Edward Willis

75 YEARS ON THE AUSTRALIAN AND DUTCH LANDINGS AT DILI 17-20 DECEMBER 1941 INTRODUCTION 75 years ago, on December 17, 1941, the 2nd Independent Company began its campaign in Portuguese Timor when a contingent of 150 men landed on a beach outside Dili along with 260 Dutch indigenous troops. The remaining men of the Company arrived three days later and disembarked in Dili harbour close to the town centre. This initial experience and the year-long campaign that followed left a lasting impression on the Australians, who benefited greatly from the support given to them by the Timorese people during their conflict with the Japanese. More broadly, this event was the foundation of the close relationship between Australia and what is now the young developing nation of Timor Leste. This is the second in a series of stories marking significant events that occurred in 1941-1942 during the 2nd Independent Company’s campaign on Timor. THE FIRST LANDING The following narrative of the first landing was prepared by Corporal S.A. Robinson of No. 5 Military History Field Team using information gained from interviews with men of the 2nd Independent Company who were involved. Robinson conducted the interviews with the men in New Britain, where the unit was then serving, in July 1945. [1] Image 1: Captain Archie Campbell being interviewed by Corporal S.A. Robinson (Military History Section) about an incident during the Timor campaign [2] As the sun climbed into the midday sky of December 17th 1941 the old Dutch training cruiser Soerabaja swung about and came to anchor on a strip of sandy beach about 21/4 miles west of Dili the capital of Portuguese Timor. Over her side and into launches went Australian troops clad for battle the launches chugged through the blue water and the troops shouldered their arms and stood huddled closely, waiting. They landed on the strip of white beach and the launches returned for more troops. The colourful campaign of Portuguese Timor had begun. The men who were landing were troops from the number 2nd Australian Independent Company, men of C Platoon. With the remainder of the Company they had arrived on the Island of Timor, at Koepang in the Dutch Sector on December 12th, only five days before and from there had been allotted the task of garrisoning and if need be defending, the Portuguese part of the Island. … Image 2: Dutch training cruiser Soerabaja The Company Split The training cruiser could not accommodate the whole of the No 2 company in one trip, so only A and C Platoons and Company HQ's could make the initial landing. B Platoon had remained at Koepang, and was to follow with the unit transport. It had not been decided whether they should go overland or by boat. Captain Laidlaw, O.C. of B Platoon and Lieutenant Turton had left Koepang to recce the area through to the Portuguese border to ascertain if an overland trip was practical. While they were on this recce B Platoon, the company Signallers and Engineers moved up to Dili, arriving three days after the main body. Dutch troops, 260 in all, accompanied the Australians on the initial landing, these being under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel van Straaten, who was in effect in command of the whole force and the defence of Portuguese Timor. Negotiations with the Portuguese Governor It was not known at the time of landing just what reception the Australians would receive. Portugal had applied herself to strict neutrality but a delegation consisting of Lieutenant-Colonel Leggatt, CO of the 2/40 Infantry Battalion and Dutch Lieutenant-Colonel Detiger commander of the Dutch forces at Koepang had sought interview that morning with the Portuguese Governor at Dili. Dressed in precise civilian clothes they were introduced to the Governor by Mr David Ross, British Consul in Dili. They advised the Governor that Lieutenant-Colonel van Straaten had bought information from Java that in the event of attack the Portuguese Government were desirous that Dutch and Australian troops should constitute the protection of their territory. The Governor stated that these facts were known to him but claimed that his instructions were definite, only to ask for help after Portuguese Timor had been attacked. By this time Soerabaja had arrived escorted by R.A.A.F planes and was standing off about 10 miles out of Dili harbour. Lieutenant-Colonel Leggatt advised the Governor of this fact only to be told that the Portuguese army must resist any landing of troops which would constitute a breach of neutrality. Lieutenant-Colonel Leggatt pointed out that the Australian and Dutch forces did not desire that there should be fighting but made it quite clear to the Governor that he did not have adequate means of resistance and that such a step would be useless sacrifice. The Australian officer then contacted the Soerabaja and informed that the landing should be made west of Dili. At this stage, it seemed very likely, per Dutch intelligence information that the Japanese forces would soon attempt to overrun Timor in their southward drive. It was considered that Portuguese Timor must necessarily be occupied by Dutch or Australian troops to prevent any possible landing which would give the Japanese bases from which to attack Dutch Timor and Koepang. Even though this action constituted a breach of neutrality it was a practical step which the Allies could not avoid. Image 3: Soerabaja with landing boats Not Known Whether the Landing Would Be Opposed Under these circumstances the Dutch and Australian forces did not know whether their landing would be opposed. When Lieutenant-Colonel Leggatt returned to the Soerabaja he advised the Australian and Dutch commanders of the Australian and Dutch landing force that it was not known just what attitude would be taken by the Portuguese. Intelligence information had been very scarce and had not been able to supply the strength of the Portuguese army nor its disposition. Before the troops left the ship Major Spence, commanding officer of No 2 Company told his troops that they may have to fight as soon as they landed on the beach. First Troops Ashore Image 4: The section of beach depicted by war artist Charles Bush is probably where the men came ashore [3] First troops ashore were C Platoon men, followed half an hour later by A Platoon. These troops waited on the beach until Company HQ's landed then they formed up and moved into adjacent rice fields where they prepared for a move into Dili proper. Before the main body was ready, a small party of signalmen, Lance Corporal G.A. Stanley, Signallers R. McMahon, K. Waddington, D. Murray and J. Servante under the command of Signals officer, Lieutenant J. Rose left for the township with the intention of taking over the radio station there and contacting Sparrow Force down in Koepang. Again, this party had no idea what reception would be theirs, but was most agreeably surprised when