Archives

1. 
   OTHER 'BIRD' FORCES—
   
   DestinationUnitsDepartedArrived
   Gull ForceAmbon2/21^st Infantry Battalionex-DarwinAmbon
   C Troop 18^th A-T Batteryon 14/12/41on 17/12/41
   No.3 Section 2/11^th Field Coy. R.A.E.
   B Coy. 2/12^th Field Ambulance
   104 Light Aid Detachment
   23^rd Special Dental Unit
   A.A.S.C. contingent
   N^o.13 & N^o.2 Squadrons R.A.A.F.
   Notes: Australian forces were under the command of Lt.-Col. L.N. Roach however the local Dutch
   commander, Lt.-Col. J.R.L. Kapitz was senior and organised defences. Col. Roach complained to
   A.H.Q. Melbourne about inadequate defences, supplied and strategies so he was recalled on
   14^th January and replaced as the Commanding Officer by Lt.-Col. John Scott from Melbourne.
   The Japanese commenced bombing on 6^th January and landed on 30^th January 1942.
   The Dutch surrendered on the following day and Scott surrendered his forces on 3^rd February, 1942.
   
   
2. DestinationUnitsDepartedArrived
   Lark ForceKavieng, Japs invaded 22^nd January and took Kavieng without opposition
   New Ireland1^st Independent Coy. (Based on New Ireland)
   Rabaul,2/22^nd Infantry Battalionex-SydneyRabaul
   New BritainNew Guinea Volunteer Rifles on 17/4/41on 26/4/41
   ‘L’ Heavy Battery, Praed Point Battery
   ‘L’ Fortress Engineers, Praed Point
   ‘L’ Point Fortress Signals, Praed Point
   ‘L’ Anti-Aircraft Battery
   A & B Troops, 17th Anti-Tank Battery
   (ex-23rd Anti-Tank Battery)
   ? Coy. R.A.E.
   ? Coy. 2/10^th Field Ambulance
   19^th Special Dental Unit
   Australian Army Nursing Service
   Australian Army Ordnance Corps
   Australian Army Service Corps
   N^o.24 Squadron (4 only), R.A.A.F. and 10 Wirraway trainers
   
   Notes: Commanding Officer of Lark Force was Lt.-Col. John Scanlan. As New Guinea and New Britain
   were Australian Protectorates, initial forces were in place before the Pearl Harbor attack. Japanese started
   bombing Rabaul on 4^th January 1942 and landed after midnight on 23^rd January 1942. They captured
   Rabaul with the loss of only 16 men on the same day. About 160 members of Lark Force were massacred
   at the Tol Plantation circa. 4^th February, another 35 were shot at Waitayalo Plantation and a further
   1,053 p-o-w’s drowned when the ‘Montevideo Maru’ was torpedoed en route to Japan by the U.S.S. ‘Sturgeon’ on 1^st July 1942.
   
   
3. DestinationUnitsDepartedArrived
   Robin ForceNew Caledonia ? Heavy Battery, Ouen Toroex-Sydney?Noumea
   ? Fortress Engineers in 7/41on 21/7/41
   3^rd Independent Coy.ex-Darwin in 12/41
   Notes: The Japanese did not attack New Caledonia although local Free French Forces were trained on the guns,
   most of the Force returned to Australia. 3^rd Ind. Coy. returned early 8/42.
   
   ? = uncertain/not yet confirmed detail
4. DestinationUnitsDepartedArrived
   Sparrow Force Timor2/40^th Infantry Battalionex-DarwinUsapa Besar
   2/1^st Heavy Batteryon 10/12/41on 12/12/41
   2/1^st Fortress Engineers
   2/1^st Fortress Signals
   N^o.2 Section 2/11^th Field Coy. R.A.E.
   2/12^th Field Ambulance
   B Troop 18^th Anti-Tank Battery
   75^th Light Aid Detachment
   22^nd Dental Unit
   A.A.S.C. contingent
   A & C Troops, 79^th Light A-A Battery (UK)
   N^o.2 Squadron, R.A.A.F.
   2^nd Independent Coy. (Based on East Timor)
   Notes: Japanese air activity over West Timor started on 25^th January 1942 with a 'Betty' or 'Sally' bomber
   
   
5. DestinationUnitsDepartedArrived
   Plover Force Aru IslandsDutch forces, 3 officers & 75 men, with further
   of Dobo,1 officer & 29 men from Australian forces.
   SaumlakiLanded in July 1942, survivors taken off in September.
   & Toeal Is.
   Wokam?Ill-fated occupation of the Aru Islands raised Japanese notice
   and they were promptly invaded. Many members of Plover
   Force were executed.
   
   
6. DestinationUnitsDepartedArrived
   Emu Force New Guinea/ex-SydneyPort Moresby
   /on 17/12/41on ?/12/41
   In 23^rd Brigade paperwork Dec. 1941 on HMT Pa,
   Eastern Command. 187 officers, total 4,026 men departed from Sydney circa. 17/12/1941
   Mention in 23^rd Brigade records
   
   
7. Other Force designations during WW2 in the Pacific include...
   Rose Force (Malaya, various units operated behind Japanese lines until Jan. 1942)
   Poppy Force (mentioned with Robin Force)
   Tulip Force (members 8^th Div. Ex-Malaya sent to China)
   Elbow Force (Singapore/Malaya, surrendered 15 Feb. 1942)
   Black Force (Java, 7th Division from North Africa, surrendered 8 Mar. 1942)
   Brewer Force (NGVR & US forces)
   Maroubra Force (39^th Aust. Militia Btn. & Papuan Inf. Btn. to Kokoda)
   Kanga Force (5^th Ind. Coy. & NGVR to New Guinea behind Japanese lines)
   M Special Force (mostly PNG native soldiers in New Guinea)
   Z Special Force (commando groups inserted into Japanese-held territory)
   
   
   Also...
   Brewer Force (NGVR & US forces to Los Negros, NGVR won US Presidential Citation)
   Maroubra Force to Kokoda (39^th Aust. Milita Btn. & Papua Infantry Btn.)
   Kanga Force to New Guinea (5^th Ind. Coy & NGVR). First unit flown behind enemy lines in WW2.
   Z Special Force
   M Special Force - New Guinea (mainly Papuan & New Guinea native soldiers)
   Tulip Force to China (members of 8 Division ex-Malaya)

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