melbourne, Lyon met up with (British SOE)

LTCOL Mott, Director of ISD who arranged appoint -

ments for him with key GHQ South West Pacific Area

(SWPA) staff - (American) BRIG C Willoughby, Assistant

Chief of Staff, G-2 (Intelligence) and Willoughby’s

Deputy (American) COL Merle-Smith. “Conversations

with these officers were not a success as their plans for

the future did not include Singapore.” The date of this

meeting is not specified, but on 6 July 1942, the Allied

Intelligence Bureau (AIB) was set up under GHQ SWPA

to co-ordinate the activities of the “special agencies”.

This British scheme to attack Singapore was probably a

perfect example of the need to rein in these special

groups and to focus limited resources on priorities –

Singapore after all was not even in SWPA’s area of

responsibility. Moreover in early/mid July 1942 SWPA

had far more pressing issues to consider in its own AO

– NEI and the Philippines had fallen; thousands of

Allied servicemen were in captivity; the Japanese had

not yet been checked in New Guinea or the Solomons;

Japanese midget submarines had attacked Sydney

harbour only 6 weeks before; an ill-fated Dutch-

Australian operation PLOVER was about to be

launched in the eastern islands of the NEI; No.2

Independent Company was still holding out in the

mountains of Portuguese Timor; ISD had just started

sending parties into Portuguese Timor and the eastern

islands of the NEI; and, to complicate matters further,

GHQ was about to move to Brisbane in a few weeks’

time !

Australian Army, and presumably ISD, were “keen

to use the JAYWICK team in (Portuguese) Timor but

were not prepared to back a venture against Singapore

at the present stage.”

Perhaps referring to the “political contacts” noted

in SOE India’s comments above, Lyon managed to get

a meeting with the Governor-General of Australia

seeking his support for JAYWICK. The records are

silent on how this meeting occurred (or the propriety of

it), but the Governor-General at the time was (British)

BRIG Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl

of Gowrie, VC, GCMG, CB, DSO & Bar, KStJ, PC. This

meeting could have been arranged through British

authorities in India or even possibly through Lyon’s


family contacts – Lyon’s father was BRIG Francis Lyon

CB, CMG, CVO. 7

Figure 1 - After being knocked back by GHQ SWPA and Australian

military authorities, Lyon then sought the help of the Governor-

General, Sir Alexander Gore Ark wright Hore-Ruthven. 8

Figure 3 - LCDR “Cocky” Long DNI was closely involved in

supporting JAYWICK. 10 (In this presumably later photo he is

wearing the rank of CDR.)

Figure 2 - ADM Sir Guy Royle, the British officer who was the

senior officer in the RAN from 1941-1945. His support for JAYWICK

in the early days was crucial. 9

Through the Governor-General, Lyon was intro -

duced to (British) Admiral Sir Guy Royle, RN who was

First Naval Member of the Australian Commonwealth

Naval Board (ACNB) and Chief of the Naval Staff, i.e.

the most senior Naval officer in the RAN. 11 On 17 July

1942, Lyon was invited to a meeting of the ACNB at

which it was decided that “JAYWICK, as originally

planned, would have the complete support and cooperation

of the RAN”. The scheme would be

“fathered” by Royle and would be under the oversight

of the Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI) LCDR R B M

(Cocky) Long. “In all other respects it would be

regarded as an SOE activity”. 12

Lyon had brought with him a letter from GEN

Wavell, supporting the project. Writing in August 1943,

Director SOA LTCOL Chapman-Walker, confessed he

had never actually seen that letter, but believed that

ADM Royle still had it.

As noted in the previous articles on JAYWICK in this

Magazine, this RAN support was crucial in acquiring

RAN manpower for the raiding party, supplies and the

7

See ‘Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie’, Wikipedia,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hore%2DRuthven%2C_1st_Earl

_of_Gowrie, accessed 13 Aug 2025. Also ‘Family Tree of Francis Lyon CB

CMG CVO’, Wikitree, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lyon-5530,

accessed 13 Aug 2025.

8

‘Sir Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven, GCMG, CB, DSO, PC’,

Parliament of Australia, https://www.aph.gov.au/Visit_Par lia ment/Art/ -

Stories_and_Histories/HMC/Monarchs_and_Govenors-General/ -

Sir_Alexander_Gore_Arkwright_Hore-Ruthven.

9

Australian War Memorial (AWM), https://www.awm.gov.au/col lection/ -

C35235#:~:text=Description-,ADMI RAL%20SIR%20 GUY %20 -

CHARLES%20CECIL%20ROYLE%2C%20K.C.B.%2C%20C.M.G.,SER -

VICES%20IN%20THE%20LAST%20WAR.

10

‘Rupert Basil Michel Long (1899-1960), Australian Dictionary of Biblio -

graphy, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/long-rupert-basil-michel-

10858, accessed 15 August 2025.

11

HS1/257, p 17

12

Royle was the First Naval Member of the ACNB, from 1941-1945. ‘Guy

Royle’, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Royle, accessed

13 August 2025. Also HS1/257, p 17.


Refuge Bay training area (Camp “X”) north of Sydney.

MAJ Campbell set himself up with a secretary in a

dedicated JAYWICK administrative support office at 25

Onslow Gardens, Potts Point, Sydney. Army provided

some materials such as weapons and ammunition, as

well as vehicles. Primary liaison on the ground in

Sydney was with SO(I) Naval HQ just down the road

from the JAYWICK office in Potts Point and they acted

as the link to DNI in Melbourne. Subsidiary liaison was

maintained with the Army Intelligence staff at Victoria

Barracks, Sydney. Communications were effected

either via Navy in Sydney to DNI to Flag Officer Com -

manding Royal Indian Navy (FOCRIN) to GSI(k) (the

cover name for SOE India Mission) then to SOE HQ; or

via ISD in Melbourne to SOE HQ in London and/or

SOE India.

Lyon and Campbell had “no accreditation to ISD,

nor were they at any time sponsored by ISD although

they did from time to time see LTCOL Mott through

whom some but not all of their communications with

India were passed”. At no time throughout this

operation were GHQ SWPA “in any way concerned

with it”. 13

“Plan C”

By early 1943, planning had evolved from the

original “Plan A”. The key features of the new plan

(which we’ll call “Plan C”) 14 were:

• Only one mother craft – the KRAIT - to be used.

• The operation to launch from Darwin and transit

through the Flores and Java Seas.

• The attack on Singapore harbour would occur on

the night of 15 February 1943. No mention now of

attacking warehouses on shore.

• 6 canoes to take part in the attack, with 2 in reserve.

• No New Zealanders (Māori or otherwise) were

involved – personnel to be a mix of SOE, RAN and

AIF, making a total of 21.

• RAN, from Darwin, would establish a fuel and food

dump on Kisar Island (in the NEI, about 40 km north

of the eastern tip of Portuguese Timor).

• The party would tow a small lighter from Darwin and

establish a dump at the Paternoster Archipelago

(NEI, presumably in the area of Pulau Sailus Besar,

about 50 km north of the island of Sumbawa).

• The party would rest for 3 days somewhere in the

Kangean Islands (NEI, about 130 km north of Bali).

• They would make their attack base near Pulau

Sambu within easy distance of Singapore harbour.

“The few fishing families on the island will be

rounded up and heavily bribed to silence. They will

remain under armed guard throughout the

operation.” KRAIT will remain at the island while the

canoes make their attack and wait for the canoes to

return that night.

13

HS1/257, p 17

14

‘OPERATION – JAYWICK’, HS1/257, pp 46-52

Figure 4 - An excerpt from the “Plan C” papers. Presumably these

“Actions-On” for canoe No.1’s and 2’s was applicable only if one’s

cyanide tablet was not readily at hand … 15

Writing of the support provided by DNI, LTCOL

Mott, Director of ISD said: “the whole thing would

have got nowhere without DNI Commander Long, he

is a person of considerable importance in the back -

ground, who is an indefatigable intriguer, very well

informed about the local political shoals and crosscurrents”

… “he has taken endless trouble over their

men, camp equipment and general wet-nursing by the

Navy”. 16

On 18 January 1943, the KRAIT set off on the

mission from Camp “X” bound for Darwin then enemy

territory. KRAIT began making its way up the east coast

of Australia by fits and starts, plagued by mechanical

problems and delays all the way. On 13 March 1943,

the vessel arrived in Townsville under tow. 17 With the

delay in getting the KRAIT to Australia, the seemingly

insoluble ongoing mechanical problems and the

security issues arising out of the KRAIT’s thwarted

progress, the viability of JAYWICK was in serious

danger. On 27 March 1943 a meeting was held in

Melbourne between ADM Royle, DNI Long, the new

Director (British LTCOL P Chapman-Walker) of SOA

(the successor to ISD), Lyon and Campbell and it was

decided that JAYWICK would be “abandoned” and

stores would be kept at Townsville and Cairns and

available on demand. RAN personnel returned to their

duties but would be available again “in the event of a

similar expedition” being approved and in which case

RAN would continue to support it. JAYWICK funds

would be handed over to SOA, which would now

formally take on the British personnel. 18

In early April 1943, (qualified) criticism was levelled

against Bill Reynolds for being “overoptimistic” on

KRAIT’s engines and his services were dispensed with.

Over the next few months, there was considerable

discussion between SOA, SOE India and SOE HQ in

London about the validity of Reynolds’ claims for

salvage of the KRAIT. The bottom line was that the ship

was more properly the property of the “Custodian of

15

‘OPERATION – JAYWICK’, HS1/257, p 52

16

‘JAYWICK’, dated 13 February 1943, HS1/257 pp 41-44

17

Dates from LR Silver, Deadly Secrets, The Singapore Raids 1942-1945,

Sally Milner Publishing, Binda, 2010, pp 134-136

18

National Archives of Australia (NAA), A3269, E2A, Lower South China

Sea, Singapore - JAYWICK, copy I [Singapore] Item 235232, (NAA

235232), p 90


Enemy Property” and should not actually have been

leased from Reynolds in the first place. 19

“Plan D”

By late July 1943 however KRAIT had been

“reconditioned and a new engine installed” and the

operation was on again. 20 The planning for JAYWICK

had been simplified and amended into what we could

now call “Plan D”:

• Still only one mother craft, KRAIT, to be used.

• Launch from Exmouth Gulf, not Darwin. Exmouth

provided greater operational security.

• Passage through the Lombok Strait, not the Flores

Sea.

• 3 raiding canoes only.

• No stops enroute for fuel or water.

• The drop-off and pick up of the canoe raiding party

by KRAIT were now more distant from the objective,

requiring considerably more paddling.

• A reduced party, totalling 14.

With the operation back on, RAN released back to

JAYWICK some of its original personnel and provided

additional replacement ones. The party was now 14 in

number as opposed to the previous 21. The civilian Bill

Reynolds was no longer in the group nor was one of

the original British officers, CAPT Chester. 21 Seven new

RAN members were brought on, plus one AIF officer,

LT R Page (canoeist). Only 6 of the original party

remained: three British - MAJ Lyon (team leader and

canoeist), LEUT Davidson (canoeist) and CPL Morris;

and three RAN members - Falls (canoeist), Berryman

and Huston (canoeist). LEUT H Carse, RANVR was

brought on as navigator. Training re-commenced at the

former training area at Refuge Bay 22 for all, including

the new members of the party. Of the 6 canoeists for

“Plan D”, 4 (including Lyon) had already undergone the

initial training for “Plan C”.

As the new plan involved KRAIT making a final

refuel stop using US Naval facilities at POTSHOT (the

USN submarine base at Exmouth Gulf, Western

Australia), SOA now needed the active support of GHQ

SWPA. Furthermore, since the operation was being

launched through SWPA’s AO into India Command’s

AO, GHQ SWPA wanted confirmation that Allied

authorities in India had actually approved it.

19

HS1/257, pp 26-33

20

Message from ACNB to FOCRIN, dated 21 July 1943, HS1/257, p 19

21

CAPT Chester was instead tapped to lead SOA’s PYTHON party in

British North Borneo from September 1943 to June 1944. See CA

Brown, The Official History of Special Operations - Australia, Vol 2

Operations, SOA Books, 2011 (SOA Vol 2), pp 157-162. (Brown’s book

is a more readily useable, hard copy version of the digital document at

NAA: A3269, O8/A, Item 235327, Special Operations Australia Vol II

(Operations)).

22

When the KRAIT set sail from Refuge Bay on 18 January 1943, the plan

had been to dismantle Camp “X”. (HS1/257, p 90). The files are silent

on where the next round of training occurred, but from post-war

accounts involving at least two of the new mission members (RAN

seamen Young and Marsh), they trained at Camp “X” also.

In a series of cables in late July 1943 refreshed

approval was therefore sought from India Command

via both Australian Navy to British Navy (in India)

channels and via SOE channels. There was some to-ing

and fro-ing about this, India noting that the operation

had been sponsored by the British in order to avoid

American control (i.e. through GHQ SWPA), so why did

SOA now require confirmation of British approval?

SOA noted to SOE (India) that if India Command

approval was “not immediately obtainable” FOCRIN

(head of British Navy India) could cable his approval to

ACNB (Australian Navy) “since JAYWICK is (a) para

naval operation”. 23 On 19 August 1943, with less than

2 weeks before the launch of the operation, SOE India

advised that India Command and Eastern Fleet had

provided the refreshed approval. 24 This was a close run

thing as US Navy elements at POTSHOT only received

GHQ approval to support JAYWICK while KRAIT was

already on its way there. 25

Figure 5 - Isolated conditions at Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia.

KRAIT departed from and returned here. 26

To add to last minute woes, LEUT Davidson had

gone ahead to Exmouth Gulf to prepare the canoes,

newly arrived straight from the factory. He complained:

“I have never been so disappointed in my life …

It took six of us one and three quarter days to

assemble them. Very little fitted. A great deal of

carpentry work was necessary … Each skin was

different from the rest … It is quite obvious that they

were never assembled by the manufacturer prior to

delivery. Even the workmanship put into them is

shoddy.” The canoe masts and sails were missing.

Lyon commented that nevertheless, “the canoes are

infinitely better than our previous ones.” 27

Just to complicate intra-Allied matters, an internal

British turf war briefly flared up. On 23 August 1943,

SOE London received a peeved message from British

23

HS1/257, p 22

24

NAA 235232, p 33

25

HS1/257, pp 17-21

26

AWM, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/304245

27

‘Report from Exmouth Gulf’, dated 1 September 1943,NAA 235323, pp

34-36


Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) HQ in London 28 to the

effect that Secret Intelligence Australia (SIA) 29 in

Brisbane had sought clarification along the lines of:

MAJ Lyons (sic) of the Gordon Highlanders

formerly of Franco-British intelligence in Singapore

has taken over a small vessel Krait and has with him

LEUT Davidson RNVR and 12 assorted navy and

army personnel. At present en route Darwin and

Exmouth Gulf. Ultimate destination Timor and

possibly other parts of the of the Dutch East Indies.

Can you tell me what organisation is at the back of

Lyons (sic). He has obtained help from Royle and

Army in Melbourne.

SIS suggested it would “have been better if

Chapman-Walker (Director of SOA) had told Kendall 30

(Director of SIA) as he (Lyon and/or Chapman-Walker)

has caused considerable confusion in Australia.”