they arrived in the township to find that the local inhabitants were welcoming them quite warmly and were not at all against handing over the radio station. After the party of signalmen left, the main body moved forward to take over their positions. It had been decided that the Dutch troops were to occupy the town and the Australians the serviceable air strip which was probably the main strategical position of Portuguese Timor. It was a two-runway strip, both for fighter and bomber use, about a mile and a half west of the town right on the coast. Occupying the Air Strip The Australians believed the Portuguese army though not defending the town, may decide to defend the strip so A Platoon formed an extended attack line about 600 yards from the air strip and right along the North side while C Platoon were disposed around towards the entrance to the air strip and the hangars. They did not advance, but in these positions awaited developments. Image 5: Drain eastern side of the airfield [5] Major Spence went forward to the air strip to meet the Dutch Consul from Dili, the Portuguese Governor and the Australian Consul, Mr David Ross. It was late in the afternoon when Major Spence returned from this conference to inform his troops that they had won a bloodless victory. It had been agreed that the Portuguese hand over the strip, Major Spence Informed his officers however that he had not received a great deal of co-operation from the Portuguese Governor and had still not been able to ascertain where the Portuguese army was situated or in what strength It was evident. All troops then moved up to the air strip, arriving about dusk and digging in around the strip entrance and the hangars. All night they stood to and the following day commenced to build a semi-permanent camp. Settling In Information was received on the 18th that an attack on these positions was possible by the Portuguese army under the command of Capt D'Acosta. It was known now that the force totalled about 200 troops it was poorly trained and equipped and did not constitute a dangerous factor. When the Governor was approached on this subject he assured Lieutenant-Colonel van Straaten that there could be no possibility of the Portuguese army creating trouble, then later, that the forces under Capt D'Acosta were moving out of Dili the following morning to barracks at Alieu about 12 miles away. Nevertheless, the Australian troops stood to all that night. The following day, the 19th, Company HQ’s was properly set up in the hangar at the end of the strip while the two platoons protected it in two detachments. They still were taking no risk of attack from the Portuguese and maintained strict precautionary measures until they received definite information that the Portuguese army was at Aileu and that in any case their attitude was not openly hostile. This information was received the following day the 20th. The day on which B Platoon, the remaining platoon of the company arrived in Dili. [6] THE SECOND LANDING This small force, B Platoon the Company Sigs, Engineers arrived on board the Canopus without Captain Laidlaw, OC of the Platoon and Lieutenant Turton, Sapper Officer who had not returned from the border reconnaissance in time to accompany their commands. These two officers arrived the following day by ship which also brought two one ton trucks and three motor cycles, the only transport available to the company. B Platoon sections went straight to the strip on landing, this move concentrating the whole of No 2 company in the one area. The three platoons and company HQ's were occupying positions around the whole of the hangars and the road entrance areas. The sections were engaged in digging defensive positions, mapping and recceing. Image 6: The Canopus Corporal Harry Wray of the Signals Section arrived with the second contingent and recalled the journey from Koepang in his memoir [6]: Departing Koepang on the Canopus On the 17th December, after our very short stay in Koepang, we were taken into Koepang just after sundown. After the usual wait on the jetty for an hour or two, for what reason we are never likely to know, we embarked in ships boats and were towed out to a ship, which we eventually discovered was the One could not help but admire the marvellous phosphorescence of these waters, which was visible at night, the small bow wave from the boat caused the water to appear as if it were on fire, showing a beautiful deep flame colour. Although I have seen all the colours imaginable in these waters at night, the phosphorescent display off Koepang was the finest I have seen. The Canopus was Dutch government steamer, a neat little ship, beautifully fitted up for about half a dozen passengers. Her usual work was to run around the islands taking government officials to their posts, and bringing them away for their leave, and all that sort of thing. Cramped Conditions By the time we were all on board it was difficult to find a place to sit or lie on. Two men discovered the engineers’ bathroom and locked themselves in. The night was a little hot they told me, but apart from that they had a comfortable sleep, one in the bath, and the other on the floor alongside the bath. The engineers were furious at not being able to get into their bathroom, and despite all their hammering and shouting, the occupants would not open the door until it suited them in the morning. Once on board we were given a mug of coffee each, and then settled down to another long wait while a party of our men unloaded a barge full of stores and stowed them on board the Canopus. We sailed in the early hours of the morning and at daybreak we could see that we were sailing along the coast of Timor. … Image 7: Vessel in Dili harbour pre-war, with the Cathedral towers behind Sailing Along the Coast As we sailed along the coast we could see grim rugged mountains rising almost from the sea and towering into the clouds, barren desolate peaks they looked from the sea. Now and again we could we could see a small town on the shore, one largish settlement had a large white church, which stood out very prominently against the mountains in the background. I little thought as I gazed at the jagged line of mountains that I would spend many months climbing about their slopes. The scenery was much the same all day, the only excitement was when a few Indonesian soldiers lounging in the stern of the ship raced to the boat deck and manned a couple of antique looking Lewis guns in a remarkably efficient and speedy manner. A flying boat had been spotted heading towards us. Just as the Indonesian soldiers were going to open fire they spotted the orange coloured triangle on the aircraft. Then suddenly, a Hudson seemed to appear from nowhere and was right on the tail of the flying boat. However, the Hudson’s crew recognised the Dutchman before any harm was done. The Hudson had been keeping an eye on our progress, and