Sparrow Force - Actions

Actions

Japanese Army units began amphibious landings in both Dutch and Portuguese Timor during the night of 19–20 February 1942. While withdrawing from Klapalima and Penfui towards Tjamplong in Dutch West Timor, rear echelon units of Sparrow Force encountered about 500 Japanese marine paratroopers who had landed near Usua Ridge and advanced to Babau on 20 February. The main body of the 2/40th retook Babao in the afternoon of 21st and advanced towards their base at Tjamplong.

The Japanese were reinforced by hundreds more from another paratrooper drop on the 21st and marines from the Paha River, who marched overland to meet them at Usau. The Japanese dug in defensive positions on Usua Ridge with a mountain howitzer and heavy machine guns near the road. After an Australian mortar and machine gun barrage, Captain Johnson of A Coy., Captain Roff of B Coy. and Captain Burr of C Coy. led their platoons in a bayonet charge up the ridge, followed by R Coy. (Reinforcements). Gunners of the 2/1st Heavy Battery and sappers of the 2/1st Fortress Engineers reinforced the infantry platoons in the action. They destroyed the combined paratrooper and marine detachment as a fighting force; the Japanese recorded only 78 survivors from their 1,000-odd men at Usau. Sparrow Force lost only a few dozen members in the action.

However, Sparrow Force was attacked from the west by the main Japanese force of about 3,000 men with tanks and artillery units. The following morning, with his men low on ammunition, out of food, water and weary from little sleep, and hopelessly outnumbered, Lieutenant Colonel Leggatt surrendered at Irekum on 23 February. Both forces were bombed by Japanese aircraft in two waves at 10am and 10.10am and more men from both sides were killed. More Japanese landed at Koepang, which brought their numbers up to about 22,000 in Dutch West Timor.

Some members of Sparrow Force who were at Tjamplong, not in the main column at Irekum, escaped to Portuguese Timor where they joined the 2nd Independent Company as D Platoon. They joined a successful guerrilla campaign against the Japanese Imperial Army until their eventual withdrawal in December 1942.

Between the capitulation at Irekum and 19 April 1942, the communication link with the Australian mainland was broken. Captain George Parker, Signaller Keith Richards, Corporal John Donovan, Signaller Jack Loveless, and Sergeant Jack Sargeant built a radio out of recycled parts, which they called 'Winnie the War Winner', and re-established contact with Darwin. Supplies were soon airdropped to the guerrilla force followed by continuing resupply from the sea.

The Japanese High Command diverted an entire division to flush out the guerrillas of Sparrow Force. Their goal was to outnumber the commandos by 100 to 1. The Japanese estimated Sparrow Force to be battalion strength in East Timor.

A highly-decorated Japanese Major known as the "Tiger of Singapore" or "Singapore Tiger" —his real name is unknown— was also sent to Timor. On 22 May, shortly after arriving on Timor, the "Tiger" was with a Japanese party moving on Remexio. An Australian patrol with the international brigade staged an ambush, killing 4 or 5 Japanese soldiers; a second ambush further down the track killed another 25 Japanese. In the second ambush, Cpl Aitken and his patrol saw the "Tiger", wearing his medals, on a white horse leading the enemy column. The Tiger was killed and the Japanese retreated to Dili.

The Allied guerrillas would become associated with the phrase "you alone do not surrender to us", which were contained in a message to the men of Sparrow Force by the Japanese commander on Timor, Lieutenant General Yuichi Tsuchihashi. Winston Churchill later stated: "they alone did not surrender."

In late 1942, Army public relations sent the Academy Award winning filmmaker Damien Parer, and war correspondent Bill Marien to Timor, to record the efforts of the Australian commandos. His film, Men of Timor, was greeted with enthusiasm by Australian audiences.

In September 1942, Sparrow Force was reinforced by the Australian 2/4th Independent Company (Lancer Force). With the exception of a few officers, Sparrow Force was evacuated to Australia on 11–12 December.

The 2/2nd Independent Company was renamed the 2/2 Commando Squadron and fought in New Guinea and New Britain, ending the war in Rabaul. Of the 81 members of the 2/40th Infantry Battalion evacuated, many soldiers reinforced the Tasmania/Queensland-raised 2/12th Infantry Battalion in the Australian 7th Division, which later fought in the Salamaua-Lae campaign, the Finisterre Range campaign and the Borneo campaign (1945). By the end of the war, "2/2 Commando Squadron could claim to have spent longer in contact with the enemy than any other unit of the Australian Army".

For a detailed description of the Battle of Timor see Battle of Timor (1942-43).

For the Battle of Timor Order of Battle, click here.