SIA presumably knew quite well that SOE were

behind this, revealing their knowledge of Lyon’s work in

1941 as a member of SOE’s now disbanded Singaporebased

OM, where he had worked with Free French

elements in French Indo-China. SIA also knew the size

and composition of his party, plus the backing from

RAN. What they had wrong was the destination –

(Portuguese) Timor and the NEI. Both those areas were

in SWPA and SIA could have expected at the very least

deconfliction and co-ordination from AIB, which had

been set up to do just that. Lyon’s operation, if indeed

targeting the NEI, had the very real chance of

upsetting SIA operations there. 31

Internal SOE HQ comment on this note from SIS

noted that the response to SIS should be along the

lines of:

Lyon “is an SOE officer attached to SOA”. The

operation had been delayed for various reasons and

the ultimate objective is Singapore, not Timor or the

NEI. SOE were not aware of any call being made in

Timor. “The original operation was sponsored by

SOE and is now controlled by SOA. It is entirely SO

in design and objective.” 32

SOE noted their “regret that Kendall was not more

fully in the picture” and SOE actually thought that SIA

28

Note of 23 August 1943, HS1/257, pp 24, 25

29

SIA was the Australia-based element of SIS. It nominally fell under the

co-ordination of the AIB.

30

CAPT Roy Kendall, RNVR, was born in the UK to an Australian father and

British mother. After the war he stayed on in Australia and became a

Liberal Party Senator in the Federal parliament from 1950-1965. See

‘KENDALL, ROY (1899–1972)’, Parliament of Australia, the Biographical

Dic tionary of the Australian Senate, Online Edition, https://bio gra phy. -

senate.gov.au/kendall-roy/#:~:text=(1899%E2%80%931972)-

,Senator%20for%20Queensland%2C%201950%E2%80%9365%20(Liber

al %20Party%20of%20Australia,Royal%20Naval%20Reserve%20(RNR),

accessed 14 August 2025.

31

The lack of co-ordination seems odd. SIA HQ and AIB HQ, both in

Brisbane, were only 1.7 km apart and there must have been frequent

contact between them – and other parts of AIB.

32

Presumably SOE were keen to avoid a turf war with SIS and therefore

went to pains to point out that this was not an intelligence collection

operation (SIS’ remit), but rather a destructive raid (SOE’s remit).

“knew of the original enterprise”. SIA were perhaps

working off some residual, indirect knowledge of the

original “Plan B” which SIS HQ at least appear to have

been brought in on in mid 1942.

The basic timeline of JAYWICK “Plan D”, as

eventually carried out, was: 33

• 2 September 1943 – KRAIT departed POTSHOT.

• 18 September – canoeists off-loaded at Panjang

Island (NEI, to the south of Singapore), where they

remained until 20 September.

• 26 September – the parties spent the next few days

paddling about 50 km (direct distance), laying-up in

daylight hours at various spots on the way,

observing the target area and making one aborted

raid attempt. On the night of 26 September, the

canoeists carried out the raid, setting charges on 7

ships.

• 3 October – after paddling more than 110 km

(direct distance) the canoeists were picked up by

the KRAIT at Pompong Island (NEI).

• 19 October 1943 – KRAIT reached POTSHOT.

Already mentioned in the article in Edition 16 of this

magazine, but worth noting again, Lyon and his

paddling partner AB A W Huston were almost com -

promised on target:

“Half way through the work (of laying a charge

on a ship), Huston drew my attention to a man who

was watching us intently from a porthole ten feet

above. He continued to gaze until just before we

left the ship, when he withdrew his head and lighted

his bedside lamp”. 34

Whether they had been seen or not, the operation

teetered on a knife’s edge at this point and could easily

have ended very poorly for all.

Notwithstanding that possible close shave and a

close encounter with an enemy ship on the return

through the Lombok Strait, the men of JAYWICK had

successfully carried out their mission, over a period of

48 days, most of that in enemy territory, travelled 6,000

km and returned safely.

In early November 1943, LTCOL Chapman-Walker

wrote to SOE HQ of the warm reception the success of

JAYWICK had brought. Within SOA the success of

JAYWICK had given a “tremendous fillip to everyone in

this Organization.” Although “we are naturally pre -

serving the greatest secrecy” about JAYWICK, “each of

the few high-ranking officers outside the Organization

who know the details have been equally enthusiastic in

their appreciation.” Chapman-Walker held a dinner at

which Lyon had been able to brief GEN Blamey

(Commander-in-Chief Australian Military Forces)

personally about JAYWICK. Chapman-Walker and Lyon

also had a session with GEN MacArthur in Brisbane.

33

For a more detailed account of JAYWICK, see SOA Vol 2, pp 321-331.

34

‘JAYWICK Operation’, HS1/258, p 147


Mac Arthur was “equally enthusiastic and most kind in

his remarks” to Lyon. 35

Unintended consequences

and lost opportunities

In Edition 17 of this magazine an article entitled

“The Double Tenth” noted that after the raid, the

Japanese took 57 civilian detainees from Changi Prison

and brutally interrogated them. The Japanese were

seeking to uncover (non-existent) links between the

detainees and the attack on the ships in the harbour. 36

15 of those detainees died. War crimes trials were held

in early 1946, resulting in 8 Japanese being sentenced

to death and 6 others to imprisonment for their role in

the mistreatment of those detainees. It would however

be some time before these “unintended con se -

quences” of the success of JAYWICK were recognised

more widely in Australian and British accounts. 37

Another article, in Edition 16 of this magazine, an

excerpt from Deadly Secrets - the Singapore Raids

1942 to 45, by Lynette Ramsay Silver, also noted the

controversy surrounding the decision not to exploit the

propaganda value of the success of the raid at the

time. Such was however not the case after the war.

blew up six ships in succession in the dawn of a

September morning”.

• Some time after 1 July 1946 (date not known) a 3-

page press release on JAYWICK was put out by

Australian authorities (no organisation named, no

operation codeword, Lyon was the only person

named) and this may have formed the basis for the

subsequent statement in Parliament by the Minister

for the Army and the subsequent article in the press

(see below for both). 41

• Francis Forde MP, Minister for the Army, made a

statement in Parliament on 1 August 1946 about

JAYWICK naming those who had taken part, but

making no reference to the codeword or the

organisation behind it. 42

• For those who were not in the habit of following

official press releases or Hansard, the next day the

Melbourne newspaper “The Sun” ran a fulsome

story on JAYWICK, on 2 August 1946. The article

did not mention SOA/SOE or the codeword, but

did name the 14 members who had taken part. The

raid was described as being “planned by British and

Australian commandos”. 43

Publicity after the war

There are often comments that the work of SOA

was not publicised and veteran members of that

organi sation had to wait years before any public recog -

nition, citing legal prohibitions 38 . This may be partly

true, but:

• a press release issued by the American GHQ AFPAC

(Army Forces Pacific - essentially the short-lived

successor to GHQ SWPA) on 13 September 1945 39

in Manila expounded over 10 foolscap pages on the

activities of parts of the Allied Intelligence Bureau

(AIB) during the war including: “the “SRD” 40

Section. This outfit … was the infant brother of the

highly successful parent organization in Europe

generally known as “Special Operations””. The

press release then went on to describe one of SRD’s

“parties that penetrated Singapore Harbour … and

35

‘JAYWICK’, dated 3 November 1943, HS1/257, p 2

36

GHQ SWPA and others learned from a “captured document” (SIGINT?)

in late October 1944, that the Japanese believed the ships “were sunk

by bombs due to a clever plan by Malayans working under the super -

vision of Caucasians directing behind the scenes”, ‘SRD - Projects –

JAYWICK’, dated 24 Oct 1944, NAA 23532, p 94.

37

There are numerous accounts of this, including. ‘Double Tenth Trial’,

National Library Board, https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail? -

cmsuuid=9d5f7c14-bde9-414c-803f-59dc16487dab, accessed 15

August 2025.

38

Presumably the secrecy provisions of Sections 70 and 79 of the Crimes

Act (1914), which was in force at the time.

39

Australian War Memorial, AWM 432/9/39 Pt 4, Correspondence,

Instructions, Statements and reports from M Special Unit in connection

with its operations as a unit of Allied Intelligence Bureau, part 4 of 5

parts, May to Sept 1945

40

i.e. the cover name of SOA

Figure 6 – front page of “The Sun” of 2 August 1946 44

41

HS1/258, pp 93-95

42

Historic Hansard, https://historichansard.net/hof reps/1946/1946 -

0801_reps_17_188/#debate-22, accessed 14 August 2025

43

For the record and despite proclamations from excited YouTube videos

in later years, no “commandos” (either British or Australian) were

involved in JAYWICK.

44

For details of this and page 3, see The Trove, https://trove.nla. gov. -

au/news paper/page/31425148.


So ?

We can make a number of observations about the

evolution of JAYWICK.

First it is reflective of a number of characteristics of

intra-Allied co-operation. The British India Command

wanted to carry it out for their own reasons, but the

Americans, who controlled SWPA, were not particularly

interested, for their own good reasons. Some

compromise was eventually reached, given that

JAYWICK was based in Australia, was only transiting

SWPA’s AO and drew on few SWPA resources. It is

moreover a tribute to British political savvy that they

leveraged their positions of influence in Australia to get

JAYWICK up and running in the early days.

Despite the creation of the AIB to herd all the

“special cats” in SWPA, JAYWICK almost slipped

through the cracks on a few occasions – GHQ SWPA

had to be brought in late because JAYWICK in the end

needed USN logistical support at their departure and

return sites; and even among British organisations and

within AIB there was misunderstanding and indeed

some consternation about lack of consultation.

By comparison with today, communications were

very primitive – Lyon had to hand-carry a letter of

support from India Command, and there were

numerous crossed letters/telegrams. Modern com -

muni cations may – or may not have – improved coordination

and ironed out misunderstandings.

The aim and scope of JAYWICK changed a few

times. The final version was a cut-down and simplified

version of “Plan A”. In the planning stages, overreliance

on the KRAIT almost brought it undone a few

times – despite talk of acquiring another vessel locally,

KRAIT was often “on the way”, “repaired” and “almost

ready”. As it transpired, after a few very rough patches

prior to the successful launch of the operation, KRAIT

performed admirably.

JAYWICK was shuffled between Commands and

other overarching authority. Initially it was (the British)

India Command that gave the go-ahead to do the

operation and to seek to launch from Australia. On

arrival in Australia however Lyon discovered that the

usual bodies which would have provided local

command responsibility and support - GHQ SWPA and

hence AIB and ISD - were lukewarm. Luckily JAYWICK

found a home, apparently thanks to the British ”old

boys” network, with the RAN. The team reported to

SOE in India, either through the RAN or sometimes

through ISD. After the first attempt to launch in March

1943 fell over, JAYWICK was formally folded into SOA,

but the RAN still had a degree of ownership and

involvement. Only when it was realised that JAYWICK

would need GHQ SWPA support was there reengagement

with GHQ. Given the elapsed time since

the original inception of the plan, GHQ not surprisingly

asked for confirmation that British authorities still

approved. In the meantime, there had been a change

of leadership in India Command, from GEN Wavell to

GEN Auchinlek in June 1943. It’s hard to say however

if the prospects for JAYWICK to actually launch were

adversely or favourably affected by this diffuse

command responsibility. In contrast, JAYWICK’s

success naturally led to a wide variety of players

claiming credit - GHQ SWPA and SOA claimed

JAYWICK as one of their successes and a semi-official

history of SOE in the Far East claims it as being “the

India Mission’s single most successful operation”. 45 The

RAN also rightly claimed credit for supporting

JAYWICK, especially in the first 9 months in Australia.

Much of the story of the early days of the North

Eastern Area (NEA) Section of AIB had been public

knowledge since the appearance in 1946 of “The

Coastwatchers” book written by the first wartime head

of NEA, LCDR Eric Feldt, RAN. A little surprisingly, it is

also interesting to see how much of the real story of

SOA (or “SRD”) and JAYWICK was actually in the

public domain so soon after the end of the war. Having

said that, we are perhaps spoiled today by modern

connectivity. In 1945 and 1946, just because something

had once appeared in the public domain did not mean

many people had actually seen it at the time – and it

would only be easily retrievable or discoverable many

decades later, thanks to modern technology.

A good dose of luck assisted the party through at

least two close shaves on the operation itself.

Finally, Lyon’s tenacity in overcoming bureaucratic

and technical obstacles and seeing this operation

through over a 15-month period is admirable.

45

C Cruickshank, SOE in the Far East, Oxford University Press, Oxford,

1986, p 96

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COMMANDOS FOR LIFE

OCTOBER to DECEMBER

14 October 1958

LCPL Peter James Herd

2 Commando Company

Died In Training at Half Moon Bay

Victoria

20 October 2009

LCPL Mason Edwards

Alpha Commando Company,

2 nd Commando Regiment

Killed In Training at Cultana

Training Area, South Australia

21 October 2001

PTE David “Tbags” Twining

Bravo Commando Company,

4 RAR Commando

Died In Service at Engadine,

New South Wales

25 October 2011

WO2 Chris “Gotchy” Gotch

Commando Training Wing

Special Forces Training Centre

Died In Service in Sydney

New South Wales

23 November 2007

PTE Luke Worsley

Bravo Commando Company

4 RAR (Commando)

Killed In Action in Uruzghan

Province, Afghanistan

27 November 2008

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Operational Support Company

4 RAR (Commando)

Attached to 1 Company

1 st Commando Regiment

Killed In Action in Uruzghan

Province, Afghanistan

14 December 1955

MAJ John Anderson

2 Commando Company

Died In Training at Royal

Marine Training Centre,

United Kingdom



A beacon to mariner and pilot alike, the lighthouse

at Madang Harbour is a unique memorial

to 36 gallant men

By LCDR Walter Hugh Brooksbank MM RANVR (1895-1981) 1

Once every three minutes between dusk and

dawn, floodlights at the southern entrance

to Madang Harbour throw up a stark shape

symbolic of the Torch of Freedom. A trick of light and

shadow vests it with the appearance of an

incandescent mantle. By day it can be seen that the

shape is a lighthouse of unusual design. It stands on

Kalibobo Point, within a mile of Madang township and

adds charm to the natural beauty which makes Madang

one of the most attractive parts of New Guinea. Yet

more important than charm and beauty, the

significance of the lighthouse reaches out across the

Pacific.

The Coast Watchers Light, as it has been called, is a

memorial to the 36 men who lost their lives during the

Second World War while working for the Allies in

transmitting intelligence from their jungle hideouts.

Courtesy of Naval Historical Review December 2024

Naturally, the activities of the Coast Watchers were

kept secret during the war; but what has been

published since has deservedly brought them wide -

spread admiration. Not only did they transmit informa -

tion which led to the sinking of many Japanese men-ofwar,

they provided information about the approach of

enemy aircraft which led to the destruction of many

aircraft and greatly reduced our casualties.

Often, the Coast Watchers were pursued by

Japanese patrols. Though pushed about from pillar

to post, they succeeded in retrieving, and later

bringing back to safety, many allied airmen shot down

over enemy-occupied territory. Theirs was a lonely job.

It demanded the exercise of much courage and

physical endurance. Except where it was found

practicable for allied aircraft to drop supplies to them

at night, they were compelled to live on the products

of the jungle.