was invisible against the sun when the flying boat appeared on the scene. This accounted for the Hudson’s smart appearance on the tail of the rather lumbering flying boat. Arrival at Dili At daybreak, next morning we were off Dili, and could see a semi-circular reef exposed by the low tide with a narrow opening in it. This reef acted as a breakwater for the collection of launches and fishing boats lying off Dili. The shore was lined with trees and behind them houses could be seen. The whitewashed cathedral stood towering above everything. The twin towers of the cathedral could be seen for miles out to sea. …. We left our heavy kit on the beach to come later by truck, and marched off down the road to the aerodrome about a mile distant. On arrival at the aerodrome we managed to get something to eat. When we arrived in Dili there was no certainty as to what was going to happen. No hostilities had broken out, but it was an uneasy truce at the time. The [Portuguese] Governor was furious about the landing, and was burning up the cables with messages to Lisbon. SOME CONTEMPORARY BACKGROUND Dili in 1941 Described by Hudson Fysh [7] Image 8: Typical Dili street scene, 1941 Dilli, which is also spelt Dili and Dilly, is one of the prettiest sites imaginable from the air as the white buildings and well-laid-out streets, set in great trees, appear below. A curved fringe of sandy foreshore marks one arc of a tropical lagoon, the other being fashioned by a coral reef with an entrance from the air handy enough for use by visiting steamers. It is the best harbour in Timor. Closer inspection immediately stamps as a pretty and fascinating place – a mixture of the Old World and the new, and, though obviously having seen better days, still cleanly, as the gang of natives cleaning up the beaches bears witness. The main buildings are the Cathedral, which dominates the town, the Town Hall, not yet fully recovered from an earthquake, the spacious columned Post Office, and the Governor’s offices. The main buildings are brick plastered over and pained white, with balustrades and walls in the same style imparting an Old-World atmosphere. On the outskirts, the dwellings taper off to picturesque native huts thatched with palm leaves, and fences made from palm fronds stripped of their leaves. Bamboo is also used extensively used by the natives in building. The trees of Dilli are a glory, and their growth is so dense and towering that a jungle-like atmosphere surrounds the town. Coco-nuts grow in their thousands; great pagoda trees dominate the foreshore and parts of the town. Colour is lent by poinsettias with their massive crowns of flaming red. Such a tree is in its full glory grows near the Port Captain’s office, where it spreads above a picturesque native hut, from the chimneyless top of which rises a thin trickle of grey smoke. On one side are the tall trees of Dilli and on the other the lagoon. The massed red of this tree stands out as a brilliantly dash of colour and the ground is strewn with fallen blooms like a red and golden carpet. Immediately behind the town, in fact rising from its outskirts, are the mountains, shooting up for several thousand feet, covered by forest growth. In the morning, the range stands out clear, but each afternoon cloud masses form and gradually creep down the slopes until a great vaporous wall is formed, ever darkening and creeping over the town. This usually ends in a thunderstorm, with heavy rain on the hills, reaching sometimes to the town, and, after its rainy violence, leaving all still and clear. VISITING THE LANDING SITES TODAY Dili was devastated by allied bombing attacks during the war and there has been further destruction in subsequent conflicts. The city has also grown and been redeveloped considerably since 1941. There is no physical evidence of the Australian landings, but the locations have been identified and can be visited when in Dili. The First Landing Site Image 9: Map of the first landing site Paul Cleary wrote: At 12.15 p.m., the contingent of 155 Australians and 260 Dutch indigenous troops … began disembarking on the beach about 4 km west of the town centre, close to the airfield and the town’s small mosque. [8] Cleary has identified this location on the Ave. de Portugal near where it intersects with the Rua Governador Jose Celestino da Silva. The small mosque, or its successor, sits on the corner of the intersection. The Australian Embassy and Sparrow Force House lie approximately a kilometre south on the Rua Mártires da Pátria. The intervening area between the landing site and the embassy was occupied by the old air field that was the objective of the Australians. This is now a residential and small business suburb. A drain running north-south that bisected the eastern half of the air field still exists and a portion of it can be seen in the street alongside the wall of the Australian Embassy. Image 10: The first landing site today – this view has changed little from that depicted by Charles Bush in 1945 The Second Landing Site Image 10: Map of the second landing site Wray described the second landing site as follows: Dili had a customs house on the foreshore, and almost in front of it a small jetty, at which was tied up a Jap ship of about 100 tons. in boats, …CanopusWe were taken ashore from the We were landed on the beach near the jetty, and there met some of the men who had been in the first party to leave Koepang. [9] Image 11: The jetty at Dili with the Customs House behind [11] It is possible to identify the location of the jetty and thereby the landing site from a map of Dili prepared in 1943 by the Allied Geographical Section because it is clearly marked along with the Customs House and cathedral. Wartime aerial and ground photographs of Dili in the Australian War Memorial image collection also assist in confirming the location. The structures referred to no longer exist but the location can be placed on a modern map of Dili on the shoreline in front of the Palácio do Governo on Ave. de Portugal. Image 12: The second landing site today REFERENCES [1] S.A. Robinson, [Timor (1941-1942) - Sparrow Force and Lancer Force - Operations]: The Campaign in Portuguese Timor, A narrative of No 2 Independent Company. Story prepared by Corporal S.A. Robinson, No. 5 Military History Field Team. – Australian War Memorial file AWM54 571/4/53. [2] Australian War Memorial Photograph Collection item no. 09247. [3] Australian War Memorial Art Collection item no. ART26321. [4] Photo from Report on a visit to Portuguese Timor by Captain Johnston, Dr. Bradford and Mr. Ross, 29th December – 1st January 1941 National Archives of Australia file A816 19/301/778. [5] See also the War Diary entries of the for the 2nd Independent Company and Sparrow Force for 17-20 December 1941: 2nd Independent Company: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1022619/ Sparrow