Z Force was the unofficial and popular* media name for Z Special
Unit.
It was one of Australia's independent forces that operated behind
enemy lines in the south west pacific during the second world war. It was
the elite forerunner to the Australian
S.A.S. Although it consisted of mainly Australian and British personnel,
it also contained operatives from the various allied forces including China
and resistance fighters from the Japanese conquered South Asian region.
Many of its missions remain secret to this day, it was the world of cyanide
capsules (lolly), clandestine operations at the risk of being beheaded,
for example, a single operative parachuting into the jungle in the dead
of night, contacting headhunter tribes and training them to fight with their
primitive weapons, recovering the weapons of the fallen enemy and carrying
on harassing them. They were delivered on missions by the U.S sub force,
seaplanes, parachute, PT boats. etc.
Notable heroes, Ivor Lyons (MAJOR I. LYON, M.B.E..,
THE GORDON HIGHLANDERS
), Bob Page (LIEUTENANT
R.C. PAGE A.I.F.), the crew of the KRAIT* (R.A.N.), Jack Wong Sue
( D.S.M. R.A.A.F.) Julius Tahija (Indonesian, Lieutenant.Militaire Willems-Orde)
and the unknown many.
* The Krait, named after an Asian (small but deadly) snake was a captured Japanese fishing boat that was sailed from Australia through thousands of miles of hostile waters for a commando limpet mine raid on enemy ships in Singapore Harbor (Operation Jaywick).
The M signifies M Unit, they were the coastwatchers who kept a lookout for enemy ships and fleet movements. One of these operatives, Lt. Reg Evans rescued John Fitzgerald Kennedy (Lt. (jg) Jack Kennedy, later to become the 35th president of the U.S.) and the rest of the crew of PT 109 after their boat was rammed by an enemy warship in Blackett Strait. Both (M/Z)share the same green badge .
* Although some operatives used Z force. Most wish to be known as former operatives of Z special unit.