Originally, it was intended that they would not play

a massive role and not seek combat with the enemy.

This policy was reversed when the Allies had gained

command of the sea, and the war had become more or

less static. By this time the natives attached to coast

watching parties had become thoroughly proficient in

the use of firearms, including automatic weapons, and

they developed into fine guerilla forces. How effective

they became is illustrated by the fact that Coast

Watchers killed 5500 of the enemy.

The Coast Watchers Light was constructed from

funds provided, as a result of public subscription, by

the Coast Watchers Memorial Committee and the

Commonwealth Government. The Government, while

committed to putting up a lighthouse at Madang,

would have built one of a purely utilitarian character

but thankfully this was not to pass.

Coast Watchers' Lighthouse, Madang

1

This story was provided by his grandson Tim Proust from an original

unpublished family history prepared by his grandfather. Walter

Brooksbank joined the AIF as a private during WWI and was later

commissioned and awarded the Military Medal. Between wars he was a

civilian member of the fledgling Department of Naval Intelligence and

involved in the establishment of the Coastwatching organisation.

Minister for the Navy, Senator Gorton, inspecting the honour guard

at the opening ceremony.


The lighthouse itself was erected by Boulder

Constructions Pty Ltd of Killara, NSW, to the basic

design of Mr. G.J. Laycock, Director of Commonwealth

Lighthouses. It is a white reinforced concrete tower 80

feet (25 m) high, surmounted by ornamental metalwork

enclosing a searchlight-type rotating light. The whole

structure, standing 90 feet (27 m) high is designed to

symbolize the Torch of Freedom. As a member of the

committee established for the erection of the light -

house, I went to visit Gordon Laycock, and he was so

caught up with enthusiasm for such a wonderful idea

that he also joined the committee and provided invalu -

able inspiration and support.

The tree-lined roadway leading to it has been

renamed Coast Watchers Avenue. The immediate

approach within its enclosed grounds — which are

open to the public day and night — is by the main arm

of a cruciform pathway. Between sunset and sunrise the

column is lit from four flood lighting units at ground

level which are switched on for about 30 seconds every

three minutes. An imposing enough structure in the

daytime, the lighthouse is an even more impressive

sight at night.

At its foot (of terrazzo with red granite finish) are

three bronze memorial plaques. One bears the names

and ranks of the 36 fallen coast watchers; another

describes briefly the work of the war time coast

watchers; and the third pays tribute in pidgin English to

the loyal natives upon whom the Coast Watchers so

much depended in their operations. Some parts of it

should be intelligible to the average person:

Belong holim nem belong AIB (Allied Intel -

ligence Bureau). 01 I pastlain nau ol I mekim nara -

kain wok long war. I hait long bus, long mauntein,

kolotsu long namail belong Japan.

01 I gilasim manua sip nau balus nau ol salim tok

long in Longwei long wailis. 01 bihan I harim nau I

ken redi kwik. Planti manua, sip, balus belong

Japan I lus long wok belong man belong AIB. Nem

belong ol I no ken lus.

The free translation of the last part of the inscription

is 'May their names never be forgotten'. And certainly,

natives were very much in evidence at the impressive,

colourful ceremony on August 15, 1959, for the official

opening of the Coast Watchers Light. Love of

ceremonialism is deep-rooted in the heart of the New

Guinea native. Among the crowd of 6000 people, one

section watched the inspection of the combined guard

of honour with keen appreciation. This was composed

of members of the ship's company of HMAS Swan

which paid a special visit to Madang for the occasion,

the Madang detachment of the New Guinea Volunteer

Rifles, the Papua New Guinea Native Division of the

RAN, and the Royal Papua New Guinea Native

Constabulary.

Although there was no local publicity, news of an

approaching ceremony had travelled on the native

grapevine. Setting out early in the morning in their

much-diversified sartorial splendour, some of the

natives padded their barefooted way from places up to

20 miles (32 km) and more inland. The ceremony was

charged with drama. It was timed to end at the fall of

dusk, when the Minister for the Navy (Senator Gorton)

would use a switch turn on both the lighthouse's

functional light and the floodlights. Senator Gorton

timed his address to the minute.

Among the spectators proudly displaying their war

medals were some thirty specially chosen natives. They

had been brought to Madang as a gesture of

appreciation for their meritorious service in coast

watching.

Conspicuous among them by the loss of one eye

and of his left hand, sat probably the greatest and

toughest hero of them all, Sergeant-Major Yauwika. Of

splendid physique and possessing a shrewdness

combined with, somewhat strangely, a strong sense of

humour, he was a strength to one of the most notable

of the Coastwatchers, Lieutenant-Commander Jack

Read, in the vital work he carried out on Bougainville

Island. Particularly, he provided early warning of the

approach of Japanese aircraft in their sorties directed

at Guadalcanal where, at a most critical stage in the

Pacific campaign, the United States Marines were

hanging on by the proverbial shoestring.

An example of Yauwika's courage and initiative was

his conduct during a surprise night attack on Read's

temporary camp by a strong Japanese force, when the

party narrowly escaped with their lives. Yauwika was

awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. He now

lives in comfortable retirement in the region of Wewak,

where in post-war times he had sawmilling and jeeptransport

interests.

Speakers at the ceremony included Captain I. H.

McDonald, RAN, Chairman of the Coast Watchers

Memorial Committee, acting as Master of Ceremonies,

the Administrator of the Territory of Papua and New

Guinea (Brigadier D.M. Cleland CBE), and Commander

Eric Feldt, OBE, RAN, author of that admirable book,

The Coast Watchers, who gave vital service in directing

the field activities of the Coastwatchers.

Appropriately, Commander Feldt was given the

honour of unveiling the memorial plaque containing

the list of the fallen Coastwatchers. In a voice trembling

with emotion, he paid his tribute to the loss of men so

well known to him personally, some of whom met their

death in circumstances too tragic to contemplate. Tape

recordings of the ceremony (a striking feature was the

superb performance of the two native buglers) and

interviews with Coastwatchers were made by the

wartime Director of Naval Intelligence (the late

Commander R.B.M. Long, OBE, RAN) and micro -

groove records were prepared from them as a

permanent record.

In the severe earth tremor which shook Madang on

November 21, the Coast Watchers Light was un -

affected —a tribute to its builders and, in particular, to

Mr A. Howey, the foreman in charge of its construction,

who, together with all those concerned in it and


inspired by its special nature, had carried out the

construction work with so much devotion.

And so there continues to stand at Madang a

structure which is quite a unique memorial — and a

fitting one. For as in the case of the Coastwatchers it

commemorates, it is performing a vital service, not only

to passing shipping but also as a beacon for aircraft.

The deeds of the Coastwatchers, that courageous

and colourful band of men, drawn mainly from

plantation owners and managers and patrol officers of

the islands' administrations, are but one phase in the

history of the war in the Pacific. The immensity and

distinctive features, differing as they do from the

pattern of the war in Europe, have scarcely been

touched on by historians, hidebound, as so many of

them are prone to be, by European tradition and

practice.

The extensive use of aircraft carriers, involving the

development of new techniques; the many special

operations of that superbly organised, entirely selfcontained

amphibious assault force, the United States

Marines; the terribly demanding nature of jungle

warfare (the jungle being a formidable enough enemy

in itself). These are only some of the features of the war

in the Pacific, of that huge expanse of the globe hardly

Touched before in the whole of history by a war of any

major proportions.

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CMDR Eric Feldt at the opening ceremony.

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Some day, maybe, the sight of the Coast Watchers

Light may inspire a historian to really get to grips with

the subject and present the Pacific war in its true

perspective and accord it the place in history it really

merits.

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Around the Units

Images have been digitally altered to comply with Defence Personnel Security requirements.

All this open-source material has been sourced from Defence media.

Headquarters Special

Operations Command

September. Deputy Assistant for Training to the

Indonesian Army (TNI) Chief of Army Staff, Brigadier

General Dwi Sasongko, made a recent office call to

Major General Gould to discuss recent training and the

strength of our partnership.

Brigadier Kidd presenting Colonel Hisham Odeh Alhnaity

a commemorative clerk plaque.

August. Great to welcome NATO Allied SOF Com -

mand Commander, Lieutenant General Richard E.

Angle to Special Operations Command Australia.

Brigadier General Dwi Sasongko, and Major General Gould

meeting at Headquarters SOCOMD.

September. Joint Force Special Operations Com -

ponent Commander Brigadier Kidd recently met with

King Abdullah II Royal Special Forces Commander

Colonel Hisham Odeh Alhnaity in Jordan to discuss our

collective security and future opportunities.

Major General Gould welcoming Lieutenant General Angle to.

Headquarters SOCOMD.

July. Australian Special Operations Command hosted

Chief Heads of Defence from 14 partner nations ahead

of the opening ceremony for Exercise Talisman Sabre

25.

Brigadier Kidd and Colonel Hisham Odeh Alhnaity receiver slip

from an Honour guard.

www.boeing.com

The Chief Heads of Defence from 14 partner nations at the

opening ceremony for Exercise Talisman Sabre 25.


Some of the attendees with SOCAUST Major General Gould

in the foreground watching a display of SOCOMD capability.

A representative of the PNG Defence Force welcoming participants

in Exercise TALISMAN SABRE.

Some of the attendees watching a display of SOCOMD capability.

July. Australian and Papua New Guinea Defence Force

soldiers during the opening ceremony of Talisman

Sabre 2025 in Papua New Guinea.

More than 40,000 military personnel from 19

nations will participate in Talisman Sabre 2025, prima -

rily in Queensland but also in Western Australia, the

Northern Territory, New South Wales, and for the first

time, offshore activities will be conducted in Papua

New Guinea.

4 Squadron Combat Controllers and TNI Special Air Force

(KOPASGAT) JTAC's calling in fire during Trisula Wyvern

as part of Talisman Sabre.

4 Squadron Combat Controllers and TNI Special Air Force

(KOPASGAT) JTAC's checking data during Exercise Talisman Sabre.

Multinational participants in Exercise Talisman Sabre in PNG.

ADF School of

Special Operations

dtc.org.au

Selection course identifies Special Forces

Integrators

Story by Major Jacqui Day.

Source.

https://www.contactairlandandsea.com/2025/10/17


“The introduction of the integrator selection course

enables us to focus on identifying the right people –

those who possess the technical competencies and

character traits essential for demands of integrator

roles.”

The course included a series of physical and cogni -

tive assessments that emulated mission condi tions and

operational demands placed on SOCOMD personnel.

“The high-pressure tasks take place in various

locations to push candidates outside their comfort

zone so we can evaluate their capacity to perform

under stress,” Lieutenant Colonel Fardy said.

Australian Defence Force candidates complete

challenging physical and cognitive activities during the

2025 Special Forces Integrator Selection Course.

The next generation of Special Forces engineers,

medics and signallers were selected to serve in Special

Operations Command (SOCOMD) during the inau -

gural Special Forces Integrator Selection Course held

last month.

Candidates from various backgrounds and trades

across the Australian Defence Force participated in

challenging activities designed to assess their physical

endurance and mental resilience, as well as their

technical aptitude, cognitive capacity and character.

The 10-day selection course took place in diverse

environments throughout NSW, ranging from rugged

bushland to the open ocean, to identify which candi -

dates could deliver specialist effects while under

pressure in complex and uncertain environments.

Commanding Officer ADF School of Special

Operations Lieutenant Colonel Adam Fardy said the

course marked a new tailored recruitment and

selection approach designed for specialised roles

within SOCOMD.

“The highly technical nature of the Special Forces

Integrator roles prompted us to evolve our recruitment

methods for specialised positions in the command,”

Lieutenant Colonel Fardy said.

“This involved separating them from the selection

course that the Special Forces Operator candidates do

and adjusting the eligibility to include members from

any trade across Army, Navy and Air Force.

The Special Forces Integrator Selection Course tests candidates’

teamwork and cognitive skills under pressure.

“Our instructors are always watching – monitoring

how candidates conduct themselves as individuals,

demonstrate their technical expertise, operate under

fatigue and contribute to a team.

“Individual character attributes and technical

proficiency are essential for success, but the course is

also about teamwork. Understanding how candidates

lead, follow and perform effectively in dynamic group

situations is vital.”

Candidates from various backgrounds and trades across the

Australian Defence Force participate in challenging activities

designed to assess their physical endurance and mental resilience.

Australian Defence Force candidates’ navigation skills are put to

the test during the Special Forces Integrator Selection Course.

www.aidnqld.com.au


Lieutenant Colonel Fardy commended the

members who completed the course.

“We observed a high calibre of talent from all three

services and were impressed with the professionalism

and adaptability demonstrated throughout the

activities,” Lieutenant Colonel Fardy said.

The selected candidates will now commence a

reinforcement training cycle at the School of Special

Operations.

Once qualified, they will join the Special Forces

Integrator workforce, providing specialist capabilities

across the command, integrating into high-tempo,

multidisciplinary teams.

“Following the success of this selection course, our

sights are already set on identifying the next cohort of

members to join the command,” Lieutenant Colonel

Fardy said.

Special Operations

Engineer Regiment

September. Newly qualified SF Engineer Officer

trainees have successfully completed their 18-month

Reinforcement Training Cycle at the ADF School of

Special Operations. They will now commence serving

within the Special Operations Engineer Regiment,

leading highly skilled teams and applying their

expertise to future capability.

A Headquarters SOCOMD Brigadier presenting a beret

to a newly qualified SOER officer.

July. Special Operations Engineer Regiment working

alongside ~14 partner nations in the thick of Talisman

Sabre. And that’s just the SOF element.

A Headquarters SOCOMD Brigadier addresses attendees

at the SOER beret parade.

A SOER Engineer boarding a C47 Chinook in preparation for an

exercise with partner Special operations Engineer elements.

Altocap can assist ADF personnel with flight

qualifications to convert their military wings to a

Part 61 civilian licence.

We offer flight training for all levels of Part 61

licences, ratings and endorsements.

Kick-start your civilian career with a trusted flight

training partner.

Located at Camden Aerodrome in NSW.

+61 483 204 143 enquiries@altocap.com.au


Australian Special Operations in the Philippines –

World War II

By Noah Salittle, a former member of 2 Commando Company with an interest in military history.

Australia played a direct and indirect role in

Special Operations (SO) in the Philippines

during World War II. Its direct role however

can best be described as “accidental” in some cases

and “incidental” in others.

• By “accidental” we mean that Australians

became involved not as a result of any delibe -

rate decision by the Australian or Allied authori -

ties, but by force of circumstance.

• By “incidental” we mean that although Aust -

ralian SO elements may have been operating in

the Philippines it was either as a by-product of

other operations, or they were using the

Philippines as a base for operations else where.

We’ll also argue below that Australia’s indirect

contribution to SO in the Philippines (and to the

conventional campaign) was vital. The liberation of the

Philippines might well have been significantly delayed,

if not for the indirect support Australia provided to US

forces.

We’ll also address the question of whether we

should - or could - have done more.

The wider role of conventional Australian forces is

not the focus of this article, so we’ll only address that in

passing below. Arguably though this same discussion

could be had about that conventional contribution as

well.