Force: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1024692/ The Sparrow Force War Diary includes a detailed report on the Dili landings by Lieutenant-Colonel William Leggatt. [6] Corporal Arthur Henry Kilfield ‘Harry’ Wray (WX11485), Recollections of the 2nd Independent Company Campaign on Timor, 1941-42, manuscript in 2/2 Commando Association archives. [7] Hudson Fysh ‘Australia’s unknown neighbour – Portuguese Timor’ Walkabout, vol. 7, no.7, May 1st 1941: 7-15. [8] Paul Cleary, The men who came out of the ground: a gripping account of Australia's first commando campaign: Timor 1942. – Sydney: Hachette Australia, 2010, p.34. [9] Corporal Arthur Henry Kilfield ‘Harry’ Wray (WX11485), Recollections of the 2nd Independent Company Campaign on Timor, 1941-42, manuscript in 2/2 Commando Association archives. [10] Report on a visit to Portuguese Timor by Captain Johnston, Dr. Bradford and Mr. Ross, 29th December – 1st January 1941 National Archives of Australia file A816 19/301/778. ADDITIONAL READING Cyril Ayris, All the Bull's men: no. 2 Australian Independent Company (2/2nd Commando Squadron). – Perth: 2/2nd Commando Association, c2006, Chapter 3 ‘Invasion’, pp.58-65. Bernard Callinan, Independent Company: the Australian Army in Portuguese Timor 1941-43. – Melbourne: Heinemann, 1953 (repr. 1994), Chapter 2 ‘Unwanted protectors’, pp.16-21. Archie Campbell, The Double Reds of Timor. – Swanbourne, W.A.: John Burridge Military Antiques, c1995, Chapter 5 ‘The landings’, pp.20-23. Paul Cleary, The men who came out of the ground: a gripping account of Australia's first commando campaign: Timor 1942. – Sydney: Hachette Australia, 2010, Chapter 3 ‘”Sitting Duck” Force’, pp.32-34. C.D. Doig, The history of the Second Independent Company. – Perth: C.D. Doig, 1986, Chapter 5 ‘Bound for Timor’, pp.30-31. Lionel Wigmore, The Japanese thrust. – Canberra.: Australian War Memorial, 1957, Chapter 21, ‘Resistance in Timor’, pp.469-471. Christopher C.H. Wray, Timor 1942: Australian commandos at war with the Japanese. – Hawthorn, Vic.: Hutchison Australia, 1987, [Chapter 3] ‘A breach of neutrality’, pp.25-30. The_Australian_and_Dutch_landings_at_Dili_-_first_version_revised.pdf

With the passage of 2021 and the transition to 2022 we move through the 80th anniversary years of significant events in the history of the Doublereds. [1] December 10 2021 marks the 80th anniversary of the embarkation of the unit for Timor. Over the course of the new year we will post other stories marking significant events that occurred during 1942 during the 2nd Independent Company’s campaign on Timor. Arthur Henry Kelfield 'Harry' Wray (WX11485), a 37-year-old South African-born accountant, had worked for thirteen years as a bookkeeper on cattle stations in outback Western Australia before joining the Army in 1941. He was soon undergoing infantry training at Northam, the main Western Australian training camp, as a reinforcement for the 2/43 Battalion. Whilst at Northam he volunteered for ‘a special and possibly dangerous mission’, was accepted and subsequently became a member of the newly formed 2nd Independent Company as a Corporal in the Signals Section. He served with the unit throughout the Timor campaign and was awarded a Mention in Despatches for ‘Exceptional services in [the] field …’. [2] From 1943 to the end of the war he was attached to the Jungle Warfare Training School, Canungra, Queensland. From 1945 until his retirement in 1969 Arthur Wray (who had trained as an accountant) was employed with the Western Mining Corporation at its Melbourne head office. He died on 5 June 1978. [3] Arthur Henry Kelfield 'Harry' Wray (WX11485) Wray wrote an unpublished memoir of his wartime experiences from the time he enlisted to when he left the 2nd Independent Company after its return from Timor that is held in the Association archives. His son Christopher C.H. Wray referred to his father’s memoir in his well-researched and written campaign history Timor 1942: Australian commandos at war with the Japanese. [4] The following extract from Harry Wray’s memoir describes the 2nd Independent Company’s embarkation at Darwin harbour on the troop ship Zealandia on the 10 December 1941 and voyage to Koepang in Dutch Timor. EMBARKATION FOR TIMOR We arrived in Darwin the next day about eleven, proceeded from the train to the jetty, and there found the Zealandia loaded with troops. HMAT Zealandia We were kept standing about on the wharf for some time. I can well remember watching a bearded Yeoman of Signals balancing himself on the railings of an upstairs veranda of a small building at the land end of the wharf. He would then signal to ships lying out in the harbour with his flags. He would send a message, disappear inside the building for a few minutes, and then out he would come and send another signal. This went on all the time we waited for something to happen. We were given a card each, which we were told to sign, this we did. I can recall that the cards said something about receiving 5/- [shillings] embarkation money, but we did not get any five shillings. I can remember being very short of money at the time. We did not anticipate any move, and as there was nothing much to spend money in Katherine did not draw much on paydays, consequently many were caught without much money, which turned out to be most inconvenient later on. At long last we found ourselves on the Zealandia. The ship was crowded when we arrived. The 2/40 Australian Infantry Battalion were on board, all our Company, and a few odds and ends of Corps troops I think. Being the last on board we found all the best accommodation gone, and were given the after well deck as our sleeping quarters. This was partly covered with an awning, but to all and intents and purposes we were in the open. Luckily it did not rain while we were on board. Zealandia crowded with troops Our party arrived in Darwin on the 8th, and the Zealandia sailed on the morning of the 10th December. We were held up in Darwin while the wharf labourers loaded the ship in their own way and time. Some of the 2/40 that had been cooped up on board longer than anyone else, threatened to go ashore and beat up the labourers, and some angry words were exchanged. The wharfies finally decided that the 2/40 meant business and abandoned a threat to strike, and speeded up the loading, however, they let the stores run into the holds with a crash, which split cases open all over the place, then stowed the stores anyhow. A tremendous amount of stuff was spoiled, and to annoy us still more when we arrived at Koepang we found they had stolen most of our tobacco. The Darwin wharf labourers had always been notorious, and from what I saw of them I do not think they were libelled at all. [5] THE VOYAGE TO KOEPANG The Zealandia sailed early in the morning [10 December 1941] with H.M.S. Westralia an auxiliary cruiser, and a corvette. The Westralia was loaded with a fair number of troops, several