Z Special Unit Australian Legends.

Posted by opals on Jun 5, 2021 in Australian World war II, Z Special Unit |

 Z Special Unit, ww2 Heroes.

Australian special forces Z special unit great heroes Lieutenant Lawrence Black NX105873.  Age 83,   8.12.2009. Rest in peace Z special Australian unit.
Lawrence Black was commissioned age of 21 and when the Japanese surrendered, Black lead the last operation for the Z special unit, destroying supply weapons and fuel at secret locations in the Indian Ocean. Black was one of Australia’s great ww2 heroes or Lawrie known to mates, Lawrie Black the old Z man made it on the front page of Time magazine on 18 July 1983 . Lawrie was awarded the US submarine combat pin as he worked with US on secret missions like Operations starfish behind Japanese lines, Black sometimes was transported behind enemy lines and synchronised with US submarines.
Submarine the US Rock that took the four Z men to Lombok in ww2 operations starfish. USS Rock SS-274 Gato-class submarine under command of Robert A. Keating who took the Rock on its daring Operation Starfish mission. The commander was noted for his brave deeds during ww2. The President of the United States of America presented the Navy Cross to Commander Robert Allen Keating, the second highest Navy award in the United States.

 

 

About Australian legend Lawrence Black Z special unit officer, video from Australian Sat War Film Archive: https://australiansatwarfilmarchive.unsw.edu.au/archive/183-lawrence-black

 

 

 

David Black Lawrence Black son gave all his famous fathers WW2 photographs, taken by the RAAF of his escape off Lambok Island on operation starfish. Including Silk maps and Japanese occupation money and servile kit to the Commando Association. David kept his fathers dagger but he should pass that on.

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In 1942 late afternoon on the 9th ww2 came to Lombok Island Indonesia the Japanese need it to prevent entry access from Australia Navy personnel and military forces returning to Singapore through Lombok channel, between Bali and Lombok. This is the only deep water passage from Indian Ocean to the Java sea. The Japanese military could prevent American and all submarines including British Dutch and Australians, travelling back and forwards to each other’s country. The fast sometimes very dangerous Ocean current’s force submarines to surfers. Japanese virtually control the oceans in south-east Asia to Australia. Japanese slave labour was forced to dig 3 caves, 2 on the hills around Lombok Island had big German made cannons, battery in placement with reinforced concrete. The third cave was for storage supplies food ammunition and dormitory for Japanese soldiers. There was another 2 big cannons 1 position at south west Lombok coast at a place called Bangok Bangko. Another battery placement on the hill of Gili Trawangan looking out towards today is very famous international tourist location of Bali. The Japanese were able to defend the island as they had mini machine gun emplacements everywhere, Japanese fighter zeros planes patrolled the skies regularly along with Navy patrols of the islands.

DARING DEEDS OF Z SPECIAL UNIT OPERATIONS LAGARTO OPERATION COPPER OPERATION SEMUT OPERATION MOSQUITO, OPERATION STARFISH INDONESIA ON LOMBOK  ISLAND. OTHER Z SECRETS DARING DEEDS OF WORLD WAR II COMMANDOS Z SPECIAL UNIT.OPERATION RIMAU OPERATION OPUSSUM OPERATION COBRA TIMOR OPERATION SUNLAG AND SUBCOB OPERATION, OPERATION PYTHON OPERATION AGAS BUT THERE WAS MANY MORE OPERATIONS PLATYPUS OPERATION SEMUT OPERATION BINATANG.

 

 Z Unit Special Australian Commandos force.

WW2 – Z secret mission to Indonesia code name Operation starfish 4 men led by Australian Lieutenant L Black, travelled to Lombok by American submarine named the Rock. The 4 Z men paddled to Lombok landed at Selong Belanan beach, commandos buried supplies and then headed off to Pengantap Bay where they placed more supplies in a cave in an outer ocean cliff radio.  For nearly 2 months the commandos survey while mapping Japanese positions. The Japanese had large artillery em placements 5 1/2 inch diameter circumference of the barrel, so they could take a big powerful explosive shell, that would inflict serious damage on allies shipping.   Operation starfish was a very dangerous mission as the place was infested with Japanese military commando ninjas. Lieutenant Black always worked behind enemy lines but unfortunately on this mission only 2 diggers returned alive, as 2 Z men was wounded by the Japanese soldiers, ninjas beheaded them.  The operation starfish mission was to find where the invading Japanese positions are, and in particular locate all the fortified bunkers that held the German made artillery guns on Lombok. As the Japanese military could control the straights in Lombok in Indonesia with such big guns, able to stop destroy allies submarines passing through from Pacific to Indian Ocean, if force to come to the surface because of bad conditions the submarines could easily be picked off by the Japanese.