Ninety-two Australians gave their lives in battle for

the liberation of the Philippines. 1

Background

American Preparation for SO

Even before the entry of the US into the war, GEN

MacArthur, as commander of the forces in the

Philippines (USAFFE – United States Army Forces Far

East), considered the possibility of waging a guerrilla

war. Under existing war plans his forces were expected

to hold off a Japanese attack for several months before

an American relief expedition could reach them. As

part of his strategy for such a contingency, MacArthur

established an embryo underground intelligence

service among the numerous American businessmen,

miners, and plantation owners on the islands and also

contemplated the withdrawal of some Filipino

reservists into the mountains to serve as guerrillas.

These initial ideas, however, amounted to little more

1

Australian Embassy, the Philippines, Australian Philippine History and

Memorials, https://philip pines.embassy.gov.au/mnla/medrel 141018. -

html, accessed 21 July 2025.

than tentative proposals. The US Army's lack of a

doctrine for guerrilla warfare militated against such a

course of action, as did MacArthur's own over -

estimation of the time available before the Japanese

attack and the ability of his regulars and Filipino troops

to stop or at least delay the enemy on the invasion

beaches. His overconfidence was shared by many

American officers in the islands, one of whom boasted

that he could whip the Japanese with a company of

Boy Scouts. 2

British attempts

The Special Operations Executive’s (SOE) Singa -

pore-based Oriental Mission (OM) had investi gated the

possibility of setting up a Stay Behind (SB) organisation

in the Philippines.

The OM was disbanded in March 1942 in the midst

of the rapid Japanese invasion of South East Asia and

Australia’s near Pacific from late 1941 to mid 1942.

What remained of OM’s field organisation passed to

SOE’s India Mission, based in South East Asia

Command (SEAC). If the OM had succeeded in setting

up an organisation in the Philippines, it is possible that

the SOE-inspired Inter-Allied Services Department

(ISD), when it was established in Australia in March

1942, might have inherited that organisation. OM did

not in the end establish anything in the Philippines, so

ISD, and its later form Special Operations Australia

(SOA), ended up with no prior stake in the Philippines. 3

The overriding consideration of the British Foreign

Office (FO) towards any OM activity in the Philippines

was the delicacy of British relations with the then

neutral USA and the wish of the FO not to give the USA

any occasion for comment or objection. The British

view therefore was that they should do no more than

encourage suitable propaganda and use the strategic

position of Manila as a base for broadcasting. SOE was

however aware of work already being done by the US

in regard to SB activities in the Philippines. Within the

limitations of SOE’s confining itself to propaganda, OM

officers had what they saw as a useful visit to Manila in

early May 1941, apparently bringing on board the

British Consulate-General and the local British Secret

Intelligence Service (SIS) representative. Just before

2

D W Hogan Jr, US Army Special Operations in World War II, Center of

Military History, Department of the Army, 1962, p 65 (SO).

3

The discussion below of the OM’s unfulfilled planning for operations in

the Philippines is as per British archive material at TNA: HS1/207, Far

East: India/General (12) History of SOE Oriental Mission, Killery Mission

(26 Feb 1941 - 4 Oct 1944), ‘History of SOE Oriental Mission May 1941

to March 1942’.


the outbreak of hostilities in late 1941, SOE made a

tentative approach to the US military in the Philippines,

headed at that time by GEN Douglas MacArthur, to

test American reaction to SB activity by SOE in the

Philippines. This approach “evoked an unsatisfactory

response, indicating that nothing was possible.” SOE

therefore decided not to pursue the matter.

MacArthur’s attitude did not change when he later

became Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the

South West Pacific Area (SWPA), based initially in

Melbourne. In this latter position he “did not like the

OSS and neither he nor the Americans desired third

party efforts within their own preserves.” The door to

any British or indeed later Australian SO activities in the

Philippines had therefore been firmly closed since mid

1941.

Australian forces

In regard to the use of conventional Australian

forces in the Philippines campaign, there had been

vigorous and complex debate amongst the Allied

powers in mid/late 1944. The end result was that no

significant Australian forces, in particular ground

forces, were to be involved in the Philippines

campaign. 4

We use the words “no significant” advisedly. Some

conventional Australian units/formations were directly

involved. Although they performed creditably and

suffered casualties in support of US plans, their

numbers and size were small by comparison to the US

forces involved. RAAF and RAN units in particular

played small, but important roles, including: 11 RAN

ships were involved in the first US landing of the

Philippines campaign, in Leyte Gulf in late October

1944, (out of a naval task of more than 660 vessels); air

operations and small numbers of ground forces (RAAF)

in the Mindoro landings in November/December 1944;

participation in the landings in Lingayen Gulf in

January 1945; and some specialist electronic intercept,

radar counter measures and airfield construction units. 5

“Accidental”

There were two “accidental” occurrences of

Australian involvement in resistance to the Japanese.

One was a civilian caught in the war there by chance;

the other was a group of 8 Australian POWs who

escaped from a Japanese POW facility in British North

Borneo (BNB – the Malaysian state of Sabah today).

Rex Gamble

Australian civilian Cecil Reginald (“Rex”) Gamble,

was a civil engineer working for the American-owned

United Paracale Mining Company, in Paracale in Cama -

rines Norte province before the Japanese invasion of

the Philippines. 6 He was the first Australian to take up

arms in the defence of the Philippines.

He was captured by the Japanese on or around 20

January 1942 and held in the Provincial Jail in Naga,

Camarines Sur province, about 80 km southwest of

where he had been working. 7

On 3 May 1942, three days before the final

surrender of US forces in the Philippines, guerrillas

temporarily retook the city of Naga from the Japanese.

Rex was among the thirty Allied prisoners released in

the Naga raid. With a Canadian and 3 or 4 other

Americans, Rex then joined the guerrillas under LTCOL

Teofilo B. Padua at Camp Isarog.

While the guerrillas in this period were not active,

the Japanese continued to hunt them. In September

1943, Rex was with a group of guerrillas when they

were ambushed by a patrol of Japanese and pro-

Japanese Filipino Volunteer Guards. Rex reportedly

killed two Japanese before being killed himself. His

Filipino comrades buried him in an unmarked grave

where he had been killed in Camarines Sur.

His body was recovered after the war and removed

from the Philippines for reinterment in the Com mon -

wealth War Graves Commission's Sai Wan War Ceme -

tery in Hong Kong. His headstone records him as a

lieutenant with the Philippine Guerilla Army.

It was only after Philippines had been liberated from

the Japanese that Australian authorities became aware

of his presence in the Philippines and his role with

guerrilla forces. 8 He was the only one of 11 Australian

civilians who died in the Philippines during that war to

die by enemy action; one was executed for trying to

escape; one died on a POW ship sunk by the Allies;

and the remaining 8 died of natural or unspecified

causes. 9

4

For detailed discussion of the decision not to employ significant

Australian forces in the Philippines campaign, see D Horner, High

Command: Australia and Allied Strategy, 1939–1945, Allen & Unwin, St

Leonards NSW, 1992, pp 327-349.

5

See Anzac Portal, Department of Veterans Affairs, Commemorating the

Battles of Leyte Gulf and Lingayen Gulf poster, https://anzac -

portal.dva.gov.au/resources/commemorating-battles-leyte-gulf-andlingayen-gulf-poster,

accessed 18 July 2025 for information on RAN

participation in the Leyte and Lingayen landings. P Baker, The Australian

Contribution to the Liberation of the Philippines, 2013 (unpublished)

provides a detailed summary of Australian involvement in the campaign,

as does Australian Embassy, the Philippines, Australian Philippine History

and Memorials, https://philippines.embassy.gov.au/mnla/defencehistory.html,

accessed 20 July 2025.

6

We have drawn heavily, for this account of Rex Gamble, on P Baker, Rex

Gamble: The First Australian to Fight for the Liberation of the Philip -

pines, 2019, unpublished. Paul Baker wrote a number of, as far as we

know, unpublished articles on Australian involvement in the Philippines

during World War II. (Baker First Australian).

7

NAA: B3856, 140/8/4 (Item 764873) Death of Australian Civilian Rex

Gamble in the Philippines, p 16. (NAA 764873).

8

NAA 764873 p 13

9

Philippine Internment – World War II in the Philippines, May 2018 –

British Commonwealth Civilian Deaths in Philippines, 9 May 2018 by Cliff

Mills, https://philippineinternment.com/?m=201805, accessed 17 July

2025.


Figure 1 - Rex Gamble’s grave in the Sai Wan war cemetery in

Hong Kong. 10

The “Berhala Eight”

The first Australian soldiers to fight in the

Philippines were a group of 8 escaped POWs from

BNB. They became known as the “Berhala Eight”,

named after the location in BNB from which they had

escaped in June 1943. The eight were: CAPT Raymond

Steele, LT Charles Wagner, LT Rex Blow, LT Leslie

Gillon, SGT Rex Butler, SGT Wally Wallace, SPR Jim

Kennedy and PTE Robert “Jock” McLaren.

Berhala Island is a small, forested island in Sandakan

Bay and on its longest axis is just under 4 km in length.

Before the war, the island was used as a layover station

for labourers coming from China and the Philippines

and included a leper colony. During the war, the

Japanese used it as a makeshift/transitory internment

camp for both prisoners-of-war (POWs) and civilian

internees. From Berhala, the Australians could expect

to be transferred to the main Sandakan POW camp. 11

On the night of 4 June 1943, just prior to their

planned transfer to Sandakan camp, McLaren,

Kennedy and Butler stole a boat from the leper colony

and, on the advice of a friendly local policeman on the

island, began a long paddle to the Philippine island of

Tawi-Tawi, about 240 km away. The lepers, of course,

10

Baker First Australian

11

Kajomag Borneo Culture, Heritage, Nature, Lifestyle, The Berhala Eight,

the daring escape from Berhala Island during WWII, https://kajo -

mag.com/the-berhala-eight-the-daring-escape-from-berhala-islandduring-wwii/,

13 August 2020, accessed 21 July 2025. (Kajomag).

were not happy their boat had been stolen and

reported this to the Japanese. The remaining 5

escapees hid out on Berhala and made their separate

escape a day or so later, with the help of locals who

took them in their boat to Tawi-Tawi. On 24 June, all 8

were reunited on Tawi-Tawi and were under the

protection of local American-directed guerrillas. 12 Due

to no obvious way to get out of the Philippines, and

given the guerrillas’ need for experienced leaders, the

Berhala Eight stayed with the guerrillas in Tawi-Tawi to

fight against the Japanese. 13 During their time in Tawi-

Tawi they assisted local guerrillas in organising and

training and led several successful attacks on the

Japanese garrison at Bato Bato (on the island of Tawi-

Tawi). They stayed in Tawi-Tawi until November 1943

when they moved to the Mindanao to work with

guerrilla forces there. 14

SGT Butler was killed in an action against Muslim

rebels (“Moros”) on Tawi-Tawi on 18 August 1943 and

LT Wagner, DCM was killed in an action against the

Japanese at Liangan in Lano del Norte province on

Mindanao on 21 December. After the war their bodies

were removed for re-interment in the Commonwealth

War Graves Commission's Sai Wan War Cemetery in

Hong Kong. 15

After fighting with the guerrillas against the

Japanese, Gillon, Steele, Wallace and Kennedy along

with a group of other military and civilians were

evacuated from the Philippines by the American

submarine USS NARWHAL on 2 March 1944. 16 The USS

NARWHAL then proceeded to Tawi-Tawi where it

evacuated another group, including 3 members of

PYTHON party (see below). 17

Blow and McLaren stayed on with the guerrillas. In

December 1944 Blow led an attack on the Malabang

airfield, the most significant Japanese airfield in the

Cotabato area. McLaren was by this time commanding

a 26 foot heavily armed boat, nicknamed “The

Bastard”. With his crew, McLaren cruised the Mindanao

south coast from Pagadian to the Davao Gulf harassing

12

This was the TENWEST party, headed by CAPT Hamner. He had

departed Australia in May 1943 to set up a network in the Tawi-Tawi

area.

13

Kajomag

14

The Guerrilla Resistance Movement in the Philippines, Volume I,

Intelligence Series, General Headquarters United States Army Forces

Pacific, Military Intelligence Section, General Staff, 1 March 1946, p 102.

(Guerrillas Vol I)

15

P Baker, Australian Special Operations in the Philippines: 75 Years, But

12 Men Remain Unaccounted For, unpublished (Baker SO)

16

According to D E Campbell, Save Our Souls: Rescues Made by U.S.

Submarines During World War II, excerpt at https://books.google. -

com.au/books?id=JRn3CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA320&lpg=PA320&dq=leslie

+gillon+ww2+mindanao&source=bl&ots=SOFzUaFCpR&sig=ACfU3U0I

N_pK3WLT807xZRyfhd2rpePqBQ&hl=en&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwj

M3Lii-9X1AhWQa8AKHazwB4MQ6AF6BAgPEAM#v=one -

page&q=leslie%20gillon%20ww2%20mindanao&f=false, p 320,

accessed 21 July 2025, (SOS) this was the night of 3 March 1944, from a

point near Cadadbaran on the north coast.

17

SOS, p 323


the Japanese and monitoring Japanese air movements

and battle damage assessment from Allied air attacks. 18

A US after-war report noted in particular the “valuable

service” contributed by LT Blow. 19

Figure 4 - CAPT R

“Jock” McLaren,

probably Borneo 1945

Figure 2 - Berhala Eight in Mindanao

In late April 1945, a month or so after the first US

landings on Mindanao, Blow and McLaren were

evacuated from Mindanao to travel to Morotai (in the

Netherlands East Indies (NEI)), where there was a large

Allied HQ, to meet and enjoy a “real, cold Aussie

beer” with GEN Blamey, Commander-in-Chief, Aust -

ralian Military Forces. For their work in Mindanao,

Gillon and Blow were awarded Distinguished Service

Orders (DSO) and McLaren a Military Cross (MC), and

all three were also Mentioned in Despatches. 20

Blow and McLaren reached Australia on 29 April

1945 and came on the strength of “Z” Special Unit (i.e.

the AMF holding unit for SOA) on 7 June 1945. They

subsequently deployed with SOA to BNB on

Operations AGAS IV and AGAS V respectively, near

where they had been held as POWs 2 years before.

“Incidental”

Even parts of the Philippines that were not liberated

from Japanese control were the closest relatively safe

base for some SOA parties. When other areas had

been liberated, those parts became the closest

logistics hub for SOA parties.

Operation PYTHON

PYTHON was the first SOA operation focused on

collecting intelligence and preparing for offensive

operations in BNB and was inserted by submarine onto

the east coast of BNB on 6 October 1943. 21 It was

commanded by the British MAJ Chester who had lived

in the area before the war, and included a British

Captain, an Australian Captain, an Australian Lieute -

nant and 2 Australian Sergeants. As they did not have

suitable watercraft, they obtained the use of craft from

the American-directed guerrilla group on Tawi-Tawi

(about 60 km to the east in Philippine territory), led by

American CAPT Hamner. 22 Using this boat they did a

reconnaissance of the nearby Sitangkay island (in the

Philippines) where they obtained a boat of their own.

On 3 December 1943 they headed, via the Philippine

islands of Manuk-Mangkaw and Simunul to Tawi-Tawi

where they arrived on 7 December. 23 Here they made

an agreement with the US-directed group for a

18

Baker SO

19

Guerrillas Vol I, p 92

20

Baker SO

Figure 3 - MAJ Rex Blow,

Borneo 1945

21

Unless otherwise noted, this section draws heavily on CA Brown, The

Official History of Special Operations - Australia, Vol 2 Operations, SOA

Books, 2011 (SOA Vol 2), pp 157-162. (Brown’s book is a more readily

useable, hard copy version of the digital document at NAA: A3269,

O8/A, Item 235327, Special Operations Australia Vol II (Operations).

