Soft Cover without Dust Jacket – 41 pages

A 384 page

Vietnam War A 500 page US military publication on all aspects of life in North Vietnam

An interesting 40 page book telling the story in poetry of the 2/2nd Australian Independent Company from training in Australian to active service in Timor. Soft Cover without Dust Jacket – 40 pagesww2, commando, east timor, 2/2/nd independent company

An account of the operations of The Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB) better known as ‘Z’ Special Unit. Now a scarce and highly sought after title. The author’s personal experiences with Australian Special Forces (Services Reconnaissance Department) which involved guerrilla soldiering with the head-hunters of Japanese held Borneo during World War 2. Z Special Unit an administrative support unit of (also known as Special Operations Australia (SOA) or the Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD)) was a joint Allied special forces unit formed during the Second World War to operate behind Japanese lines in South East Asia. Predominantly Australian, SRD was a specialist reconnaissance and sabotage unit that included British, Dutch, New Zealand, Timorese and Indonesian members, predominantly operating on Borneo and the islands of the former Netherlands East Indies. The unit carried out a total of 81 covert operations in the South West Pacific theatre, with parties inserted by parachute or submarine to provide intelligence and conduct guerrilla warfare. The best known of these missions were Operation Jaywick and Operation RIMAU, both of which involved raids on Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour; the latter of which resulted in the deaths of twenty-three commandos either in action or by execution after capture. Although the unit was disbanded after the war, many of the training techniques and operational procedures employed were later used during the formation of other Australian Army special forces units and they remain a model for guerrilla operations to this day.Hard Cover with Dust Jacket – 608 pagesInscribed by author-Bob Long AK223 SEMUT 1 Borneo 1945

A small A5 size 35 page booklet.

Hard Cover with Dust Jacket – 336 pagesCopy number 180 of 350 limited edition print.australian commando, australian army, special forces

July 1945. Eighteen young British, Australian and New Zealand special forces from a top-secret underwater warfare unit prepare to undertake three audacious missions against the Japanese. Using XE-craft midget submarines, the raiders will creep deep behind Japanese lines to sink two huge warships off Singapore and sever two vitally important undersea communications cables. Success will hasten ultimate victory over Japan; but if any of the men are captured they can expect a gruesome execution. Can the Sea Devils overcome Japanese defences, mechanical failures, oxygen poisoning and submarine disasters to fulfill their missions? Mark Felton tells the true story of a band of young men living on raw courage, nerves and Adrenalin as they attempt to pull off what could be the last great raid of World War Two.ww2, special operations, submarine operations

The detailed history of the Australian Independent Commando Companies.‘This Padre is able to tell of some exciting experiences that he encountered with the men as the sharp end troops with Sixth, Seventh and Ninth Divisions of 2nd A.I.F.’ Includes Roll of Honour Hard Cover with Dust Jacket – 309 pagesworld war ii, australian commando, independent companies, special forces