This very top-secret mission Operation starfish in ww2 led by L Black found Japanese artillery em placements, positioned on top of the cliffs about 300 m above the very dangerous waters of the Lombok Straits, at Cape Panda nan at the tip of the Geroeng Peninsula. The guns were very dangerous threat to any submarine passing underneath the strait, as if submarines had to surface because of dangerous currents they were extremely vulnerable to the Japanese large artillery em gun placements and could be easily hit, then the sub and their crew would have no chance of survival.

Z Special Unit.

My most favourite Z special unit, Operation was Jaywick on 2 September 1943 the vessel named Krait left Western Australia at Exmouth Gulf, departed to destroy as much Japanese shipping in Singapore harbour as possible by commando, planting explosives on the outside of the Japanese Navy ships anchored in Singapore. This took place under the cover of darkness paddled out placed limpet mines on Japanese ships. All Z special unit Jaywick men return save to Western Australia after sinking or damaged seven enemy naval vessels. The Japanese was amazed as there military felt completely safe and invincible at this stage in Singapore, as they had took over most of South East Asian. The Japanese never thought Australian’s with allies could breach the Japanese defences in Singapore. Unfortunately the local Chinese Singaporeans were blamed and many was harassed many tortured and killed. The famous Krait Jaywick 14 heroes list: Major Ivan Lyon Commander, Lieutenant Hubert Edward Carse Captain. Lieutenant’s Robert Charles Page and Donald Montague Noel Davidson. Corporal R.G. Morris and Corporal Andrew Anthony Crilly. Arthur Walter Jones, Kevin Patrick Cain, Horace Stewart Young, Walter Gordon Falls, James Patrick McDowel, Andrew William George Huston, Mostyn Berryman, Frederick Walter Lota Marsh all 14 men of Z special unit of Operation Jaywick are heroes.

 

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Z Special Unit allied commandos made up mostly of Australian that operate in South East Asia and Pacific Islands. Z unit carried out 81 covert missions during World War II with members either parachute in, or dropped off by submarine or sailed to provide intelligence or hit and run tactics on the Japanese. They serve during WW2 allied specialist in sabotage New Zealand and Timorese and Indonesian British and Dutch men, operating in Singapore Timor on Borneo and the islands of Indonesia.

Z special unit Australian Commando bases in NSW was at Refuge Bay. In the south of the State of Queensland at Fraser Island and in the far north of the state Experimental Station Cairns . Darwin on the site of the Quarantine Station, a lot of the training was actually done in Darwin Harbour the ocean. Garden Island in Western Australia. The special unit had many other locations bases outside of the country throughout south-east Asia and Pacific Asia, including storage locations of ammunition fuel etc.

Lawrence spent quite a bit of time trained on Fraser island and the Z guys built the bass why they were in south-east Queensland the largest sand island in the world, as this was one of the locations in Queensland that Z special force used to train their Australian war commandos.
 Lawrence Black new where all the secret missions of Z special unit occurred, including Singapore Indochina and Philippines, Malaysia Borneo New Guinea Solomon Islands. Z men perform deeds always behind enemy lines, this is what made them ww2 Australian war heroes.
After the Japanese surrendered in World War 2 in the Pacific Lieutenant Black Z unit was transferred to Hollandia and with liaison officer from reconnaissance department, which had total control over Z special unit. Black then was assigned to close down the top secret camp.
Lawrence served after the war until October 1946 working and training Australian troops that went to Japan as part of the US occupation Force. Black was a hard worker and retired from the Veterans Review Board the age of 65. He was a very compassionate man hard working volunteer for the charity Legacy and Victorian RSL.  In June 1990 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his volunteer hard work with Salvation Army Legacy Red Cross.  Old digger Black was a very knowledgeable man.

 

Sports People Are Not Heroes.