Where there may have been typographical or other errors in Brown’s

book they have been corrected by reference to the original.)

22

This was the TENWEST party despatched from Australia in May 1943.

TENWEST was also the party with which the Berhala Eight linked up with

in June 1943, when that group escaped from BNB.

23

PYTHON must have just missed the Berhala Eight who had left for

Mindanao in November 1943, but PYTHON must by now have been

aware of the existence of that group of escaped POWs.


Philippine officer, LT Valera, to be attached to PYTHON

as an LO. This officer was invaluable in using his

knowledge of the area in spotting contacts for

PYTHON along a 600 km stretch of coastline from

Tarakan in the NEI north to Sandakan in BNB.

On 20 January 1944, PYTHON was reinforced with

another 6 members, all Australians (one of whom

became separated from the party on landing).

PYTHON soon came under Japanese pressure and

were extracted in groups. One group of 3, together

with 5 Americans/Filipinos left for Tawi-Tawi on 17/18

February 1944 to make an RV with a submarine at

Mantabuan island for an unsuccessful submarine

extraction RV. They then arranged another submarine

RV and commenced that extraction of 5 March 1944,

assisted by LT Valera. The extraction was however

interrupted by the arrival of Japanese warships in the

area. The stores had only been partially unloaded and

the submarine left for Australia with the three

Australians and with LT Valera still on board. 24 The

stores that were off-loaded to Tawi-Tawi never got to

the remainder of the PYTHON party in BNB because of

the difficult situation on the ground in BNB at that time.

The balance of PYTHON party still on the ground in

BNB were being hounded by Japanese forces,

resulting in the loss of two more PYTHON members.

After three failed submarine RVs, the balance of the

PYTHON party – MAJ Chester and five Australians

were successfully extracted by submarine from BNB on

8 June 1944.

PYTHON had been on the ground for more than 7

months, for the loss of three members captured and

executed while POW.

carry out reconnaissance’s or attack targets not

amenable to attack by submarine. The SOA cadre for

POLITICIAN was a group of 12 operatives, all AIF, who

would take it in turns to travel on various US submarine

War Patrols from the Allied Combined Task Force (CTF)

71 based in Fremantle, Western Australia. 25

Some, but not all, of the POLITICIAN patrols

operated in Philippine waters and/or called in at the US

naval installation at Subic Bay in the Philippines. 26 The

key points of contact with the Philippines were:

• 1 st Patrol: 26 May-20 June 1944 - On board

USS HARDER, MAJ Jinkins and LT Dodds made

several attempts to attack Japanese shipping

with limpet mines in the Bongao harbour (Tawi-

Tawi), but these were frustrated by the presence

of Japanese search planes.

• 2 nd Patrol: 6 August-4 October 1944 - On

board USS REDFIN were MAJ Jinkins and LT

Barnes. This patrol included picking up 8

survivors of submarine USS FLIER in Palawan on

the night of 30/31 August 1944. 27 The fate of the

FLIER is described in one account:

On 13 August 1944, the (FLIER) struck a mine

and sank to the bottom of the Sulu Sea in less

than one minute, leaving only fourteen of its

eighty-six crewmen alive. After enduring

eighteen hours in the water, the eight

remaining survivors swam to a remote island

controlled by the Japanese. Deep in enemy

territory and without food or drinking water,

the crewmen soon realized that their struggle

for survival had just begun. … The eight

sailors who survived the disaster became the

first Americans of the Pacific conflict to

escape from a sunken submarine and return

safely to the United States. 28

The despatch of the REDFIN to pick up the

survivors had been co-ordinated by Americancontrolled

guerrillas on Palawan. 29

• 5 th Patrol: 12 January-19 February 1945 - On

board USS FLOUNDER were MAJ Jinkins and

WO I Chew. FLOUNDER collided with another

US submarine and hence had to pull into Subic

Bay for repairs.

Figure 5 - Key locations – BNB and Southern Philippines –

PYTHON, POLITICIAN and Berhala Eight

Operation POLITICIAN

POLITICIAN was an SOA operation in which pairs of

SOA operatives travelled on regular patrols of US

submarines, from which they could launch a canoe to

24

This was the same submarine on board of which were the first of 4

surviving members of the Berhala Eight evacuated from Mindanao.

25

Unless otherwise noted, the information about POLITICIAN is taken

from SOA Vol 2, pp 340-346.

26

US forces had reestablished US control over Subic Bay in late

January/early February 1945.

27

This was FLIER’s 2 nd War Patrol which had started from Fremantle, WA.

See On Eternal Patrol, On Eternal Patrol - The Loss of USS Flier (SS-250),

https://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-flier-250-loss.html, accessed 21

July 2025s.

28

M Sturma, The USS Flier: Death and Survival on a World War II Sub -

marine, as advertised at https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-uss-fliermichael-sturma/book/9780813124810.html

29

This was the party led by SGT Corpus, whose party had departed

Australia in late May 1944.


• 8 th Patrol: 7 March-18 April 1945 - On board

USS BLUEGILL were LT Anderson and LT Owens;

and 9 th Patrol: 11 March-22 April 1945 - On

board USS BOARFISH were LT Chaffey and SGT

Campbell. Both these patrols terminated at

Subic Bay.

• 11 th Patrol: 16 May-6 June 1945 - On board

USS BOARFISH were LT Chaffey and SGT

Campbell, on the same submarine from the 9 th

Patrol. This patrol started from Subic Bay and

concluded in Fremantle.

In early 1945 CTF 71 moved from Fremantle to

Subic Bay and plans were underway for SOA to

continue their involvement by establishing a base at

Subic Bay. The loss of two POLITICIAN members on

the 7 th POLITICIAN Patrol in March-April 1945 and the

risks incurred by the US submarine USS BREAM on that

patrol seem to have cooled the interest of CTF 71 in

continuing this operation. POLITICIAN participated in

11 patrols from May 1944 to June 1945.

Air and sea insertions for Operations

SEMUT and AGAS

RAAF 200 Flight was formed at Leyburn, Queens -

land on 15 Feb 1945 “to carry out special operations in

conjunction with (the) Allied Intelligence Bureau”. 30 The

Flight’s first “special mission” 31 was to deploy 3 aircraft

to an airstrip on the Philippine island of Mindoro 32 in

order to insert SOA’s SEMUT I party into Sarawak and

BNB. A recon flight was carried out on 19 March 1945.

Bad weather resulted in two unsuccessful attempts to

parachute the party in on 21 and 22 March 1945. On

25 March SEMUT I however were finally inserted, but

one of the 200 Flight aircraft was lost on the return

journey.

RAAF 200 Flight also inserted from Mindoro the

parties for SEMUT II in April 1945 and AGAS II in May

1945. RAAF aircraft and SOA and other surface craft

also inserted parties for AGAS III, IV and V from

Palawan and Tawi-Tawi. 33

Operation RAVEN

RAVEN was an SOA operation launched in June

1945 to ascertain the fate of the crew of a downed USN

30

NAA: A11093, 320/5L12, (Item 470764), RAAF Command Headquarters

- Number 200 flight - FCOM [Forward Operations Morotai], p 247. The

initial request for the formation of this Flight had been made to support

SOA and NEFIS operations in the NEI. This was later changed in other

correspondence to “AIB”, presumably for security and flexibility, see

NAA: 11093, 320/5L 11, Item 470765, RAAF Command Headquarters –

Number 200 Flight Policy, p 61. The representative for Controller, AIB on

all matters to do with 200 Flight was RAAF SQNLDR Cook, attached to

SOA.

31

NAA: A9196, 180, Item 1359536, RAAF Unit History sheets (Form A50)

[Operations Record Book - Forms A50 and A51] 200 Flight Feb 45 - Dec

45 - 201 Flight Mar 45 - Mar 46, p 24.

32

US forces had taken Mindoro from the Japanese in December 1944. A

small number of Australians (RAAF and RAN) had taken part in that

action.

33

See SOA Vol 2, pp 157-233 for details of AGAS and SEMUT.

Mariner flying boat, which had gone down in the

Rando area of northwest Celebes in the NEI. 34 The

aircraft was from USN Patrol Squadron VPB-20 which

was based in Tawi-Tawi in the Philippines. The con -

nection with the Philippines was that the 6-man RAVEN

party (4 AIF, 1 RAAF and one Indonesian) were flown

from the AIB and SOA Forward HQ at Morotai (in the

NEI) to VPB-20’s HQ in Tawi-Tawi. From Tawi-Tawi they

made a recon flight on 12 June in the course of which

they stopped to pick up the crew of a native prahu;

they made an unsuccessful landing attempt on 13 June

and two successful landings on 14 June. From these

landings and investigation at the crash site, they

ascertained that one crewman had died of wounds, 4

were taken prisoner by the Japanese. There were how -

ever 6 still unaccounted for.

Phase II was launched from Morotai on 19 June

2025 with a reinforced RAVEN party of 10 men in an

unsuccessful attempt to find out about the fate of the

missing USN personnel. After landing the party came

into a contact with Japanese and by the time of their

withdrawal the next day, they had lost 3 of their

number. They believed they had accounted for up to

12 enemy dead in the action.

Deliberate

The closest we can find to a direct and deliberate

contribution by Australian “special organisations” was

the role played by members of the Far Eastern Liaison

Office (FELO) in the Allied campaign in the Philip -

pines. 35 FELO was an Australian tri-service organisation

and initially been included in mid 1942 in the

Australian-led Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB) which

was subordinate to the essentially American GHQ

SWPA. FELO had however soon been passed back to

Australian control. Nevertheless, as the war continued,

FELO operations in the field ended up being

controlled by AIB.

In July 1944, 4 months before the first US landings

in Leyte, GHQ South West Pacific Area (SWPA) decided

to establish the (American) Psychological Warfare

Branch (PWB) to handle psychological warfare for the

invasion of the Philippines and the planned invasion of

Japan. This was in line with the US intent to leave the

Philippines campaign an essentially American one.

Prior to this, psychological warfare in the SWPA had

been handled by the Australian FELO.

A group of 34 US military personnel were selected

from all branches of the US Army and handed over to

FELO for basic training. After training these men

became the nucleus of the PWB. PWB asked for FELO

members to be attached to PWB to advise the early

activities of PWB. Nine FELO officers and men were

34

SOA Vol 2, pp 306-308

35

Unless otherwise noted, most of this account of FELO is taken from

NAA: A3269, T3/A, Item 235384, Report on the Activities of the Far

Eastern Liaison Office for the Period June 1942 to Sep 1945.


therefore attached to PWB and most of them served

with US forces throughout the Philippine campaign,

with one WO taking part in eight landing operations.

Indirect Contribution

Australia did make a significant indirect contribution

to the liberation of the Philippines, and indeed to other

American operations in South East Asia and the near

Pacific. By this we mean that Australia provided a

secure base in which US forces withdrawing from the

Philippines and the NEI could regroup and a secure

base in which US forces (and British and Dutch) forces

could concentrate and prepare for the campaign to roll

back the Japanese advance, potentially all the way to

Japan itself.

GEN MacArthur, the commander of US forces in the

Philippines, withdrew to Australia just before the fall of

the Philippines and was appointed, by Allied

agreement, as the Commander-in-Chief of the new

South West Pacific Area (SWPA) command. SWPA

covered parts of the Solomons, Papua, New Guinea,

NEI (minus Sumatra), Portuguese Timor, the island of

Borneo (both the Dutch and the British parts) and the

Philippines. American officers filled the GHQ positions

and commanded the Air and Naval forces. Australian

GEN Thomas Blamey theoretically commanded all

Allied Land Forces, but in practice for most of the time

GHQ commanded US ground forces directly.

Figure 7 - MacArthur’s Melbourne HQ

Figure 6 - SWPA Command

GHQ SWPA’s first location was in the Trustees

Executive & Agency Co. Ltd. Building at 401-403

Collins St, Melbourne from April to July 1942.

Thereafter it moved to the AMP Building on the corner

of Queen and Edwards Sts, Brisbane, until its move out

to Hollandia (NEI) in August 1944. As the war

progressed, GHQ moved forward to Leyte and then

Manila (both in the Philippines).

Figure 8 - MacArthur’s Brisbane HQ

By mid 1942, a number of “special organisations”

had sprung up in Australia and GHQ took steps to herd

all the “special” cats by the creation of the Allied

Intelligence Bureau (AIB) in July 1942 as a GHQ

element. Although headed by an Australian officer, it

remained tightly under GHQ control. AIB went through

a few organisational changes and changes of

leadership but by the end of the war it end up

consisting of 3 geographical sections: North East Area

(NEA) – what the old RAN Coastwatcher organisation

had morphed into, operating principally in the

Solomons and New Guinea; the Netherlands East

Indies Section - the SO/SI branch of the Netherlands

Forces Intelligence Service (NEFIS); and the shadowy

vestiges of the Philippines Regional Section (PRS) –


staffed by Americans, initially part of AIB, but finally

independent of AIB control. There were also two

functional sections: Special Operations Australia (SOA)

- the British SOE-inspired organisation; and Secret

Intelligence Australia (SIA) - the Australian branch of

the British SIS. The Far Eastern Liaison Office (FELO)

had started off only briefly under the AIB umbrella as

the military propaganda section, but by the end of the

war FELO field parties were operating under AIB coordination.

The Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence (ACofS,

G-2), GHQ SWPA, COL C A Willoughby saw AIB as

being subordinate to him, 36 although relations within

GHQ proper relating to AIB and between GHQ and

AIB had their ups and downs over the course of the

war. 37

Planning and Preparation from Australia

AIB provided logistic and organisational support to

US efforts to develop SO into the Philippines. Initially

the Philippines was managed as a sub-section of

Section “C” (Combined Field Intelligence Section) of

AIB. The Deputy Controller of AIB, MAJ A Ind “by

design an American army officer”, was also designated

as chief of the Philippines sub-section “in order to coordinate

with the G-2 the development of the

Philippine enterprise”. 38

Harking back to the American pre-war opposition to

non-American involvement in the Philippines, “the

territorial subdivision of AIB was largely inspired to

maintain, Dutch, British, Australian and American sup -

re macy in their geographical spheres”. 39

The Americans therefore set about creating their

own organisation for SO in the Philippines. The

Philippines sub-section devised its own training plan

for preparing agents for return to the Philippines. By

late 1942, the Queensland Lawn Tennis Association's

facilities at Milton Park, Brisbane was made available to

the sub-section. 40 Training carried out there and other

places in the Brisbane area included: operational secu -

rity, communications; physical conditioning, survi val

training, map-reading/sketching, physical toning to

toughen feet and hands and darken the skin, stores

preparation and sea landing operations in all weather

by day or night. It was claimed later that “unlike certain

sections” of AIB, the Philippines subsection did not

lose any supplies, 41 in beach landing operations, due to

this thorough training.

Figure 9 - Milton Park, Brisbane 42

There was a reorganisation of AIB in April 1943

whereby the Philippines sub-section became a standalone

Philippines Regional Section (PRS), headed by

now LTCOL A Ind (the Deputy Controller of AIB).

