Peter Epps

This is a copy of a sheet  that WX13624 Pte Mervyn Peter Ryan, was given when leaving Timor, as a POW after recovering from wounds received during the heroic defence of the Dili Airstrip. Merv was wounded and refused to be carried from the strip, as he realised it could cost more casualties to do so. He spent the rest of the war as a POW returning home after hostilities ceased.

WX13305 William Donald Hudson, NX39586 Robert Sydney Larney, New Britain 1945

WX13636 Anthony Gordon Bowers was one of the tallest men of the unit, New Britain 1945.

NX191719 Leslie Winston Isenhood

WX12138 Albert James Martin, WX12281 Thomas Francis Daniels Towers,VX42759 David Mailer Brown, NX44855 Joseph Roy Barrett, VX57492 Edward Hodgson, 

Front WX12136 George Henry Strickland, VX87983 Thomas Edward Eric Davies, VX60758 Alfred Bernard Grachan.

Believed to be VX88274 William John Connell, taken in Wide Bay, New Britain next to abandoned Japanese bunkers, 1945

Lamarien, Henry Reid bay, New Britain.

Patrol studying map prior to setting out on patrol.

Known in photo. man in beret, centre WX10893 Lieutenant Robert Kenneth Palmer and man with arms folded to the right of him carrying an OWEN Sub Machine Gun, NX50133 Corporal Francis Vincent Terrence O'Neill (known as Curly)

Weisa-Waimeriba area, New Guinea, about July 1943.

Believed to be L to R REAR.

WX1363 Corporal Anthony Gordon Bowers, Unknown, QX34641 Corporal Laurence Neil Tait, Unknown, Unknown.

Front L to R

NX130254 Trooper Jack Allan Prior, WX12552 Corporal Joseph William Poynton. Joe was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal (The award just below a Victoria Cross) and a Dutch Bronze Cross (The highest award given to Foreigners by Holland) for bravery on Timor.

Faita, RAMU Valley, New Guinea.

NX120232 Trooper Frederick Joseph Janvrin, a member of No 1 Section, "A" Troop.

He is holding an Australian designed and manufactured OWEN Sub Machine Gun.

Members of 2/2 Independent Company (Sparrow Force) have just returned from service in Timor and are recovering from their ordeal. The men are still wearing the long thick beards grown during the months of fighting and evading capture by the Japanese. Most of these guerilla fighters grew beards because of the lack of shaving gear and also as a means of camouflage in the jungle. 2/2 Independent Company was later renamed 2/2 Commando Squadron and fought in New Guinea and New Britain. Identified are, left to right: WX8507 Sergeant Douglas Raymond Fullerton; VX38890 Captain (Capt) David St Alban "Dade" Dexter (front); WX9954 Lieutenant (Lt) Harry John Morgan (back) and WX11488 Lance Corporal John Lawrence Maley. Promoted to Corporal, Maley was later killed in action in New Guinea on 12 August 1943, just before Capt Dexter was seriously wounded.

Faita, New Guinea,

WX10528, Trooper Stanley Ernest King. Served on Timor and New Guinea.

Resting on the track after walking 15 miles (24 Kms) without boots during an eight day patrol through Japanese held territory near Bogadjim.

Faita, RAMU Valley, New Guinea.

NX78530 Trooper Lionel Eric Webster

Served Timor and New Guinea.

This document was among my fathers service papers and families of the men listed may find it interesting.

Lamarien, Henry Reid Bay, New Britain. A group of officers of 2/2 Commando Squadron. Identified, left to right,    back row: NX130343 Lieutenant (Lt) R C P Field; NX5731 Lt F P Hearle; WX32871 Captain (Capt) J D Kidd (not of the 2/2); NX47342 Lt K S Curran; WX9954 Lt H J Morgan; VX67962 Lt G G Tuohy; QX53972 Capt I G McPhee (MO); WX8507 Lt D R Fullarton.                                              Front row: WX33876 Lt J C Poynton; WX10893 Lt R K Palmer; QX1011 Capt T B Adams; NX70537 Major G G Laidlaw DSO; WX11054 Capt C D Doig; WX12124 Lt E W Smyth; Lt Stahl (not of the 2/2).

