The Australian Commando Association Qld, joined by the National Service Pipes and Drums, are holding an Operation RIMAU & Special Forces Day Commemoration event aboard the Quarterdeck of ex-HMAS Diamantina on this Sunday 10/07/22 from 11am-12pm (with the Quarterdeck being roped off from 10.45am).
Members & friends of the Australian Commando Association will be attending & if space on the Quarterdeck allows, QMM visitors are welcome to participate.
Operation RIMAU was an attack on Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour, carried out by an Allied commando unit Z Special Unit, during World War II using Australian built Hoehn military MKIII folboats. It was a follow-up to the successful Operation Jaywick which had taken place in September 1943, both led by Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Lyon of the Gordon Highlanders, an infantry regiment of the British Army.
Originally part of a much larger operation called Operation Hornbill, the aim of RIMAU was to sink Japanese shipping by paddling the folboats in the dark and placing limpet mines on ships. After the raiding party’s discovery by local Malay authorities aboard the captured Ketapang junk Mustika, a total of 13 men (including raid commander Lyon) were killed during battles with the Japanese military at a number of island locations or were captured & died of their wounds in Japanese captivity. 10 commandos were transported to Outram Road Jail in Singapore after capture by the Japanese, were tried with perfidy(treachery) & espionage in a Japanese court & executed on 7/7/1945. Lest we forget…
Although QMM does not have exhibits related to the tragic Operation RIMAU, we are fortunate to have items related to the successful Operation Jaywick. A model of the Krait & an example of the folboats used in the raid, are displayed on board WWII River-class Frigate, the former HMAS Diamantina, here at the Queensland Maritime Museum.