A new head, COL Whitney took over PRS in May

1943 and June 1943 marked the end of the preliminary

phase of the Philippines intelligence development,

under what until then had been AIB control. PRS was

now semi-independent and reported directly to the

Chief of Staff through the G-2. From that point on

expansion was rapid. The section still depended wholly

on AIB for procurement and supply functions and as

PRS’s work increased, a larger proportion of AIB

resources were taken up by it. 43

In order to manage this expansion through US

resources, GHQ brought reinforcements out to

Australia from the US. From US sources, several

hundred signallers were assigned to the 978 th Signal

Service Company (Provisional) to be available for use in

the Philippines as well as manning Australia-based

communications.

The former American KAZ radio station in Darwin

was established independent of the RAAF station

where it had until now been. For a time however, The

Americans had relied on the SOA radio station,

manned by Dutch personnel, to service PLANET the

first American party sent back to the Philippines. 44

Additional Filipino staff required to support the

growing guerrilla network in the Philippines were

raised in October 1943 at the AIB training camp at

Tabragalba, as the 5217 th Reconnaissance Battalion. 45

36

Operations of the Allied Intelligence Bureau, GHQ SWPA, Volume IV,

Intelligence Series, G-2, GHQ Far East Command, 1948, p 1 (AIB Vol IV)

37

Starting life in Germany in 1892 as Adolf Karl Weidenbach, Charles

Andre Willoughby (he changed his name after service in the US Army in

World War I) was MacArthur’s G-2 in the Philippines before World War II,

in Australia during the war and in Tokyo after the war.

38

AIB Vol IV, p 25

39

AIB Vol IV, Footnote 11, p 23

40

AIB Vol IV, p 27

41

AIB Vol IV, p 27

42

OzatWar, CAMP MILTON, AIB STAGING CAMP, MILTON TENNIS

COURTS, MILTON ROAD, BRISBANE, QLD IN AUSTRALIA DURING

WWII, https://www.ozatwar.com/locations/campmilton.htm, accessed

22 July 2025

43

AIB Vol IV, pp 57, 58

44

It’s unclear which radio station is referred to here – presumably the

Dutch-staffed radio station at Batchelor, NT and/or the Dutch-staffed

station at Craigieburn, Vic.

45

The AIB camp at Tabragalba, Qld, established in early/mid 1943 was

used primarily to train/hold NEA Section parties bound for New

Guinea/Solomons and to train indigenous personnel from those

locations for the NEA’s indigenous force, the “M” Special Unit Battalion.


Figure 10 - 5217 th Reconnaissance Battalion’s theatre-made

uniform patch

An account of the experiences of Filipino soldiers

who trained in Australia noted: 46

The missions, men, the training camps in Australia

and everything related to them were to be wrapped in

strict security.

Figure 11 - Filipinos of the 1 st Recon Bn undergoing para

training at Archerfield Airfield, near Brisbane

on 29 September 1944 . 47

In June 1944, the American control of special

operations into the Philippines culminated in the

splitting of PRS into the Philippines Special Section of

the G-3 (operations) staff and the Philippines Special

Section of the G-4 (logistics) staff of GHQ SWPA. These

Sections however continued to operate out of AIB HQ

in Brisbane. 5217 th Reconnaissance Battalion was redesignated

the 1 st Reconnaissance Battalion (Special). 48

The Darwin radio station, referred to by Filipino

veterans as “MacArthur’s radio” 49 was transferred in

mid September 1944 to Owi island (in Dutch New

Guinea, NEI). 50

The AIB therefore essentially “withdrew from the

Philippines scene and thereafter had little connection

with activities in that area. As task forces invaded, the

secret agents and guerrillas supported by the AIB were

absorbed into them. The AIB and PRS, being essential -

ly intelligence organisations, were considered to have

fulfilled their main purpose.” 51

AIB HQ Forward Echelon, moved from Hollandia (in

Dutch New Guina, NEI) to Morotai (in the NEI) in April

1945. GHQ’s view was that since AIB would be more

concerned with support for Australian operations in

Borneo, there was no need for it to relocate further

north to be with GHQ in Manila. 52

Operations from Australia

As already noted, before the war the USAFFE had

developed plans to use commercial and postal facilities

and had selected members of the Philippine Army and

constabulary to establish an information net and go

underground in even to war and Japanese occupation.

Sporadic communications had come out of the

Philippines from the fall of Corregidor until August

1942. Communications were re-established on 4

Novem ber 1942 when en clair 53 messages from the

Philippines were received by station KFS in San

Francisco. These were from MAJ R Praeger, who had

been one of the officers involved in the underground

plans. 54

The RAAF radio station KAZ in Darwin also picked

up these messages and passed them on to GHQ. 55

Messages were later received from the islands of

Panay, Negros, Cebu and Mindanao. Mindanao looked

promising as American COL W W Fertig was busy

consolidating scattered groups for resistance there. 56

5 AIB parties to the Philippines

Under the AIB, 5 parties were sent back to the

Philippines

• PLANET – (Villamor) the first party, led by

Philippine national hero pilot CAPT J A Villamor

departed from Brisbane by submarine in

December 1942. Radio contact with this first

party was made on 27 January 1943. 57 Villamor

returned to Australia in November 1943.

PLANET based themselves in the hills of Negros

46

Asia News Network, Fil-Ams helped free Philippines during World War

II, says new book, https://asianews.network/fil-ams-helped-free-philip -

pines-during-world-war-ii-says-new-book/, accessed 22 July 2025,

(Filams). The book referred to is Dauntless by Marie Silva Vallejo.

47

Ozatwar, 5217 TH RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION (PROV.) LATER

KNOWN AS 1 ST RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION BASED IN AUSTRALIA

DURING WW2, https://www.ozatwar.com/sigint/5217reconbn.htm,

accessed 22 July 2025.

48

AIB Vol IV, pp 77, 78

49

Filams

50

AIB Vol IV, p 92

51

AIB Vol IV, p 92

52

AIB Vol IV, p 99

53

Written in ordinary language, rather than in code.

54

AIB Vol IV, p 25

55

AIB Vol IV, p 26

56

AIB Vol IV, p 26

57

AIB Vol IV, p 54


island but developed reporting networks

extending as far as Manila; Villamor also found

he had a quasi-diplomatic role of mollifying and

coordinating a disparate group of resistance

outfits. 58

• FIFTY – (Parsons/Smith) left Brisbane February

1943 and landed in Mindanao at Tukuran on 7

March 1943. 59

• PELEVEN (Respo) departed in April 1943 and

deployed to Panay. 60

• TENWEST (Hamner and Young). These 2 officers

had already escaped to Australia in December

1942. They departed Australia on this AIB

mission in May 1943 to set up a network in Sulu

and Tawi-Tawi. 61 During the latter half of 1943,

they operated under hostile conditions amongst

generally hostile Moros and the Japanese

became aware of their presence. 62 It was planned

that SOA party PYTHON would provide badly

needed supplies for the party and the two

parties would co-operate on coverage of the

Sibutu and Balabac passages. 63 Due to ill health,

Hamner was evacuated from Tawi-Tawi on 5

March 1944 together with 3 PYTHON members

and 4 members of the Berhala Eight (who were

already on the submarine). 64

• PELEVEN RELIEF (Ames) left July 1943 to

Panay. 65

These 5 parties were the only ones launched while

Philippines operations were under AIB control. The

SWPA history consider subsequent parties to be

American parties, albeit launched from Australia, rather

than AIB.

The Cruz Mission

One “odd” party despatched to the Philippines was

the “Cruz” party. It was not despatched under AIB

auspices but manifestly had MacArthur’s approval and

GHQ provided submarine transport for it. 66 In the

SWPA History of the AIB, it is not mentioned, even in

passing, but does appear without explanation on some

maps. We can only speculate as to why this was the

case.

Figure 12 - PRS operations into the Philippines. 67 The detail is not

clear, but is shows the 6 operations launched in the time of the

PRS, under the AIB: 1 – PLANET, departed Australia Dec 42;

2 – FIFTY departed Feb 43; 3 – PELEVEN, departed Apr 43;

4 – TENWEST, departed May 43; 5 – Cruz, departed Jun 43;

6 – PELEVEN RELIEF – departed Jul 43

With the aid of MacArthur and using US transport,

the Philippine President Manuel L Quezon and the Vice

President Sergio Osmena, Sr were evacuated to

Australia, arriving first at Batchelor airfield, south of

Darwin ca 26 March 1942 (a week or so after Mac -

Arthur’s departure from the Philippines). 68 Before travel -

ling to the US, Quezon resided briefly in Melbourne,

where he stayed at “Heymount” at the corner of what

is now Crestmont Crescent and Heyington Place in

Toorak at the residence of promi nent Melbourne

businessman Sir Henry Meyers. Dr Emigdio Castor

Cruz, a Philippine Army officer, was Quezon’s personal

physician and accompanied him to Australia. 69

On its 9 th War Patrol, departing from Fremantle, 70

USS THRESHER landed Cruz on 9 July 1943 on Negros

island to join up with the PLANET party. Cruz had been

tasked by President Quezon to make contact with

senior Philippine political figures in Manila. 71,72 By

November 1943 Cruz had successfully carried out this

mission and returned to Negros from Manila with much

needed political intelligence. Willoughby G-2 SWPA

58

AIB Vol IV, p 55

59

AIB Vol IV, p 56

60

AIB Vol IV, p 56

61

AIB Vol IV, p 56

62

SGT Butler of the Berhala Eight was killed in an action against Moros on

Tawi-Tawi in August 1943.

63

AIB Vol IV, p 70 notes, perhaps unfairly, CAPT Hamner was given little

assistance by the “British” (i.e. PYTHON) in the Sulu sea. The Sibutu

passage separates Tawi-Tawi from Borneo. The Balabac passage, where

the USS FLIER was sunk in August 1944, separates Palawan from

Borneo.

64

SOS, p 323

65

AIB Vol IV, p 57

66

J K Morningstar, War and Resistance: The Philippines 1942-1944,

Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the

University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 2018, p 527.

67

AIB Vol IV, Plate 12

68

Metro Cagayan de Oro - Arts & Culture, History, News & Features from

Metropolitan Cagayan de Oro, President Manuel L. Quezon’s Escape to

Australia, https://www.metro cagayande misamis.com/2020/10/18/presi -

dent-manuel-l-quezons-escape-to-australia-2/, accessed 22 July 2025.

69

The Courier-Mail (Brisbane) Sat 28 Mar 1942, https://trove.nla.gov.au/ -

news paper/article/50134792

70

U-Boat Net, Thresher (SS-200), https://uboat.net/allies/war ships/ship/ -

2914.html, accessed 22 July 2025

71

J K Morningstar, War and Resistance: The Philippines 1942-1944,

Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the

University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 2018, p 527 (War

and Resistance).

72

An interesting first person account of Cruz’s mission is at SOS pp 307-

316.


later wrote, “His mission is easily the single out stand -

ing feat of the entire year”. 73 He was picked up by a US

submarine in February 1944. 74

Other later parties

We won’t go into the details of the multitude of

further parties and submarine resupply and evacuation

missions despatched to the Philippines. Although they

were launched from Australia, they were under direct

US control, rather than under the Australian-led AIB.

Just to close the circle though, the party that had

arranged the rescue of the survivors of the USS FLIER

in Palawan, and in which rescue two SOA members on

the 2 nd POLITICIAN patrol were included, was the party

under 1 st SGT Corpus. The Corpus party had been

launched from Australia in late May 1944. 75

The Australian role

From the above it will be seen that, notwithstanding

the deaths of 92 Australians, the direct role played by

Australian forces – “special” or otherwise - in the

libera tion of the Philippines was small. The Americans

didn’t need additional help and indeed they actively

discouraged foreign (British) help before the American

entry into the war. The American advantages, that the

Dutch and British did not have, in fostering SO

included:

• Many American and Philippine soldiers were on

the ground still, not in captivity, individually or in

increasingly organised units.

• The US had comparatively huge resources to

draw on.

• US forces in SWPA had developed their own

military strike and recon forces – the 6 th Ranger

Battalion and the Alamo Scouts.

But probably most importantly, the Americans had a

favourable political situation on the ground, in which

there was much residual sympathy for the Americans

and the Allied cause in general. To quote the post-war

SWPA report: “It had become evident rather early that

Dutch and British penetration parties into the NEI …

were generally lost; they were betrayed by the

natives”. (This) was “a sad commentary on colonial

policy; our entry into the Philippines was practically

without risks”. 76 Since 1934, the Philippines had already

been on the track to independence, scheduled for

1946. 77

Given that favourable political situation on the

ground, the other factor which greatly contributed to

US SO success in the Philippines was the existence of a

secure base in Australia from which to plan and prepare

for the campaign to push back the Japanese:

• MacArthur and the Philippine senior political

leaders had evacuated to Australia in the dark

days of 1942

• The Allied SWPA command was firmly under US

control and focused initially on securing the

Australia safe base and then pushing back to the

Philippines and beyond.

• US forces built up a substantial logistical and

training footprint in Australia.

SO conducted in the Philippines by the US was

probably the most successful guerrilla/intelligence

operations in World War II. A post-war history noted:

The cooperation and coordination between

guerrillas, commandos, and conventional forces

was much more effective in the Southwest Pacific

than in Europe. While guerrilla reports were often

exag gerated and unreliable, they did constitute the

single most important source of intelligence for U.S.

forces. In short, they made a major, if not decisive,

contribution to the eventual victory. Special

operations thus played a much greater role in

combat operations in the Pacific than in Europe,

and the entire experience pointed the way toward a

future operational doctrine that made more

effective use of these types of military efforts. 78

The British networks in Malaya in the last year or so

of the war, on a smaller scale, may have been equally

well placed, but that was never put to the test.

We shouldn’t be regretful of our comparative lack of

involvement in this part of the campaign against Japan.

We weren’t wanted and we weren’t needed in the field.

However much some Australian officials/military may

have wanted involvement in the Philippines campaign

in order to strengthen Australia’s claim to “a seat the

table” post-war, Australian organisations already had

their hands full in New Guinea, Borneo and Portuguese

Timor. In regard to the Philippines at least, providing

initially a safe refuge and then a safe base for American

planning and preparation was probably more than

enough.

73

War and Resistance, p 587

74

SOS, p 316

75

AIB Vol IV, p 84

76

AIB Vol IV, p 15 and Footnote 17

77 78

Independence did in fact go ahead, as originally planned, in 1946. SO, pp 90, 91


Phone 08 8947 4444

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BOOK REVIEWS

ONE MAN WAR

BIOGRAPHY OF A REMARKABLE SPECIAL OPERATIONS

AUSTRALIA (SOA) VETERAN

It may seem odd to review a book

published 68 years ago but that is what I

intend to do in the hope that it may be of

interest to Association members since it is

a biography of a most remarkable indi -

vidual, one who was, late in the war, a

member of ‘Z’ Special Unit and opera -

tionally deployed by SRD and twice

parachuted into Borneo in June and then

July 1945. Like many Association

members who have read about the

Borneo death marches, SRD and the

various AGAS and SEMUT operations, I

knew something of this person’s extra -

ordinary story but it was only recently I

realised there was a book giving a

detailed account of his wartime exper -

iences. The book was written by Hal Richardson, a

journalist from Melbourne’s now-defunct Argus

newspaper, and its subject was a man listed on the

DVA’s Roll of Honour as QX21058 (Q61098) Capt.