 

Heroes the term is often applied to sports people in today’s world, political correctness has gone mad as the word hero is used for non-contact sports. Champions do not need to have courage playing ping-pong, amazing determination to win yes. Unfortunately today’s sports media journalism sometimes are more like salesman then sports commentators not like it used to be. These champion sports people are getting payed millions of dollars a game, tennis players have never had to risk losing a leg or a arm buy a bomb, but some sports journalist still called them heroes they have doctors ambulance on hand if they sprain one big toe, physiotherapist on hand and sent to the best private hospitals. Soldiers defending their country risk there life behind enemy lines, underpaid only rewarded bravery medals for amazing deeds saving citizens lives why jeopardising their own life’s with brave deeds. Australian’s could be beheaded by the enemy the Japanese in World War II if caught during a secret mission tortured first. No private hospitals on the front line and the enemy couldn’t care a rats arse about you’re men dying or having to live in horrific pain. Soldiers taken the enemies life a man or woman and live with this for the rest of their life knowing that the person they killed, their children and wife will never see their father. Some TV commentators are very disrespectful to all the Australian diggers men that have died serving their country and some women that have whisk their lives, such as spies etc they are true Australian heroes not sports people.

Australian commandos Z men most famous top secret mission was Operation Jaywick, 14 men left Western Australia disguised as Asian fishermen in a similar looking vessel. The plan was to plant explosives on the Japanese ships, on September 1943 Z  force unit under the cover of darkness did exactly this to some Japanese imperial navy vessels. Having excellent success sunk 6 Japanese navy ships in Singapore harbour, then all 14 men safely return back to Australia. Z unit was either made up of professional or volunteer army or navy personnel. Unfortunately on the second identical mission back to Singapore, they were detected by the Japanese army so the secret mission failed all 14 court and beheaded.

Lucky Lawrence Black was not sent on this mission Operation Jaywick, Black always denied in public he had a lucky charm, but privately he said his dad passed on to him one opal pendant so he always had this with him, the Australian national gemstone the Opal. Lawrence was named after the famous ww1 hero Lawrence of Arabia, as Black’s father served in ww1 Light horse and camel core in the Middle East and had some connection to Lawrence of Arabia.

Very happy ending for Lawrence Black but so sad for many Z special unity force that was captured, tortured for information and after beheaded.

So many commandos died in Z special unit in ww2 active from1942 to 1946, I think this is why the Allies had victories in WW1 and WW2. You have to be prepared to lose life to take more of the enemies lifes for victory. Today special forces rarely lose lifes only go on very safe missions but this does not win wars. The start of
WW2 in Asian and Pacific the Japanese military had most of China Manchuria and Korea, Thailand Myanmar Singapore and Malaysia Laos Cambodia Vietnam, with clashes on the India border region. Japanese drove the Americans out of the Philippines, took over US sovereign land in the Pacific. WW2 emperors Imperial military invasion force of Japan had most of the Asian and Pacific islands and part of Papua New Guinea.The Japanese was ready to pounce on the last and biggest prize of all the continent of Australia. They were forced to turn back in battle of the Coral Sea that runs along Australia’s north eastern half on the eastern side of the state of Queensland. Joint American and Australian Navy predominantly US, their aircraft carriers were able to send planes up and destroy many Japanese planes that took off from their carrier group. This all happened not far from the northern city of Cairns, just south off the coast the other side of Australian Great barrier reef. Cardwell beautiful coastal town has the Memorial park battle of the Coral Sea. The Japanese decided against Navy invasion of Australia and sent an army force to travel from north to south through Papua New Guinea Kokoda Trail. Then a hop step and a jump to Australia but the Australian military bought back there’s harden soldiers that have been fighting the Nazis in Europe for 5 years previously. They had to stop the Japanese and drive them out of Papua New Guinea. At this stage the Japanese army was invincible but the Australian diggers soldiers were able to single-handedly turn back the Japanese land invasion force, without any ally soldiers in the Kokoda track battle . Z special unit carried out total of 81 totally secret commando operations behind enemy lines, against the emperors Imperial military invasion force of Japan in ww2. We can never forget the effort of Australian Z special unit, as they carried on throughout the war to the end the most dangerous missions, all commandos inserted in among Japanese infested islands and countries.

Operation Opossum Z Special Unit.

Operation Opossum the Australian military send specially trained Z special unit, secret commandos to extract the Sultan of Ternate. Also to equip arm supplys to a number of natives on Hiri Island north of Ternate. Opossum headquarters also received intelligence about an Australian air-man caught by the Japanese, now a POW and needed extracting but later the mission was never carried out, because different information regarding the air mans movement was changing. Operation Opossum was coming to an end left Morotai by PT boat at 1730 hours 8th April 1945, proceeded to land at Kg Saki north coast of Hiri that same night. Z special unit had a very difficult mission gun fights between the Japanese and the commandos deaths on both sides.
Local natives working for the Australians not only shot and killed Japanese soldiers over the operation, but accidentally killed one Australian commander. Mission drawing to an end at 1145 hours, friendly PT boats arrives, the original members and Sultan with all family wife child and small amount of natives left at 1210 hours to arrive at Morotai on 11 Apr 1945.