signal units, coast defence artillery personnel, and so on. One of the men who sailed on her, told me that the Naval officer in command addressed the troops soon after they went on board in the following terms: that they were on a Naval ship, they must not gamble while on board, and so on. He added that special steps had been taken to make the ship buoyant, and in an engagement, she would stay afloat long after the ordinary cruiser of her tonnage had sunk, that he did not want them to be dashing about getting in the way should the ship run into trouble. He suggested they take a book, and sit quietly on the deck in as sheltered a part as possible and read. Late on the first morning we saw smoke far ahead on the horizon. Lamp signals flashed from the Westralia, the old Zealandia changed course, and he engines chugged harder than usual as she strained for a knot or two more speed. The Westralia and the corvette went racing off towards the smoke at full speed. We wondered what it was all about. An hour or two later all was back at normal and our two escort ships had returned to their usual positions. I forgot to mention that before the Westralia went off to investigate the smoke, the ship stopped and the amphibian [aircraft] was sent off to have a look at the smoke. I heard one of the Zealandia officers remark to another that all was quiet again, and the other one replied that all was quiet now, but that things were very lively a while before, and that the officers on all the ships had been very worried until they located the source of the smoke on the horizon. It would appear that it was considered the smoke might indicate a hostile force. Soon after we were outside Darwin lifebelts were issued, and it was found that there were not enough to go round. About three or four of us had to do without as it happened. The Officers and Sergeants dined in state on the Zealandia, being waited on by stewards in the saloon. The rest of us fed in a dark airless deck in the bowels of the ship. It used to take us about an hour or so to work our way through the crowds to the messing place, and about ten minutes to eat our meal. The heat was terrific, like feeding in a Turkish bath. The steel floors with a thin film of water and soup and tea on them were so slippery it was difficult to keep one’s balance. The food was very good, but rather on the scanty side. The weather was calm, so calm that even the worse sailor would have no excuse to be sick, but the atmosphere and heat in the mess deck was too much for a good many of the men. During the two nights, we were on board, the ship passed over banks in the Arafura Sea. The water is so shallow over the banks and it was thought subs might lie in wait on them, consequently when we were passing the danger areas the old ship was driven at the utmost speed, not that it was anything out of the way. When the Zealandia was flat out you could feel the increased vibration of the engines just about shaking her apart. During the short voyage, we were allowed a bottle of beer each per day. Bottles were collected and all thrown overboard at once, at night, as the First World War taught that subs tracked down ships by the trail of bottles and so left floating in their wake. ARRIVAL AT KOEPANG On the morning of the 13th December we arrived off Koepang. Up until then we had not been told where we were bound for, and many had been the rumours. We anchored off a beach near Koepang, and after an hour or two the business of getting the men ashore began. A large but ramshackle lighter was towed alongside, filled with men and towed ashore by a motor launch, after the Westralia had landed her passengers in her own boats. Some of the boats came over and took some of the troops from the Zealandia ashore. It was a slow and tedious business, and it was as well for us that the no planes were about to drop a few bombs, or they would have had a sitting target. I was in the last boatload to leave the ship late in the afternoon. The remarkable clearness of the seawater astonished us all. You could see everything lying on the sandy bottom sixty or seventy feet down as clearly as the water was only a foot or two in depth. FATE OF THE ZEALANDIA SS Zealandia, nicknamed "Z" (or "Zed"), was an historically significant Australian cargo and passenger steamship. She served as a troopship in both World War I and World War II. On 29 June 1940 Zealandia embarked part of the 8th Division, the 2/21st Battalion, later known as Gull Force, at Sydney and took it and other units to Darwin. Zealandia transported another part of the 8th Division, Lark Force (otherwise known as the 2/22nd Battalion), to Rabaul, leaving Sydney on 19 April 1941. Following that voyage, Zealandia went to Noumea, New Caledonia and transported Free French troops to Sydney. In mid-1941 Zealandia took the main body of the 8th Division, their stores and equipment to Singapore, where the main body of the 8th was surrendered to Japanese forces in February 1942. After several other war-related voyages, in November 1941 Zealandia visited several Australian ports en route to Singapore. A labour dispute involving some crew members caused her and HMAS Sydney to be delayed in leaving Fremantle, whence Sydney escorted Zealandia to Sunda Strait. Zealandia's crew were the last Allied personnel known to have seen Sydney, which was sunk by the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran and lost with all hands when she attempted to stop the Kormoran. Zealandia also took another 8th Division detachment, Sparrow Force, to Timor departing Darwin with 957 troops the morning of 10 December 1941 escorted by HMAS Westralia with another 445 troops that reached Koepang on 12 December. On 20 December, the ship departed Darwin with 207 women and 357 children as the first of several ships to evacuate civilians from Darwin to southern Australia. In Sydney, the ship was fitted with material to protect her oil tanks in the event of attack. On 23 January, she left Sydney, transporting an anti-tank company and its equipment to Darwin, where it arrived on 6 February. In the Darwin air raids of 19 February 1942, several bombs fell close to Zealandia, then one fell through a hatch and exploded in a hold, causing a serious fire. Japanese planes also attacked Zealandia with cannon and machine gun fire. Ammunition in one hold started to explode and the ship's fire pumps were disabled by another bomb. The order was given to abandon ship. Zealandia sank, leaving only her masts clear of the water. Two crew members died from wounds sustained in the attack. 