Robert Kerr ‘Jock’ McLaren, MC and bar, ‘Z’ Special

Unit, of West End, QLD. Even the quickest precis of

McLaren’s CV is enough to take one’s breath away.

Born in 1900, McLaren served in the First World War

with Britain’s 51st Highland Battalion and, some time in

the inter-war period, emigrated to Queensland where

he worked as “a veterinary officer”. In April 1941

McLaren lied about his age to enlist as a private in the

2/10th Field Workshops. When Singapore fell on 15

February 1942, he went into captivity, like 50,000

others, at Changi. But McLaren spent only three days

there before escaping with two mates and making his

way to Johore in Malaya where he and his two mates

joined a band of Chinese guerrillas. The Australians

stayed there for some weeks before departing for

points north where they hoped to find other British

‘stay-behind’ parties. In that, they were unsuccessful

and were re-captured but, during subsequent

Reviewed by Chris Murphy

The front cover of

Hal Richardson’s 1957 book,

‘One Man War’.

questioning, they managed to convince

their interrogators they were stragglers left

behind three months earlier by forces

retreating during the Malayan Campaign.

This put McLaren and his two fellow

escapees in an exclusive club of prisoners

who escaped Japanese captivity and lived

to tell the tale. McLaren and his two

comrades then spent six months in Kuala

Lumpur’s Pudu Prison before being

transferred to Changi in October 1942.

From Changi, McLaren joined ‘E’ Force

which was dispatched to Borneo late in

March 1943.

Right: The Service Record

photographs of Pte R. K. McLaren.

Source: The Virtual War Memorial,

Australia

Here, on the night of 4

June 1943, McLaren and

another two enlisted POWs

escaped from Berhala Island

where they acted in concert

with a four-man officer party

led by Maj. R. E. Steele.

They were joined by an

eighth Australian, WO2

Walter Wallace, who had

escaped earlier from the

Sandakan camp not far

away; two of Wallace’s

companions were killed in

that attempt. Remarkably,

these eight men were able

to evade the Japanese and


sail in small craft to Mindanao in the Philippines where

they joined US-led Filipino guerrilla forces. It was here

that McLaren was promoted to Captain and won the

first of his Military Crosses, awarded for his leadership

of a hard-pressed boating raid in April 1945.

A remarkable story from McLaren’s time in the

Philippines involved an attack of appendicitis he

experienced in or about April 1944. In a remote village

without proper medical assistance, as McLaren tells it,

he operated on himself without anaesthetic using a

mirror to remove his own appendix. He was assisted by

a partly trained medical student but reckoned the

squeamish student didn’t help much.

In April 1945 McLaren was ordered to return to

Australia where he did a crash course in parachuting on

the Atherton Tablelands before being re-inserted into

Borneo on 29 June 1945 as part of ‘SRD Operation

AGAS. It was on this mission that McLaren won a bar to

his MC for his leadership of a patrol in which one of its

members suffered a liver abscess and the patrol

managed to escape a Japanese ambush. After his

return from that mission, on 9 July McLaren parachuted

into the area around Balikpapan Bay.

In addition to his two MCs, McLaren was Mentioned

in Dispatches for “services rendered in the Southwest

Pacific area during the period October 1, 1944 to

March 31, 1945.”

After demobilization, ‘Jock’ McLaren moved to New

Guinea where he was killed in March 1956 “when

rotted timber fell on him near his home at Wau”, only

a year before the publication of this biography.

Before concluding this short review, I will say that

this is not a particularly well-written book and I’m not

sure if that is the fault of its journalist-author, Hal

Richardson, or McLaren, who was the chief source of its

content. There is an annoying tendency for every story

to be told with McLaren as the all-seeing and allknowing

hero, so much so that Richardson even

apologises about that in the Preface and claims that,

after reading the manuscript, McLaren asked him “to

point out that the fighting and privations were shared

by guerrilla fighters, Australians and others, much

braver than himself.”

That being said, one example may serve to illustrate

the point I am making and it involves an account of a

meeting on Morotai in April 1945 between McLaren

and Gen. Sir Thomas Blamey in which, as the version

told here has it, McLaren came up with the idea of a

parachute-launched rescue operation for the

unfortunate Australian and British POWs still held at

Sandakan, a suggestion which was, allegedly, entirely

new to Blamey. This was prior to the commencement of

the dreadful death marches which began late in May

1945 and from which only six of the 2,500 British and

Australian prisoners then at Sandakan survived. Other

sources point out that the rescue plan, known as

Operation KINGFISHER, was never actually launched;

the reasons for that have never been clearly explained.

However, it is clear from those other sources that the

KINGFISHER plan had been conceived and was in

rehearsal months before McLaren supposedly

suggested it to Blamey.

Capt. ‘Jock’ McLaren showing a POW Liaison officer in October

1945 the hut under which he slept while a prisoner of the Japanese

on Berhala Island, Borneo.

Source: AWM Image C201354

Nonetheless, even if considered in its least

embellished form, McLaren’s wartime record is

extraordinary. I would say with confidence that there is

unlikely to be another POW who escaped Japanese

captivity twice and survived the war. There would

certainly be none who did so in their early 1940’s when

most of the rest of us start realising our levels of energy

are not what they once were. Moreover, removing

one’s own appendix and parachuting twice into enemy

territory where previous operatives had vanished

without trace, says something about the resolution and

resilience of this remarkable individual. A photo of

McLaren can be viewed at the AWM’s website with the

URL: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C201354.

The photo shows McLaren pointing out to war crimes

investigators where he was held on Berhala Island.

Even at a distance, McLaren’s lean but muscular form is

sufficiently apparent for one to conclude that he was a

hard man. He was certainly one who left a remarkable

record of wartime service.

The bibliographical details of Richardson’s book are:

Richardson, Hal. 1957. One-Man War: The Jock

McLaren Story. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.

Those interested will certainly not find it on their

local newsagent’s shelves, but it may be obtainable

online or through specialist military booksellers. The

copy I read was obtained for me through an interlibrary

loan which is a scheme in which all local libraries

participate. For all its imperfections, Hal Richardson’s

‘One-Man War’ is an exceptional tale and one I highly

recommend.

Making a

real difference

together


BOOK REVIEWS

(Continued)

What’s The Point? What facing death teaches you

about living life in Fire:

‘What’s the point of this thing called life?’ It is a question many of us

ponder at various junctures throughout our lives.

Long before stepping onto the battlefields of Afghanistan, Mark Direen had

a plan; to finish school and get a ‘responsible’ job. But life, as it often does, had

other plans for this smalltown lad from Tasmania.

In this exploration of 30 years spent in war zones, predominantly as a an SASR

operator and high threat environments, journey through the human experience

as Mark shares his intimate encounters with mortality.

From the brink of death emerges a tapestry of wisdom, illuminating the

essence of what it truly means to live. Through heart-wrenching stories and

uplifting revelations, ‘What’s The Point’ invites readers to confront their own

mortality and discover the transformative power of embracing life in its fullest

measure.

This book has yet to be reviewed as is only very recently published and given the significance of this action to

both SASR are 2 nd Commando Regiment and the subsequent issue of the battle honour to both units, it is

worthwhile read are aware of its existence and may wish to purchase a copy.

The Last Battle – SOTG in Shah Wali Kot

This book, written by Aaron Patrick, a

professional journalist, highlights the role

of the Australian Special Forces Task

Group in Afghanistan, who bravely

achieved ‘the greatest victory of

Australia’s longest war’.

In June 2010, 2 nd Commando Regi -

ment came up with a simple but daring

plan: fly into a Taliban sanctuary at night,

find Talibs prepared to fight, and kill

them. Underestimating the size and skill

of the enemy, Alpha Company found

itself in a battle for its life in the village of

Chen Artu. A day later, a Special Air

Service Regiment unit flew into an

adjacent valley for what it thought would be a routine

mission to capture a Taliban commander.

Provided with faulty intelligence, their helicopters

were attacked by the same Talibs who fought the

commandos the day before. Badly outnumbered, the

SASR unit could have tried to escape or wiped out the

tiny village of Tizak, in Shah Wali Kot District,

Afghanistan with an air strike. Instead, armed with little

more than assault rifles and grenades, they conducted

a daylight frontal attack that killed a force three times

as large. No Australians or friendly Afghan soldiers

died. The two battles became known as the Battle of

Eastern Shah Wali Kot. The army considers it the

greatest victory of its longest war. For their skill and

professionalism, the commandos and SASR were

issued the first battle honours since

Vietnam.

Shah Wali Kot was more than a battle.

It was a lesson. The Australians demon -

strated how a well-organised assault

could end the Taliban’s control over a

region – and how a disorganised one

could risk even the most elite unit. It was

an example, in microcosm, of how the war

could be won, and lost. The mission was

part of a broader US offensive to win the

war. Shah Wali Kot may have been the

first success of what was dubbed ‘The

Surge’, the Obama administration’s

strategy to pour tens of thousands more

soldiers into the south and secure Kandahar City. The

Taliban in Shah Wali Kot was almost wiped out,

relieving pressure on Western forces elsewhere in the

province. Despite its historical importance, few

Australians have heard of the battle. Even within the

military, knowledge is limited. The reasons are

complicated. The war was Australia’s least understood.

Few Australians have a connection to Afghanistan,

and its fate had little bearing on Australia’s future.

Journalists could only access the soldiers under

restrictive conditions. Allegations of military mis con -

duct, which began to receive heavy coverage in 2015

and 2016, added to a reluctance by Australia’s defence

and political leadership to highlight, let alone

celebrate, acts of battlefield bravery. With the


exception of Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-

Smith, the army has chosen to keep the recipients of

medals from the battle anonymous, even though most

have left the army and the war is over. Even Vietnam

veterans, who fought in a similar war, were eventually

celebrated in movies, monuments and books.

Australia’s Afghan veterans are largely ignored, even

though they fought as hard as the men at Long Tan. It

was not until July 2024 that the first public memorial

ceremony was held for veterans of the modern Middle

East wars. Held at the Cenotaph in central Sydney and

attended by no senior government minister, it included

representatives from all military and uniformed civilian

services and Australia’s military allies.

Whether Afghanistan was the right war at the right

time, was irrelevant to the men of the Special

Operations Task Group, the commando and SASR

force in Afghanistan. They did their duty. Some died.

Others came back badly injured, physically and

psychologically. All were shaped by the experience.

They deserve recognition for their sacrifice, praise for

their courage. The victory was due to their heroism,

determination and expertise. In a war the West was

losing, a small group of Australians demonstrated that

success was possible with the right plan executed by

skilled operators and able leaders.


VALE

431164 WARRANT OFFICER ROBERT ‘BOB’ GEORGE CHERRY

FLIGHT 200 (SPECIAL DUTIES)

It was with great sadness that ACA

VIC recently became aware that

former RAAF Warrant Officer Robert

‘Bob’ George Cherry had passed away

earlier this year. Bob was one of the few

surviving members of Flight 200.

Bob was born on 11 January 1925 and

the time of his passing was 99 and

several months short of his 100 th birthday

which ACA VIC were hoping to celebrate

with him and his wife Joan. They had

been married 75 years.

Bob enlisted in the Royal Australian

Air Force on 4 June 1943 in Geelong,

having previously served in 102

Squadron, Coburg of the Air Training

Corps 1 .

A brief summary of Bob’s RAAF

wartime career courier is as follows.

On 4/6/1943 attended No. 1 Initial Training School

located at Somers, near Westernport Bay in Victoria.

RAAF aircrew candidates began their training at ITS.

Akin to Basic Training, detailed screening of candidates

was also carried out to allocate them for aircrew roles

(called 'musterings') including Pilots, Navigators, Bomb

Aimers, Wireless Operators and Air Gunners, before

tranferring to other schools either in Australia or in

other Commonwealth countries to complete their

training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

On 16/9/1943- attended No.43 Wireless Air

Gunners Course at Parkes, New South Wales and on

31/3/1944 progressed on to attend No.43 B Gunners

Course conducted that The Air Gunnery School and

qualified for the Wireless Air Gunners brevet, as shown

below, on 25 th May 1944.

WW2 Australian manufactured Wireless Air Gunners brevet.

Source. AWN

1

RAAF Cadets.

One of the last

Bob’s enlistment photograph

taken in June 1943.

Source. NAA

Following this Bob had a number of

short postings until in late 1944 when on

26/12/1944 he attended No. 7

Operational Training Unit which had

been formed at Tocumwal, New South

Wales, on 15 Feb 1944. Bob was a

member of No.8 Liberator operational

training course during the period 29

Dec-16 Feb 1945. No.8 course com -

prised 23 crews and was the largest

course ever run at the school.

On 23 February Bob was posted to

200 FLT at Leyburn, Queensland and

became a member of ‘Bridges’ crew

where he was one of two wireless

operator and air gunners in a total crew

of 12 in their specially modified B-24.

A B24 Liberator.

Source. B24 Australia.org

During his service with Flight 200 Bob did four

operational sorties to North Borneo with 117.35. hours

flown by day and 14.35 at night. His first operational

sortie was on the 16/4/1945 and his last was on the

26/5/1945. In 2019 when presenting his Life

Membership of the Australian Commando Association

Bob commented to me that the biggest issue on these

flights to North Borneo was the extreme cold

experienced because of the high flight level and less

than adequate crew cold weather clothing and that the

threat of Japanese aircraft attacking was not high at

that stage of the war.

Interestingly on the 1/10/1945 Bob’s crew captain,

Flying Officer Tom Bridges, commented on Bob’s

annual personal appraisal “That since the completion

of his course of training on the Liberator he had done


318 hours and 133 operational hours and commented

“ a very bright smart senior NCO. Has proved efficient

in his work and would make a good officer’.

Postwar RAAF 200 Special Duties Flight Association Badge

Complete with single pin.

Source. Author

Bob was demobilised on 27 February 1946 from the

RAAF Air & Ground Radio School, Laverton Victoria on

27 February 1946 and was an early member of postwar

RAAF 200 Special Duties Flight Association.

the Australian War Memorial.

Source. AWM

In 2019 and ACAV Vic commemorated the service

of all the remaining World War II veterans of the

independent companies, commando squadrons and

regiments and personnel who have conducted special

operations under the command of the Allied

Intelligence Bureau.

Bob and his wife Joan with his Life Membership certificate and

Flight 200 lapel badge presented by ACAVIC President, Doug

Knight on 31st of May 2019.

Source. Richard Pelling

Bob at the dedication of the Z Special Unit plaque on 1 August

2016 at the Australian War Memorial.

The Z Special Unit plaque that was dedicated on 1 August 2016 at

Bob sadly passed away on Australia Day, 26 January

2025 and is survived by his wife Joan and a large

extended family.

Completing his full time period of National

Service (NS) in May 1957, Maurie transferred

into 2 Commando Company and when his

NS obligation finished in May 1960 he immediately reenlisted

in the Commandos, as did many of his

comrades around that time. He was promoted to Lance

VALE

Maurie Priestley

2 Commando Company

May 1957- June 1961

Corporal the week before the ill-fated February 1960

annual camp.