The history of the No. 2 Independent Commando Company and 2/2 Commando Squadron during World War II – scarce as a 1st edition dated 1986. Having completed its training at Foster, on Wilson’s Promontory, Victoria, the 2nd Independent Company was raised and travelled north to Katherine, in the Northern Territory. However, following Japan’s entry into the war, as with the other independent companies that were sent to the islands off Australia, the 2nd was sent to Timor, where it joined the 2/40th Battalion and the rest of Sparrow Force. Sparrow Force divided itself between west Timor, part of the Netherlands East Indies, and east Timor, which belonged to Portugal. The 2/40th Battalion defended the capital of west Timor, Koepang, and the airfield at Penfui. Most of the independent company moved to the airfield at Dili, in east Timor, and the nearby mountains. Portugal was opposed to the stationing of a Dutch or Australian garrison in case this provoked the Japanese, but despite this opposition, on 17 December 1941, elements of the 2nd Independent Company and Dutch troops landed near Dili. On 20 February 1942 the Japanese invaded the island, attacking east and west Timor simultaneously. The 2/40th Battalion held out for three days, but were overrun and were killed or captured. Similarly, the 2nd could not hold the airfield and were also driven back. But they were not captured and instead retreated to the mountains where they conducted a very successful and pursued a guerrilla war against the Japanese which lasted for over a year. Following the capture of Timor, the 2nd occupation the company was listed as “missing”, the company’s signallers were able to build a wireless transmitter, nicknamed ‘Winnie the War Winner’, and on 18/19 April were able to contact Darwin. At the end of May RAN vessels began landing supplies for the Australians on the south coast of east Timor. These supply runs were very dangerous but they allowed the Australians on Timor to continue fighting. In September the guerillas were reinforced with the 2/4th Independent Company. However, this could not go on indefinitely. In August the Japanese lunched a major offensive against the guerrillas and Japanese reprisals against the civilian population of east Timor reduced their support for the Australians. The 2nd (now named the 2/2nd Independent Company) and 2/4th were withdrawn in December and January 1943 respectively. Although the 2/2nd Independent Company is best known for its time on Timor, it also saw extensive service in New Guinea and New Britain. The independent company reformed at the army’s training centre at Canungra, Queensland, where it was reinforced and reequipped. The company then moved to the Atherton Tableland, where it briefly became part of the 2/6th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment. Due to this reorganisation, in October, the 2/2nd Independent Company was renamed the 2/2nd Cavalry (Commando) Squadron. This name was later simplified to just commando squadron. When this happened though, the 2/2nd was back in action. In June 1943 the 2/2nd sailed from Townsville for Port Moresby and was subsequently flown to Bena Bena, in the Bismark Range in New Guinea’s highlands. Here they supported the 2/7th Independent Company in patrolling the Ramu River area. In the second week of July the 2/2nd moved into position, with its headquarters at Bena Bena and with its platoons’ occupying neighbouring positions. By the end of the month their patrols were skirmishing with the Japanese. The 2/2nd remained in New Guinea until October 1944. After 90 days leave, the squadron reformed at Strathpine in Queensland before sailing to New Britain in April 1945. The 2/2nd landed at Jacquinot Bay on 17 April. The squadron then moved to Wide Bay, in order to support the 13th Brigade of the 5th Division, and was based at Lamarien. Following Japan’s surrender and the end of the war, the ranks of the squadron thinned quickly as men were discharged or transferred to other units. For those who were left, they returned to Australia and in early 1946 the 2/2nd Commando Squadron was disbanded. Includes Nominal Roll Soft Cover without Dust Jacket – 270 pages

When Lloyd Campbell joined the AIF, he was underage and went to the Middle East with 2/17 Battalion. Later in New Guinea he made a major career change and volunteered for an unknown unit and special operations. What he had joined was the SRD – known as Z-Special Unit. Z Special Unit—also known as Special Operations Executive (SOE), Special Operations Australia (SOA) or the Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD)—was a joint Allied special forces unit formed during the Second World War to operate behind Japanese lines in South East Asia. Predominantly Australian, Z Special Unit was a specialist reconnaissance and sabotage unit that included British, Dutch, New Zealand, Timorese and Indonesian members, predominantly operating on Borneo and the islands of the former Netherlands East Indies. The unit carried out a total of 81 covert operations in the South West Pacific theatre, with parties inserted by parachute or submarine to provide intelligence and conduct guerrilla warfare. The best known of these missions were Operation Jaywick and Operation Rimau, both of which involved raids on Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour; the latter of which resulted in the deaths of 23 commandos either in action or by execution after capture. Although the unit was disbanded after the war, many of the training techniques and operational procedures employed were later used during the formation of other Australian Army special forces units and they remain a model for guerrilla operations to this day. pp. 274, illusts, maps ww2, the australian special operations, special forces, z special unit

A detailed history of Australian Special Forces operations during World War Two by the commandos of the Allied Intelligence Bureau and the Independent Companies/Commando Squadrons and through to operations in Vietnam and later conflicts. Compiled by two of Australia’s most famous military historians for the 60th anniversary of Operation JAYWICK in 2003.

The detailed account of Australian Commandos in China during World War Two. This, the story of Australia’s first Commandos, is an epic of the war. Here is hardship and adventure, pathos and humour, suffering and excitement. It tells of the men who went to Malaya with the 22nd Brigade, then sailed to Burma to train under Britain’s finest Commando leaders. Escaping from the Japanese, they journeyed the length of the tortuous Burma Road, crossing China almost to the coast. Here they trained the Surprising Battalions, some of China’s crack guerrillas, and operated with them in war torn provinces. The became famous as the “Lost Legion of the AIF” – the boys of Mission 204. After almost a year of guerrilla existence, the survivors were withdrawn to Kunming and flew to India. They were allocated to Brigadier Orde Wingate’s force but were recalled whilst on leave and returned to Australia after two years in the tropics.Hard cover first edition world war ii, ww2, australian commando, australian special forces, australian special operations, world war ii australian operations in china