142 crew members survived. [6] The ship was salvaged in 1960. What remains of Zealandia lies in Darwin Harbour at position coordinates: 12°29.00′S 130°51.05′E at a depth of 19 metres and is a recreational dive site. [7] Zealandia wreck site STOKES HILL WHARF With the passing of the Palmerston and Pine Creek Railway Bill in October 1883, the building of a substantial railway jetty became an urgent prerequisite in anticipation of the unloading of thousands of tons of railway materials for track laying. A South Australian engineering contractor, J. Wishart, supervised the construction of the jetty and wharf during 1886. Built on high timber piles, its timber deck curved out into the harbour from the construction depot and stacking yards at the foot of Stokes Hill. The Territory's first railway locomotive was shipped to Darwin in April 1887 by the railway contractor, Charles Millar, for use in shunting between the wharf and the yards. Built in Philadelphia, USA, at the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1886, because of its diminutive size the name Sandfly was bestowed soon after its arrival. The little engine continued shunting between the Darwin railway yards and wharves into World War II. By 1897 the Stokes Hill Wharf had succumbed to the depredations of the voracious Teredo sea-worm and the whole structure had become unsafe. Building of a new all-steel jetty and wharf commenced early in 1898 and work proceeded slowly before the wharf was completed in 1900. However, a further four years were to elapse before the wharf could be used by shipping. Designed as a right-angle jetty and wharf with a constricting turntable between, it was slow and expensive to operate. It was however Teredo-proof and survived for 38 years before receiving a direct hit by Japanese bombers on 19 February 1942, during which 22 waterside workers were killed. Recent photo of Stokes Hill Wharf After being repaired during 1942, the wharf was no longer strong enough to carry railway wagons and remained in a rickety condition with the bombed Neptuno lying half-submerged alongside until the 1950s. By late 1952 the limitations of the old wharf could no longer be ignored by the Commonwealth Government after delays in loading uranium oxide, better known as yellow cake, and construction of a new wharf was approved. By 1957 a neat new concrete wharf gracefully curved out from Stokes Hill to deep water. In 1959 Japanese scrap metal dealers arrived to raise and salvage the Neptuno and the other vessels sunk in Darwin Harbour by their compatriots on that day in February 1942. Stokes Hill Wharf commemorates the beginning and the end of a wartime journey. [8] REFERENCES [1] For a Chronology of significant dates in the unit’s history, see Ayris (in Additional Reading below), pp.17-18. [2] Honours and Awards: Arthur Henry Kelfield Wray https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/items/ACCNUM_LARGE/RCDIG1068964/RCDIG1068964--395- [3] ‘WRAY, Arthur Henry Kelfield (31 December 1903 - 5 June 1978)’ J.S. Battye Library of West Australian History Private Archives – Collection Listing http://slwa.wa.gov.au/pdf/mn/mn1501_2000/mn1513.pdf [4] See Additional Reading below. [5] See also the War Diary entries of the units involved for the 9-10 December 1941: 2nd Independent Company: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1022619/ 2/40 Battalion: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1026519/ Sparrow Force: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1024692/ [6] SS Zealandia (1910). (2016, July 21). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:53, July 21, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SS_Zealandia_(1910)&oldid=730875334 [7] Australian National Shipwreck Database: View Shipwreck - Zealandia HMAT http://www.environment.gov.au/shipwreck/public/wreck/wreck.do?key=3596 [8] ‘Stokes Hill Wharf’ in Howard Pearce and Bob Alford, A wartime journey: Stuart Highway heritage guide. – Darwin: Northern Territory Tourist Commission, 2006, p.167. ADDITIONAL READING Cyril Ayris, All the Bull's men: no. 2 Australian Independent Company (2/2nd Commando Squadron). – Perth: 2/2nd Commando Association, c2006, pp.50-52. Bernard Callinan, Independent Company: the Australian Army in Portuguese Timor 1941-43. – Melbourne: Heinemann, 1953 (repr. 1994), pp.2-5. Archie Campbell, The Double Reds of Timor. – Swanbourne, W.A.: John Burridge Military Antiques, c1995, p.20. Paul Cleary, The men who came out of the ground: a gripping account of Australia's first commando campaign: Timor 1942. – Sydney: Hachette Australia, 2010, pp.30-31. C.D. Doig, The history of the Second Independent Company. – Perth: C.D. Doig, 1986., pp.27-28. Peter Henning, Doomed battalion: mateship and leadership in war and captivity – the Australian 2/40 Battalion 1940-45. – St. Leonards, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, 1995, pp.38-40. Christopher C.H. Wray, Timor 1942: Australian commandos at war with the Japanese. – Hawthorn, Vic.: Hutchison Australia, 1987., 20-23.

BRIGADIER MICHAEL CALVERT (1913–1998) – Trainer and Long-Term Friend of the Doublereds The iconic image featured in the ‘Debt of honour’ exhibition in a panel titled ‘Raising the Independent Companies: Australia’s first special forces’. The photo shows Captain Freddie Spencer Chapman with the telescope and his colleague Captain Michael (Mad Mike) Calvert using the radio. [See attached photo] Both men were members of a small British military mission that arrived in Australia in November 1940. Its task was to establish a covert camp to train Australians as special forces for use behind enemy lines. The rugged and isolated Wilsons Promontory, a narrow-necked peninsula 230kms south east of Melbourne, was chosen. No. 104 Mission, under Lieutenant-Colonel Mawhood, with Captain Mike Calvert in charge of demolitions and Freddy in charge of fieldcraft [see attached photo], and with two warrant officers in support, left Britain on 6th October 1940 in the S.S. Rimutaka, crossing the North Atlantic and heading south for the Panama Canal. During the voyage Freddy and Mike Calvert established a relationship which they were always able to pick up again at the same point however long they were apart, based on mutual respect and an acceptance of where their lives and characters overlapped .and interlocked and where they didn't. In fact, they had little in common. Spencer-Chapman later recalled, ‘Michael Calvert boxed and swam for Cambridge and the Army, has no nose left, and a large red good-natured rubber-like face which he can twist into the most ludicrous expressions. He is always laughing and cannot see why everybody else is not happy too’. On completing their Australian training assignment, Calvert was posted to India and Spencer-Chapman to Malaya. Calvert became famous first as a daring assistant to the legendary Major-General Orde Wingate in Burma, and later during the Malayan emergency, where he became pivotal in developing modern SAS-style forces. Calvert and Chapman left indelible impressions on the men of early Australian Independent Companies (including the 2nd Independent Company) trained under their direction. The outstanding military careers of these two men deserves greater contemporary