FAITA, RAMU VALLEY, NEW GUINEA. 1944-01-07. MEMBERS OF THE 2/2ND COMMANDO SQUADRON CROSSING A SWING BRIDGE IN THE UNIT HEADQUARTERS AREA. PICTURED HERE ARE: L to R: SERGEANT A. DIXON OF SUMMERHIL, NSW, PAY SERGEANT AND EDITOR OF UNIT PAPER `FAITA FIBLETS', SIGNALMAN A. R. ADDISON OF RICHMOND, VIC, TROOPER N. A. BRAY OF MANLY, NSW, SKETCH ARTIST OF `FAITA FIBLETS', SERGEANT R. S. KIRKWOOD OF PERTH, WA.

LAMARIEN, HENRY REID BAY, NEW BRITAIN, 1945-07-28. TROOPER J. GRIFFIN (L) AND LANCE-CORPORAL F. O'NEILL (R), MEMBERS OF 2/2 COMMANDO SQUADRON. LANCE-CORPORAL O'NEILL WAS IN TIMOR AND NEW GUINEA AND GRIFFIN ESCAPED FROM KOEPANG AND JOINED THE 2/2 SQUADRON IN TIMOR. HE ALSO SERVED IN NEW GUINEA.

LAMARIEN, HENRY REID BAY, NEW BRITAIN, 1945-07-29. THE UNIT MAGAZINE BEING PRINTED IN THE ORDERLY ROOM AT HEADQUARTERS 2/2 COMMANDO SQUADRON, BY TROOPER T.E. CHOLERTON (1) AND LANCE-SERGEANT G.B. KENNEDY (2). THE PAPER INCLUDES PHOTOS PRINTED ON TO A SENSITIZED SECTION OF THE MAGAZINE.

LAMARIEN, HENRY REID BAY, NEW BRITAIN, 1945-07-29. TWO TIMOR VETERANS, NOW MEMBERS OF 2/2 COMMANDO SQUADRON, SERGEANT J. SERVANTE (1) AND SERGEANT R.S. KIRKWOOD (2). SERGEANT SERVANTE OPERATED THE FAMOUS RADIO WHICH FIRST CONTACTED AUSTRALIA FROM TIMOR. SERGEANT KIRKWOOD DID CIPHER WORK ON TIMOR.

Faita Area New Guinea, Trooper J P Hallinan and Lance Corporal M L Wheatley, who have just returned from an 8 day patrol through Japanese held territory near Bogadjim.

R to L

Lt Jack Denman, L/Cpl Jack Carey, Trps Syd McKinley, Don Ramshaw, Laurie Maloney and  ?? Adams

FAITA, RAMU VALLEY, NEW GUINEA. 1944-01-07. MEMBERS OF THE 2/2ND COMMANDO SQUADRON CROSSING A SWING BRIDGE IN THE UNIT HEADQUARTERS AREA. PICTURED HERE ARE: SIGNALMAN H. J. BICKERTON OF TRARALGON, VIC (1); TROOPER N. H. PARKER OF MT HAWTHORNE, WA (2); CORPORAL F. W. BENNETT OF DEE WHY, NSW (3); SIGNALMAN P. J. KELLY OF MURWILLUMBAH, NSW (4); TROOPER E. J. CHAPMAN (5); VX55541 CORPORAL G. B. KENNEDY (6)

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, back row: VX59618 Lance Corporal (LCpl) W Wellings; WX13118 LCpl R W Watson; NX49745 Trooper (Tpr) K D Jones; WX13760 Tpr W R Congdon.

Middle row: WX12642 Tpr R Wilkerson; NX50133 LCpl F O'Neill; WX10893 Lieutenant R K Palmer; WX9540 Tpr G Rowley.

Front row: NX44893 Corporal (Cpl) H R Cullen; WX11951 LCpl J Wicks; WX12136 Tpr G H Strickland; WX12793 Cpl W A Crossing

ANZAC Day 2020.

A wreath was laid in Kings Park today to honour our Fathers / Grandfathers / Great Grandfathers. Normally it would have been laid at the State War Memorial but due to the lockdown it was placed on our Memorial in Lovekin Dr. 

Lest we Forget

Timor 1942 L to R

WX12590 Frederick William Napier, WX8527 William Taylor

Timor 1942 L to R

VX28767 William Ernest Tomasetti, NX47265 Henry Joseph Garland