Peter Epps

L to R

WX12592 George Thomas, WX9531 Alexander Stewart, WX8464 Albert Walsh, WX3488 Herbert Hewett, WX5537 Andrew Smeaton

The last page of the Unit's War Diary 24 Feb 1946

Standing L to R

NX23047 RO Hilliard, NX107660 CF Cubis, NX97345 JC Peattie, NX 130057 K Craig,

Front  ? Young Ward

We have 3 Ward serving with the Unit

John VX90250

James Henry VX110186

Stanley John WX12634

L to R

WX13118 RW Watson, WX13042 CE Doyle

New Britain. Unit Rugby Team.

L to R Standing

NX38405 AJ Hodge, NX49207 N Buckman, Unknown, VX122794 F Sharp, JR Smith, NX127251 GA Patterson, NX23047 RO Hilliard.

L to R Kneeling

NX97345 JC Peattie, NX107660 CF Cubis, SX25427 J Fox, NX38200 SR Fullbrook, VX60067 CR Martin, Mentioned in Despatches for Gallantry on Timor, WX32273 W O'Connor.

We have 2 x JR Smith

1. James Relton Smith NX15613

2. James Robert NX49210

Can you tell us which this man is?????

Guarding Japanese POW's New Britain

L to R

WX11349 NSW Hooper

WX13305 WD Hudson

Both original members of the unit.

New Britain. 

L to R

NX53272 P J (KIWI) Harrison twice Mentioned in Despatches for Gallantry with the unit, once on Timor, once New Guinea.

WX32273 W O'Connor

Believed to be Perth 1950 during Victoria V Western Australia, Australian Rules Football match, when Kevin Curran was part of the Victorian Team and was awarded the SIMPSON Medal.

L to R

John Denman, Tom Nesbit, Jack Carey (obscured), Bruce Dooland (Test Cricketer) ex "Z" Force, Kevin Curran, Joe Poynton, Col Doig.

1941 Wilsons Promontory, Training.

Note the rugged terrain 

1941 Training Wilsons Promontory

L to R foreground

WX9169 Lieutenant Kenneth Granville MACKINTOSH,  WX12145 Sergeant Gerald Irwin GREEN, Unknown.

Operating "Winnie the War Winner" L to R

VX50708 Signaller Keith Richards, TX4745 Signaller Max Loveless. NX67365 Platoon Sergeant, Signals, Francis Press.

Sadly, Keith died from complications after dental work on 3 Feb 1943 and is buried at Adelaide River Cemetery. NT.

Both Max and Francis were Mentioned in Despatches for Timor

1941 Training Wilsons Promontory

Platoon Sergeant Royal Australian Army Medical Corps Section NX47861 Clifton Valentine PAFF. Served on Timor, New Guinea and New Britain.

FAITA New Guinea.

Trooper NX49475 John Alexander KEENAHAN.

First reinforcement soldier, served on Timor where he was Mentioned in Despatches for Gallant and Distinguished Service, then served on New Guinea and New Britain.

He is armed with the Australian designed and manufactured OWEN Sub-machine Gun. FAITA New Guinea.

Unit members inspecting a crashed LIBERATOR at FAITA, New Guinea 

This caricature was produced in the Bulletin Newspaper, Sydney, November 1942. It was in reference to the Japanese demand for the members of the unit to surrender and gives a very polite answer to the Japanese soldier. 

In reality the answer was not so polite.

Artist Edward Scarfe (Ted) Scorfield

Yara River, New Britain. Group portrait of members of a patrol from the 2/2nd Commando Squadron, AIF, on activities in Henry Reid Bay area while the squadron was based at Lamarien. Identified, left to right, front row: VX59618 LCpl W Wellings; WX11951 LCpl J Wicks; WX12136 Tpr G H Strickland; WX9540 Tpr G Rowley. WX10893 Lieutenant R K Palmer;

Rear, left to right:                                  NX50133 LCpl F O'Neill; NX44893 Cpl H R Cullen; WX12642 Tpr R Wilkerson;

NX21939 Thomas Patrick Martin

Front L to R

David Thomas Ritchie WX8465, Eric James Herd NX52731, Henry John Sproxton WX11950.

Rear L to R

??? Curtis, Roydon Septimus Wilson WX13370

No 2 Section, "A" Platoon.

WX12841 Colin Criddle, WX12840 Fred Smith, KIA, Timor 20 Feb 1942, WX13042 Cyril Doyle, KIA new Guinea, 29 Sept 1943.

Crossing the RAMU River, Near Faita New Guinea on 7 January 1944 after an eight day patrol to Jappa..

Known to be in Canoe

VX60789 Les Anderson, WX12281 Tom Towers, WX35333 Len Bagley, NX106310 Jim Hallinan, Back to Camera, NX49475 John Keenahan, ?? Monk, VX47342 Kev Curran, VX38890 Dave Dexter, WX37231 Tom Giles.

Crossing the RAMU River, Near Faita New Guinea on 7 January 1944 after an eight day patrol to Jappa..

Known to be in canoe

VX60789 Les Anderson, WX12281 Tom Towers, WX35333 Len Bagley, NX106310 Jim Hallinan, Back to Camera, NX49475 John Keenahan, ?? Monk, VX47342 Kev Curran, VX38890 Dave Dexter, WX37231 Tom Giles.

What a Joke.

Never knew the RAAF had such super HIGH STANDARDS.

They rejected Jerry Haire as not being fit enough.

Thank God they did, as the unit would have lost the service of a very capable Commando and the Australian Army, a very capable Officer. Jerry was Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette, 25 May 1943 for his Gallant and Distinguished service on Timor.

Plus Jerry was 5 foot 11 inches (185cm) so may have been too tall for a pilot seat.

Note from the Japanese Army, Dil,i demanding that No 2 Independent Company Surrender.

I cannot repeat what was supposedly said about surrendering, as the unit knew what happened to their mates, captured on the ration truck.

This telegram, dated 30 Dec 1942,  was sent by No 6 Section members to WX10744 Cpl Jeremiah Thomas Haire on their safe arrival back in Darwin. Jerry had left Timor in November 1942 to attend an Officer Training School.