recognition. CALVERT POST WWII Post WWII, Calvert, despite all his experience, could not adapt to conventional peacetime soldiering. A lonely person, he started drinking heavily but the end of a distinguished military career came when serving in Germany he was accused of gross indecency and convicted by court martial. His appeal was rejected. Calvert strongly protested his innocence throughout, and subsequent examinations of the records, many years later, suggested that much of the evidence against him was unsafe. But the damage had been done. M.R.D. Foot knew Calvert extremely well, having employed him as a military history lecturer at Manchester University during Calvert's 'rehabilitation' years in the 1970s and was in no doubt that he had been, in effect, ‘guilty as charged’. What deeply upset Calvert and led to many years of drinking, depression and menial labour, was that very few of his British wartime colleagues would have anything to do with him after his conviction. One well-known individual told him that the best thing he could do was ‘to go and kill himself’. THE DOUBLEREDS' RESPOND TO CALVERT’S TRAVAILS Calvert’s travails were widely reported in the Australian press and a drew a sympathetic response from Harry Botterill in the Courier (September 1952: 6-7): May I add a word of praise for Bern Callernan’s [Callinan's] article on Michael Calvert. It was timely, wise and expressed sentiments which are shared by us all. I think we should have a meeting to evolve some means of conveying to our old friend that we are with him in spirit in this hour of need. His deeds of valour have been lauded from all walks of life, his book ‘Prisoners of Hope’ loudly praised. A slip that has caused his dismissal should not deter us in our efforts to bring solace to our comrade in arms. He needs our very help, for one I think we should give some positive action to letting ‘Mike’ know that we still hold him in high regard, his value to us in yester years, and we appreciate even in civvy life the many lessons of courage and sagacity that he instilled into us during the days of Wilsons Promontory. Our object is to help the indigent and lame over the stile. Mike needs a hand; we have to give. What about it, boys? Let’s back Bern’s article to the full with a show of just what sort of spirit exists in this Association of ours. There was additional supportive correspondence in the Courier (December 1952: 5): Major Love has written once again to give us some of his doings and to bring some news of our old friends Mike Calvert and Freddy Chapman. The good Major had received letters from both Fred and Mike are both were well. Mike said he had been made a political scapegoat and that he was entirely innocent of the offence with which he was charged. Freddy Chapman had thoroughly investigated the case and definitely was of the opinion that he was entirely innocent of the offence with which he was charged and at the very worst was guilty of indiscretion. We who knew both men so well are most glad to hear these tidings and will agree that Freddy Chapman’s judgement is good enough for us. AUSTRALIAN INTERLUDE After leaving the army, he went to Australia in 1952 but on arrival the job which had been offered to him in London was withdrawn by local management who had learned the circumstances of his dismissal from the army. His first port of call was Perth but he soon moved on, as reported by Col Doig in the Courier of June 1953: Michael Calvert arrived in W.A. and unfortunately his job at Kwinana did not eventuate and he has moved off East where prospects in his line of business are much more sound. Michael appeared to be a very sick man and goodness knows with all his troubles, worries and everything else that has happened to him since we last saw him he is entitled to be below form. I was able to see him on three occasions and had some quite interesting talks with him. Quite a few of the old Foster hands in Joe Burridge, Tom Nisbet, Geo. Boyland, Doug Fullerton, Keith Hayes, Mick Calcutt and Dave Ritchie were able to see him and have a few convivial drinks and chat over old times. Michael has since arrived in Victoria and is in the excellent hands of Major Love and Bernie Callinan. In passing, I would like to tell you that he has a high regard for our crowd, and from a man of his wide experience that is high praise indeed. GOVERNOR-GENERAL SLIM HELPS CALVERT Leo Cooper, publisher and later drinking companion of Calvert’s, provided this interesting anecdote about his Australian sojourn: I first met Mike Calvert when I offered to reprint ‘Prisoners of Hope’, in which he tells the story of the first Chindit expedition behind the Japanese lines in Burma. As such it has become one of the classics of military history and Brigadier Calvert himself one of the enigmas. 'Mad Mike', as he was known to the public, was a man of many parts. Some of them were dark and uncontrollable. Others were sheer brilliance, with an ability to earn the respect of his men. He was a sensible, intelligent and responsible operator. He and I formed an instant friendship which developed over the years and ended up shortly before his death with our publishing ‘Mad Mike’ which was really all that had been left unsaid after his own book but with a little bit more thrown in. Many people know the story of Mike's fall from grace and his homosexuality so there is no point in repeating it here, except to say that in his final months he talked to me quite a lot about it and I let him ramble on. In the end I was left without very much more information than I'd started with. He did, however, tell me one unforgettable story. …. He was doing menial work in Australia … He was apparently labouring on the docks. Someone got to hear of this and reported it to Bill Slim, Calvert's old Commanding Officer in Burma. Bill was, of course, by then Governor General of Australia. Learning what the situation was he immediately sent two equerries down to the docks to locate Mike and they smuggled him into Government House and there he stayed for a fortnight being dried out, washed and clothed and talked to, not lectured, by the great Bill Slim. Again, someone had rescued him from the brink. [Reference: Leo Cooper, All my good friends will buy it: a bottlefield tour. – Staplehurst, Kent: Spellmount, 2005: 160-161.] CALVERT KEEPS IN TOUCH WITH THE DOUBLEREDS During Calvert’s latter years he wrote to the Courier on several occasions providing updates on his current residential arrangements and activities that reflected his enduring affection for his Australian connection such as this effort from the Courier of September 1967 [see attached photo]: MICHAEL CALVERT, of The Flat, Beech Hurst, Old Avenue, West Byfleet, Surrey, England writes. The enclosed photograph might amuse you. You can get any sort of sign post set up with a direction to your home town. They have a table of distances to places