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My father served in
the Royal Australian Navy as a comando in the elite `Z FORCE`.
He did his training at Cunungra in the Queensland jungle, and
then on to Frazer Island for advanced training. Part of dads
training was on board the `Krait`, a captured Japanese fishing
vessel. She was the boat used by the men of Z Force in the
spectacular raid on Singapore Harbour, led by Major Lyon in
1943,known as operation `Jaywick`. The following year they
decided to carry out another raid on Singapore Harbour, my
father had just finished his training and was awaiting orders
that would take him onboard `Porpoise`, the British submarine
that would carry him and the rest of the comandos (all except
dad and one other were veterans of operation Jaywick)to just off
Singapore Bay, where they were to go in under the cover of
darkness in `Sleeping Beauties`, electrically powed submersible
boats, they looked a little like kayaks.
The day before they were destined to leave on what is known as
`Operation Rimau`, dad and the other Australian, both having no
actual combat experience, were replaced by two `veterans` having
just returned from leave. To this day, no one really knows what
exactly happened, but not one of thoes Z Force comandos were
ever seen again. |
