Bugi Men IV. [Conclusion]

This is coolbert:

"Many of the soldiers from the NAOU later went on to join Z Special Unit"

Z Special Unit. Often referred to as Z Special Force. Australian commando unit during World War Two [WW2]. Ranged far and wide during WW2, New Guinea, the Indonesian archipelago, AND AS FAR WEST AS SINGAPORE.

"Z Special Unit, often known as Z Force, was a joint Australian, British and New Zealand commando unit"

"All of its [Z Special Unit] missions were cloaked in ultimate secrecy and even though it's been over 50 years since the end of World War II very little is known of its 182 missions."

[Bill Reynolds for one is NOT EVEN INCLUDED AMONG THE NAMES OF THOSE AUSTRALIANS KILLED IN ACTION DURING WW2. It is known for a fact Bill was killed! Secrecy being what it is, to not even include a hero of the war among the names of the war dead is strange!!??]

Best know for the two commando missions targetting Japanese shipping anchored in Singapore harbor. Missions that used unihabinted islands OF THE RIAU ARCHIPELAGO AS FORWARD STAGING BASES. ONLY SEVEN MILES FROM DOWNTOWN SINGAPORE!

These were the Jaywick and Rimau missions. One very successful, the second not so much so!! Both the Jaywickers and MODERN DAY PIRATES FOUND USING THE ISLANDS OF THE RIAU ARCHIPELAO TO THEIR ADVATAGE!!



"[the] most daring, unbelievable and most sucessfull Australian commando attack in World War II. They sailed with the Japanese fishing boat Kofuku Maru (renamed into Krait) from Australia to Riouw Archipelago, crossing a large portion of Dutch East Indies, to carried out a commando raid with canoes (!!!). Their targets were the anchored Japanese ships in Singapore Harbor. The raid was a huge sucess, as they sank 37,000 tons of shipping and return safely back to Australia."

"Operation Jaywick was one of the most daring and celebrated special operations undertaken in World War II. In September 1943, 15 Allied commandos from Z Force raided Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour, sinking seven ships."

The Jaywickers employed folding boats [folboats] and limpet mines for their attack on Singapore harbor. Jaywick did not need fancy high technology to achieve the desired goals. Highly trained, daring, motivated soldiers and sailors, two-man kayaks, mines with magnetic hold-fasts to attach to the sides of targets, and that was that!!

"Limpet mines"

"Limpet mines are a special form of contact mine which are attached to the target by magnets and left, and are so named because of the superficial similarity to the mollusk, limpet . . . Usually they are set off by a time fuse."

"Operation Rimau was an attack on Japanese shipping at Singapore Harbour, carried out by the Allied commando unit Z [special] Force, during World War II. It was a follow-up to the successful Operation Jaywick, which had taken place in 1943."

"The second, similar operation, named "Rimau", was not so sucessful. They again managed to sink ca. 30,000 tons of the Japanese merchant fleet anchored in Singapore Harbor, but all 23 men who took part in this operation were lost either killed or captured-beheaded, including Lt-Col Ivan Lyon, who was killed by the Japanese troops on the tiny island of Soreh on 16 October 1944."

Most surprisingly so, for skilled kayakers, you too can follow in the footsteps of the "Rimau" raiders. Adventure type touring and vacationing, follow the exact path taken by the Aussie commando unit in their abortive and unsuccessful raid on Singapore harbor.

To conclude.

The Stait of Malacca and Singapore harbor have been historically major shipping routes for the last five hundred years or more, infested with pirates, then and now, OPERATING PRIMARILY OUT OF THE RIAU ARCHIPELAGO. Pirates quite of then of the Bugi ethnic group. Bugi men that had the ability to sail vast distances to the west [Singapore], and then return to the east [as far as Australia]!

The Jaywick raiders, sailing from northern Australia, following in the path of the Bugi men to Singapore, attacking shipping in Singapore harbor from the Riau archipelago, and retiring to the east, unscathed, as the Bugi men would have done.

The age-old patterns of behavior are the best ways?! What was good for the Bugi men was good for the Jaywickers!!??

coolbert.