DVA 141 Monday 17 September 2001

This Week in History - Our Wartime Heritage

Issued by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Bruce Scott, to foster awareness of Australia’s wartime history and heritage during the Centenary of Federation.

21-27 September

21 September 1918:  Pilots of No. 1 Squadron Australian Flying Corps engaged Turkish troops at Wadi Fara, in a battle that became known as an early example of the effective use of air power against ground troops.  An AFC patrol spotted a large enemy force withdrawing in the face of an Allied advance.  The two Bristol fighters attacked the column and called in reinforcements from No. 1 Squadron and the 40th

Wing of the Royal Air Force.  The Allied aircraft attacked the Turkish troops for more than five hours, inflicting heavy casualties.

23-25 September 1940:  A force of British and Free French soldiers landed at Dakar in West Africa in an attempt to seize control of the colony from Vichy French forces.  The Royal Australian Navy heavy cruiser HMAS Australia was part of a large Allied naval force.  After coming under fire from land batteries, Australia engaged and destroyed the Vichy French destroyer L’Audacieux.  On 25 September, Australia was engaging enemy ships in Dakar harbour when she was hit twice, suffering some damage, but no casualties.  However, as the ship was ordered to withdraw, her Walrus amphibian aircraft, which was spotting for the ship’s guns, was shot down, killing its three aircrew.  The British Government called off the attack on Dakar later that day.

25 September 1918:  The Anzac Mounted Division captured the town of Amman in Palestine following the Allied breakthrough in the Turkish lines a week earlier.  The Turkish Fourth Army had mounted a strong defence of Amman but the Australians moved in when the enemy forces began a withdrawal.  The bulk of the Fourth Army escaped, but the Australians captured 2360 prisoners.

25 September 1939:  No. 11 Squadron RAAF arrived at Port Moresby, becoming the first Royal Australian Air Force unit to serve in New Guinea.  Equipped with two ex-Qantas Empire flying-boats and two Seagull amphibious aircraft, it patrolled the sea lanes between northern Queensland and the Japanese-controlled Caroline Islands, searching for German raiders and observing other shipping.

25 September 1942:  HMAS Voyager was destroyed at Betano Bay, Timor.  Voyager had brought the 2/4th Independent Company to reinforce Australian troops on Timor but ran aground.  After being spotted by Japanese aircraft, the crew was left with no option but to abandon ship and destroy Voyager with explosives.  HMA Ships Kalgoorlie and Warrnambool safely evacuated the crew.  The incident ended a distinguished career for Voyager, which also served in the Mediterranean, including the famous Tobruk Ferry run.

26-27 September 1917: Sergeant John Dwyer, 4th Machine Gun Company, 4th Brigade, 4th Division, originally from Lovett, Tasmania, won the Victoria Cross at Zonnebeke, Belgium. Sergeant Dwyer was in charge of a Vickers machine-gun crew when he charged an enemy machine-gun post and opened fire at point-blank range, killing the gun crew.  He then seized the enemy gun and defied sniper fire to return to the Allied front-line, commanding both guns in defence against a German counter-attack.  The next day, after his Vickers gun was destroyed by shellfire, Sergeant Dwyer led his gun crew back to headquarters under heavy fire, obtained a reserve gun and rushed back to the front-line.

26-28 September 1917:  Private Patrick Bugden, 31st Battalion, 8th Brigade, 5th Division, originally from South Gundurimba, NSW, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his valour at Polygon Wood.  When machine-gun fire held up the Allied advance, Bugden twice led small parties of men to silence these strong points. Over the next two days he performed several acts of gallantry, including the single-handed rescue of a corporal who had been captured and was being taken to the German lines by three enemy soldiers. On at least five other occasions he dashed out into artillery bombardments and machine-gun fire to rescue wounded men.

26-27 September 1943:  Australian commandos entered Singapore harbour and sank seven merchant ships in Operation ‘Jaywick’.  The members of a Special Operations Australia unit, more commonly known as ‘Z Force’, sailed to Subor Island from Exmouth, WA, on the Krait, a wooden fishing vessel about 20 metres long.  Six men then paddled the 11 kilometres to Singapore in canoes and on the night of 26-27 September attached limpet mines to the Japanese ships, which sank at their moorings.  The mission returned safely to Australia. The Krait is now displayed at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.

Media Contact: Mark Croxford (02) 6277 7820 or 0408 645 787



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