On the night of the Rip tragedy Maurie was in

charge of a 10Z Zodiac that rescued others from their

kayaks and a 3Z. Taken on board the Italian vessel

Toscana under hazardous conditions, they were in the


Maurie’s service medals, ACA members badge and beret on

display at his funeral.

Source. Barry Higgins

Maurie speaking with a former CO, 1st Commando Regiment at

one of the Tidal River Commemorations.

Source. Barry Higgins

sick bay in a state of shock due to exposure and

exhaustion. The next morning they were told that

Roger Wood had been swept off the ship’s ladder and

lost. Roger’s death affected Maurie greatly.

Maurie served until mid-1961 when the usual

pressures of work and family commitments forced him

to be discharged from the unit. Through membership

of ACA VIC Maurie maintained his contact with his

former comrades. After living in Queensland for many

years Maurie and Lesley recently returned to

Melbourne to be closer to their family.

Maurie passed away peacefully on 6 August 2025

with his family by his side, after 87 full years of life. He

was a devoted husband to Lesley for 57 years and a

loving father of Simon, Chris, Tim and Liz, and their

families. He was the brother of Alberta and Neils

(deceased).

He was a wonderful man and will be deeply missed.

All Association members offer their sympathy and

kind thoughts to Lesley, their children Simon, Chris,

Tim and Liz and their families.

VALE

Reverend Bill Pugh - attached to 2 Commando Company

8/05/1933 – 29/07/2025

Although Bill was attached and not posted to 2 Com mando

Company in 1961 for the units annual camp his short time

there left a lasting impression not only for himself but also

many unit members who were present at the time.

In the early days of the unit and of the Army in the 1960’s clearly

things were very different and this is series of short articles, which were

originally published in the 2 Commando Com pany Strike Swiftly

magazine illustrate a few of these ‘avtivities’.

The story of the missing Commando Chaplain – Part 1

By Roy Walden 1

In February 1961 a young Priest was posted to 2 Commando Com -

pany (2 Cdo Coy) for their Annual Camp at Swan Island.

The powers that be overlooked the fact that the wild men of that

bunch needed more than just Godly guidance and hoped that the

young Reverand Bill Pugh being young himself could soon bring them

into line. He was the one to do it, however they overlooked the fact

1

Roy was an “original”, joining 2 Cdo Coy in early 1955, and doing its first long run, from

Frankston to Langwarrin. After work and family required his transfer out a few months later,

he re-joined as an officer in September 1960, serving until 1966 or ’67.

Bill Pugh proudly displaying World War I 3rd

Division banner that he carried on each Anzac Day

in honour of his father,

a WW1 veteran.


that Bill, at that time, had not had very much military

training, probably nil.

It just so happened that fairly early in the camp it

was decided to hold a Dining-in night, and my

informant would not say if the Sergeants were to

attend or not and that could have been what caused

the cowardly attack on the Officer’s tents at some

ungodly hour before reveille, before we had our cup of

tea and toast.

We were showered with rifle blanks, Aldershot

grenades 2 , buckets of water and general mayhem, but

we soon repelled the unwanted attackers from our

tents and tucked them in their beds.

Unfortunately, Bill, in an effort to help defend our

marvellous accommodation, picked up an Aldershot

and before he could get rid of it, it went off and as you

would imagine burnt his hand.

That was the last time I saw Bill until this year, at the

funeral of a school friend of mine who I last saw in

1948; he also became a minister and studied with Bill.

No, Bill’s Commando experience did not scare him

off; he served in the ADF for many years and retired as

the Senior Presbyterian Minister in the ADF.

The world is a small place isn’t it; you never know

what or who is around the corner.

Perhaps an old WO or Sgt, and I mean old, might

remember their version of the illegal attack - if their

memory goes back that far.

The story of the missing Commando

Chaplain – Part 2

The Padres Version

Things that go bump in the night

By Padre Bill Pugh

I had recently just completed the funeral of an old

friend of mine; we had studied together in the early

fifties, he was allocated to the Victorian Scottish

Regiment, and I had been posted to 2 Cdo Coy for an

annual camp in 1961 on Swan Island.

I enjoyed being with men of the unit and even tried

several of their training activities but not enough, as

the following few words will tell. I had met the lads at

Ripponlea while conducing a church parade and when

asked would I attend their annual camp I accepted,

joining in night exercises, canoe work on the beach and

so on.

I had a great time we even had a church service all

lined up ready to go when, I think it was, the Officer

Commanding Staff College Queenscliff arrived with his

pretty daughter - I think that spoilt any chance of them

listening to a sermon. Anyway, back to the reason for

the story.

I had completed the funeral service, and I was

standing around talking to the family and others in

2

World War II grenade simulator.

attendance when I heard this voice say, “How’s your

hand?”

I turned around to reply and came face to face with

Roy Walden and was taken back to that Camp in 1961.

One night the lads had a bit of a party and all the

good officers including myself had hit the sack and

were fast asleep or close to it when, through the

window came a flying sparkling object.

I jumped up and picked it up to chuck it out of the

tent - a silly thing to do. My hand was badly burnt. The

MO fixed me up.

It is fine now, with just a bit of a scar and no hard

feelings from me. I was sorry that one of the boys was

punished, as it was just a prank to stir the Officers up a

bit.

I learnt I had picked up an Aldershot grenade -

harmless really. I think it would have made a good

episode in Dad’s army.

These days I am an Honorary Chaplain to the WAAF,

WRAC, WRAN, AWAS, and recently took part in a

service at the shrine to celebrate 60 years of women’s

services.

I am kept busy with Anzac Services and the like. My

family served in WW1. Dad was in Engineers; that’s his

flag I am holding - we carry it each Anzac Day. He came

home on the Orcades from WW1; his brother was on

the Burma Railway.

Well, I guess that’s enough. It was great to meet up

with Roy and re-live my time served with 2 Cdo. It was

a pleasure.

You Commandos are a special lot. God Bless. Yours,

Bill Pugh

The Aftermath

Frank Read 3 wrote in an earlier article, “I am familiar

with Roy Walden's story of the raid on the officers' tent

(sleeping quarters). Among other ‘villians’ that night

was John O'Rourke 4 (then 2IC), Peter Askew 5 , Ian

Wischusen 6 and me, discussing ways to surprise those

who had gone ashore, after they had returned and

settled in for the night.

I had the keys to the demolition store, so we

decided to use a couple of Aldershot grenades. After

the dust had settled we realised it probably wasn't the

smartest thing to do - we had after all consumed a bit

of ale before our decision to raid the officers' quarters.

The next morning Ian Wischusen and I had to front

the OC Major Jim Stewart, and I remember the look of

disappointment on his face - and I felt a real bastard for

having let him down.”

oOo

3

???????????

4

Later a Captain and awarded the MBE.

5

WO2 ARA cadre staff.

6

Later joined the ARA and SASR and served as a Captain with 2 Sqn, SASR

and AATV in South Vietnam between February 1968 and September

1971.


Update on international and Australian research

on Traumatic Brain Injury

by editor

Over recent issues we have raised concerns

about traumatic brain injury particularly for

members of the Australian Special Opera -

tions community and it is very interesting to note that

there has been significant development within the US

and their veteran community on this subject. There are

many recent reports some of which were conducted by

the Rand Corporation, a highly respected US-based

think tank and the site for these reports is at

https://www.rand.org/topics/military-veterans.html.

Early in November 2025 Rand published A Review

of U.S. Military Traumatic Brain Injury Studies, Trends,

Gaps, and Opportunities contributed to by numerous

professionals in the field. The complete publication

and annexes are available for download at

https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA4199

-1.html and is very worthwhile reading for anyone

interested IN Military Traumatic Brain Injury.

A quick online check of this topic within Australia

provides little information apart from the fact that the

University of Newcastle is researching traumatic brain

injury and military personnel and to date there are only

publication appears to be as shown on the next page.

(Continued next page)

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Further information can be obtained from their site

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defence-capa bility/capability-summaries/enhancedhuman-performance-and-protection/researchingtraumatic-brain-injury-in-military-personnel.

Hopefully further research and acceptance of

overseas research will encourage DVA to enhance their

knowledge and acceptance of this condition particu -

larly amongst members of the Australian Special

Operations community.






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Leaving the ADF

At some point in their career, all ADF members will

leave the military and transition to civilian life. It’s a

significant decision that can involve your family.

Planning early will make sure you’re informed and

ready to enter the next phase of your life.

You must complete your transition with ADF

Transition Support Services so you understand the

process, your administrative requirements, and the

support available to you. We encouage you to involve

your family throughout your transition experience.

Transition support network

Transitioning to civilian life is a shared responsibility.

When you decide to leave the ADF you should engage

with your family, your Unit, and ADF Transition Support

Services.

Your Unit can speak to you about the transition

process and connect you with your local ADF Transition

Centre. Your Centre will introduce you to a Transition

Support Officer who will help you and your family

through the transition process and:

• provide you with an individual transition plan

• offer career coaching during your transition and

up to 12 months afterwards

• help you meet your administrative requirements

• help you leave with all documentation like

service, medical, and training records

• facilitate connections to Defence and govern -

ment support services

nationally throughout the year. You’ll receive

information from Defence and other organisaitons on

topics like finance and superannuation, health,

relocating, employment, and ex-service organisation

support.

ADF Member and Family Transition Guide

The ADF Member and Family Transition Guide – A

Practical Manual to Transitioning contains detailed

information on the transition process for ADF

members. The Guidce includes information on support

services and administrative reuqirement. It includes

checklists to help you navigate transition process.

ADF Transition Seminar

You and your family can attend an ADF Transition

Serminar at any time during your ADF career to help

you prepare for your transition. Seminars are held



The Positive Relationship between

Sport and Physical Activity and PTSD

Exercise has a positive clinical effect

on depressive symptoms and may

be as effective as psychological or

pharmaceutical therapies for some

individuals with PTSD.

Rosebaum et al, 2014 suggests

Physical activity/exercise is a highly

effective method in reducing

symptoms of depression and for

people experiencing other mental

health disorders.

Evidence demonstrates that an

appropriate exercise intervention

can achieve significant benefits to

symptoms, depression, anxiety and

stress, changes in body shape and

sedentary time associated with

PTSD, and non-significant trends for

sleep quality improvement according

to Rosenbaum, 2013.

The associated symptoms and the

improvements may be related to

psychosocial benefits of the

intervention, rather than functional

capacity, but there is also a strong

empirical (observational) link

between improvements in functional

capacity and psychological status

according to the author, 2016.

People with PTSD are four times as

likely to have type 2 diabetes

(Lukaschek et al, 2013) and rates of

overweight and obesity are as high

as 92%.

To add to these statistics, sufferers

of PTSD are shown to be less

physically active due to a number of

factors including pain, dysfunctional

and general lack of desire or both,

according Boscarino et al, 2004.

Adding some form of regular

physical activity can have a

significant effect on a sufferer of

PTSD. It’s important to note, the

type of activity doesn’t matter, what

matters is that the person is moving

and also having fun doing it.

If you would like to become

physically active again and help to

combat some of your PTSD related

symptoms then please consult your

GP and discuss your options for

referral to another health care

professional (exercise physiologist

or physiotherapist) for help with your

other associated or co-morbid

conditions ie lower back pain,

arthritis and or obesity.


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Defence Personnel Primed to Thrive In Franchising

Kerry Miles, Director, FranchiseED

While entering the world of fran -

chising may not be top of mind for most

Australian Defence Force personnel

planning a transition to civilian life, it is

a career path that presents many

synergies and can play to your proven

strengths.

The battleground of franchising

requires strict adherence to systems and

procedures, hard work, dedication,

leadership and teamwork to achieve the

shared mission of business success.

This makes those leaving the Aust -

ralian Defence Force perfect candidates

to conquer the challenge of franchising when returning to

civilian life. The structure of a franchise system provides

franchisees with the ability to work to set policies and

procedures while at the same time allowing the inde -

pendence to lead, inspire and develop their own teams

to achieve shared goals.

These are all concepts very familiar to those who have

train and served in the Australian Defence Force, and

ones that make you suited to forging your own path to

business success in franchising. Indeed, the transition

from defence to the franchise sector can be a ‘win win’

situation for franchisors and franchisees alike.

Franchise businesses are actively seeking out high

quality and committed candidates as franchisees, while

you may be targeting a new autonomous career where

you are calling the shots and putting your considerable

skills to good use.

Where others may fail, those trained in the Australian

Defence Force bring an appetite for hard work, a hunger

for success, the proven ability to lead teams and the

discipline to adhere to set systems to survive and thrive

in the world of franchising.

Your life experiences and skills sets could be highly

suited and transferrable to owning and operating your

own franchise business, of which there are countless

options to choose from. Everything from fitness fran -

chises, food franchises, home improvement franchises

and everything in between are available. It all depends

on what you love doing and where you see yourself

thriving.

There are over 1200 franchise systems operating in

Australia, from the world’s biggest consumer brands to

local success stories and up-and-coming franchisors

providing just about every product or service imaginable.

Within these systems, there are nearly 100,000 franchise

units in Australia, which are local and usually individually

owned and operated businesses.

The opportunities are endless in franchising and what -

ever path is chosen, it is one in which the owner-operator

is in charge and driving their own destiny, with the

security of a set plan of attack and supporting systems for

long-term sustainable success.

As former Australian Defence Force personnel are

comfortable with following systems and

procedures in order to successfully

complete a mission, you are therefore

very well equipped to deal with the

challenges of franchising and make a

new owner-operator business work.

While having the right skills set,

experience and attitude is a compe -

titive advantage in franchising, they do

not alone guarantee success. Just like

in the Australian Defence Force, pre -

paration is the key to setting the course

for victory.

Knowledge is power and nowhere

more so than in the world of franchising where new

franchisees are taking the ultimate leap of faith into

owning and operating their own business.

Thoroughly researching the sector, the options that

are available and are best suited to each individual

circumstance, and fully understanding and managing the

financial and lifestyle expectations and demands, should

be the starting point in any franchising journey. I cannot

emphasise this point enough. While there are consider -

able opportunities in franchising, you need to work out

which one is right for you and to ensure the franchise you

choose is both ethical and sustainable.

While a franchise provides a set structure to follow,

compared to buying an independent business, this in

itself is no guarantee of success. Seeking out quality

information and resources on franchising in order to make

informed choices, and exploring the reality of being a

franchisee, is the logical starting point for any former

Australian Defence Force personnel considering their

future career options.

If you are wanting to educate yourself about

franchising, there’s a lot of free information at

www.franchise-ed.org.au.

If you a looking at buying a franchise and

would like to understand how FranchiseED can

help you, book a free 15-minute conversation with

Kerry at https://calendly.com/kerry-franchise-ed/

meeting-with-kerry-miles-1

About the Author:

Kerry is at the forefront of understanding what it takes

to create thriving franchises with a comprehensive

perspective encompassing both the franchisor and

franchisee. Shifting from 5 years owning a business within

the franchise sector, to more than 10 years heading up

Griffith University’s Franchise Centre as General and

Business Manager Kerry’s work is unique and driven by

maintaining an independent perspective. Her clients

include prospective franchisees, large and small franchise

organisations and not-for-profits looking to scale up their

operations. For more information visit www.franchiseed.org.au.

You can connect with her via LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-miles-franchiseed/


Commando News Magazine Edition 23 Oct 2025

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