all over the world and this to the Prom, is via Panama. Bernie Callinan and I had a couple of meals together during his recent visit here. He looks very well and decisive …. I am still a Highways Engineer of a minor sort in the Greater London Council, and obtained my A.M.I.C.E. the other day, partly due to Bernie Callinan being one of my sponsors … The friendship between Calvert and Callinan had developed in the Wilson’s Promontory days as recalled by Rolf Baldwin in the Courier of October 1995: It was interesting, too, to watch and listen to Bernie when he was with his Chief Instructor, Michael Calvert. In that case, he was measuring strength with a first-rate professional soldier of his own age and the interaction was a delight to watch. At one level were two keen, practical minds at work perhaps on a tactical problem or perhaps on a technical matter of how much explosive to use on a particular task. Often it would be some such business as the planning of the famous ‘Akbar Stunt’ but, whatever the matter in hand, it was easy to see the versatility of their minds and the quality of imagination in all their discussions. Yes, and there was a roguish sense of humour too, in which they were both richly endowed. CONCLUSION With serious deterioration in his health, he returned to England in 1960, still only 47, but his problems would not go away. He remained an unsettled personality and found it difficult to maintain continuity in most of his attempted ventures. Behind it all, he continued to brood over the perceived injustices of his court martial and one project after another seemed to go onto the rocks. He never had much money and his modest pension and earnings led to a greatly reduced standard of living in his declining years. He died in The Royal Star and Garter Home in Richmond on 26th November 1998, at the age of 85. His medals, which include the DSO and Bar, WW2 campaign stars and honours awarded to him by the French, Belgian, American and Norwegian governments, are now held by the Royal Engineers Museum in Chatham. FURTHER READING The military historian David Rooney has devoted considerable effort to reviving awareness of Calvert’s outstanding military career and rehabilitating his reputation; see: David Rooney, Mad Mike: a life of Brigadier Michael Calvert. – Barnsley, Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military Classics, 2006. David Rooney, ‘Calvert, (James) Michael (1913–1998)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2009 http://www.oxforddnb.com.rp.nla.gov.au/view/article/71246 David Rooney, Guerrilla: insurgents, patriots, and terrorists from Sun Tzu to Bin Laden. - London: Brassey's, 2004, esp. ‘Guerrilla fighters: World War II’, pp.180-199. Calvert’s books also repay reading: Michael Calvert, Fighting mad: one man’s guerrilla war. – Barnsley, Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military Classics, 2004. Michael Calvert, Prisoners of Hope. – Revised ed. - London, L. Cooper, 1996. [Rated as a classic] For a useful brief biography of Calvert, see: ‘Brigadier James Michael Calvert (1913-98) and the Chindits’ Royal Engineers Museum http://www.remuseum.org.uk/biography/rem_bio_calvert.htm These obituaries are also informative: M.R.D. Foot, ‘Obituary: Brigadier Michael Calvert’ The Independent, Wednesday, 2 December 1998 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-brigadier-michael-calvert-1188603.html Ann Treneman, ‘The shaming of a hero’ The Independent, Wednesday 5 May 1999 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/the-shaming-of-a-hero-1091460.html ‘Brigadier Michael Calvert’ Times [London, England] 28 Nov. 1998: 24. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 25 Nov. 2016.

The Australian War Memorial (AWM) has published a new book by Senior Historian in the Military History Section, Dr Karl James covering the history of the Australian commando units in the Pacific War 1941-45. The concise text is well illustrated with photographs and art works from the AWM collections. The 2/2 features especially in Chapter 2 covering ‘Timor and Wau’ while the striking cover photo displays four 2/2 men: Frank Thorpe, ‘Chook’ Fowler, Jack Prior and ‘Duck’ Watson. The unit’s other campaigns in New Guinea and New Britain are summarised in later chapters in the book. The book costs $39.99 and can be purchased at most bookshops or online ( https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/double-diamonds/ ). Additional background relating to the book can be found on the AWM web site: https://www.awm.gov.au/media/releases/backgrounder-double-diamonds/. This new publication complements the re-issue Paul Cleary’s best-selling account of the Timor campaign ‘The men who came out of the ground’ by Hachette Australia. Ed

Further to my earlier post, John 'Curly' Papworth is featured in a new Australian War Memorial publication - Double Diamonds: Australian commandos in the Pacific War https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/double-diamonds/ The Australian Commando Association, Victoria http://www.austcdoassocvic.com could also be contacted for information about him. Ed

Hi Jamie: RE: PAPWORTH, FRANCIS JOHN: Service Number - VX66806: Date of birth - 09 May 1915 : Place of birth - ST KILDA VIC : Place of enlistment - ROYAL PARK VIC : Next of Kin - PAPWORTH LORNA Please see linked file below for some reference sources for your father; I hope you there is something useful there for you. Ed Willis Papworth sources.docx

Hachette Australia has reissued Paul Cleary's book in a new paperback format. https://www.hachette.com.au/books/detail.page?isbn=9780733636608

Hi Jane: Hope the following info about Norman Demmery helps: Listed as one of the 1st Reinforcements on Timor; see 'Historically yours! War clouds gather' Courier, November 1959, p.9 (attached) Listed as participant in Safari; see Courier, June 1968, p.14 https://doublereds.org.au/couriers/1968-06%20-%20Courier%20June%201968.pdf Listed in 2/2/ nominal roll, Ayris, All the Bull's men, p.493. Service record photo: http://www.sparrowbook.com/#!nx39548--demmery,-norman-francis/zoom/c50a/image_mv6 Nice little wartime anecdote about Norm found on Trove database: http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112521201?searchTerm=%22Norm%20Demmery%22&searchLimits=exactPhrase=Norm+Demmery|||anyWords|||notWords|||requestHandler|||dateFrom|||dateTo|||sortby Worth searching Trove under all variations of Norm's name: http://trove.nla.gov.au Burial reference for Norman Francis Demmery (1924-1998), Grafton, N.S.W cemetery http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=48616268 If you're a member of Ancestry.com or can get access to it through your local library, there are also references to him there. Regards Ed Willis Courier_November_1959.pdf

Several good topical stories and photos on this Blog; thanks to Colleen for passing this on: http://veteranvisit2016.org/blog-1/