Z Special unit was assemble simply because the Imperial Japanese Emperor Navy control the seas of Asia in ww2, many Navy allies shipping was destroyed. The battle of Java sea Indonesia the Allies were defeated 3 light cruisers, including HMAS Perth from Australia the Dutch destroyer HNLMS Evertsen, USA heavy cruiter USS Houston (CA-30) in the Battle of Sunda Strait, all destroyed sunk by the Imperial Japanese emperor Navy. The Australian commandos Z Special unit set up to play a vital role in ww2. Working behind enemy lines gathering intelligence, operations hit and run to destroy as much of the enemy infrastructure before retreat back to Australia.

Z Special unit big Northern Australian Darwin operational base, with craft slipway workshops which serviced boats used in some Z secret missions overseas. It operated from 1942 to 1945 with personnel about 500, the base was a lugger maintenance section located at the East Arm in Darwin Harbour. You can see large concrete pyramids old moorings where Catalina Aircraft that had ocean pontoons for landing on the sea was tied to. Australian Z special unit Lieutenant Lawrence Black NX105873 used to train at Darwin, with lots military exercises in the harbour swimming in the sea diving, crocodiles sharks were always a threat. From South East Asian different country some of their men was trained by Z Special unit in Darwin, training in commando tactics hit and run and weapons and explosives Training in different locations around the harbour just to make sure none of the foreigners new each other of or communicated with each other. Because operations were behind enemy lines they suffered many casualties deaths. Darwin has very harsh conditions but was the closest northern destination to neighbouring countries. Since the end of ww2 todays commandos or SAS have been involved in many conflicts overseas, North & South Korea war Vietnam and Afghanistan but have not bought back gold like the old Z special unit. SAS has not been party to victory of war for over 75 years, as the countries they were sent to has never signed surrender documents. We must also remember the Australian military that we’re not involved with Z special unit, like Australian Captain William H who planned the victory of the battle of the Bismarck sea. Predominately air strikes finished off the Japanese Navy and ground troops transporters advance of the Japanese final destination and conquest Australia. The American air force also played a part the battle of the Bismarck sea, equivalent to the great American victory of the Battle of the Coral Sea, where the Australian Navy also played a part.

 

Z Special Unit Operation Agas.

Z Special unit Operation Agas in Malaysian Borneo, the unit left Australia from the northern city of Darwin on 24 Feb 1945 buy US Submarine. Arriving lots of effort and hardship travelling through crocodile infested mangroves to set up a wireless station. Reconnaissances was very dangerous many crocodile and Malaria mosquito dengue infested mangrove rivers, the Sesip, Arbar rivers Paitan Sugut and Mamahat rivers. Z Special unit were able to gather up many useful contacts previously known to the allies Mr Tsen and Datu Mustapha and many more. Z Special unit hi priority was to teach the natives to prevent the Japanese from finding food, whose food rations were very short. This technique was very successful in preventing the enemy obtain food. If Japanese stores and buildings located they were destroyed by fire, with native guerillas Z Special unit could attack Japanese outpost, but unfortunately desertion of native guerillas was very high when things did not go to plan and got somewhat tough. The Australians receive and transmit information of prisoner of war position at Sandakan Borneo. Unfortunately there was never an attack to free the prisoners in the camp during ww2 , after the war Australian troops were sent to the camp, there was only about guys left where there was originally about 2000 most died of starvation malaria and disease work to death. Operation Agas was very successful as Lt. Harlem was informed that many Japanese was on their way to Basai to attack his party. The information relayed to Morotai pleading for immediate air support. Request was granted 16 enemy boats were suck about 50 Japanese were killed.

About Australians WWII And Allies.

WWII Japanese made contact to surrender to Australian military in Southern Bougainville in south-east Asia on the 18th of August 1945. The Japanese envoy consisted of a few of their offices. But we must not forget our allies the US like the submarine name the rock, they took Z special unit to the secret mission in Indonesia the island opposite Bali Lombok on operation starfish. We must not forget US lost an aircraft carrier the Lexington in the Navy battle off the Australian State of Queensland, she now lives at the bottom of the sea. This same battle the coral sea the US also lost many air man and their aircraft to the Japanese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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