Sparrow Force
Encyclopedia
Sparrow Force was a detachment based on the 2/40th Australian Infantry Battalion and other British and Australian 8th Division
units, during World War II
. The force was formed to defend the island of Timor
, from invasion by the Empire of Japan
. It formed the main part of the Allied
units in the Battle of Timor (1942–43).
, which had been formed in Tasmania
, and was part of the 23rd Australian Infantry Brigade
. The force was initially commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William Leggatt
, although later command was taken over by Brigadier William Veale, before being passed on to Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Spence
. A commando
unit—the 2/2nd Independent Company
(recruited mostly in Western Australia
)—was also part of Sparrow Force. With the other forces from the 23rd Brigade it shared contingents from 18 Anti-Tank Battery, the 2/12th Field Ambulance
unit, 23rd Brigade Signals unit and the 2/11th Field Company
. 445 personnel were delivered to Timor by and , which sailed from Darwin on 8 December 1941.
Sparrow Force was reinforced on the 16 February 1942 with 189 British
anti-aircraft gunners, from A & C Troop of the 79th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery
of the Royal Artillery
, mostly veterans of the Battle of Britain
. Further reinforcements, an Australian infantry battalion and an American artillery regiment, were attacked en-route to Timor and returned to Darwin
. The 2/40th and most Sparrow Force units were based at Penfui Airfield, outside the capital of Netherlands Timor
, Kupang
. The 2/2nd Independent Company was based across the border, at Dili
in Portuguese Timor
.
s who had landed near Usua
Ridge and advanced to Babau on 20th February. The main body of the 2/40th retook Babao in the afternoon of 21st and advanced towards their base at Tjamplong.
The Japanese were reinforced by hundreds more from another paratrooper drop on the 21st and marines from the Paha River who marched overland to meet them at Usau. The Japanese dug in defensive positions on Usua Ridge with a mountain howitzer and heavy machine guns near the road. After an Australian mortar and machine gun barrage, Captain Johnson of A Coy., Captain Roff of B Coy. and Captain Burr of C Coy led their platoons in a bayonet
charge up the ridge, followed by R Coy. (Reinforcements). Gunners of the 2/1st Heavy Battery and sappers of the 2/1st Fortress Engineers reinforced the infantry platoons in action. They destroyed the paratroopers and marines detachment as a fighting force; the Japanese recorded only 78 survivors from their 1,000-odd men at Usau. Sparrow Force lost only a few dozen members in the action.
However, Sparrow Force was attacked from the west by the main Japanese force of about 3,000 men with tanks and artillery units. The following morning, with his men low on ammunition, out of food, water and weary from little sleep, and hopelessly outnumbered, Lieutenant Leggatt surrendered at Irekum on the 23rd February. Both forces were bombed by Japanese aircraft in two waves at 10am and 10.10am and more men from both sides were killed. More Japanese landed at Koepang which brought their numbers up to about 22,000 in Dutch West Timor.
Some members of Sparrow Force who were at Tjamplong, not in the main column at Irekum, escaped to Portuguese Timor where they joined the 2nd Independent Company as D Platoon. They joined a successful guerrilla campaign against the Japanese Imperial Army until their eventual withdrawal in December 1942.
Between the capitulation at Irekum and 19 April 1942 the communication link with the Australian mainland was broken. Captain George Parker, Signaller Keith Richards, Corporal John Donovan, Signaller Jack Loveless and Sergeant Jack Sargeant built a radio out of recycled parts and re-established contact with Darwin. Supplies were soon airdropped to the guerrilla force followed by continuing resupply from the sea.
The Japanese High Command diverted an entire division to flush out the guerrillas of Sparrow Force. A highly-decorated Japanese Major known as the "Tiger of Singapore" or "Singapore Tiger" —his real name is unknown— was also sent to Timor. Shortly after arrived on Timor, on 22 May a Japanese party was moving on Remexio and an Australian patrol with the international brigade staged an ambush killing 4 or 5 Japanese soldiers and another ambush further down the track killing another 25 Japanese. In the second ambush Cpl Aitken and his patrol saw the "Tiger", wearing his medals, on a white horse leading the enemy column. The Tiger was killed and the Japanese retreated to Dili.
The Allied guerrillas would become associated with the phrase "you alone do not surrender to us", which were contained in a message to the men of Sparrow Force by the Japanese commander on Timor, Lieutenant General Yuichi Tsuchihashi. Winston Churchill
later stated: "they alone did not surrender."
In late 1942, Army public relations sent the Academy Award
winning filmmaker Damien Parer
, and war correspondent Bill Marien to Timor, to record the efforts of the Australian commandos. His film, Men of Timor
, was greeted with enthusiasm by Australian audiences.
In September 1942, Sparrow Force was reinforced by the Australian 2/4th Independent Company (Lancer Force). With the exception of a few officers, Sparrow Force was evacuated to Australia on 11–12 December.
Of those evacuated, the 2/2nd Independent Company was renamed the 2/2 Commando Squadron and fought in New Guinea
and New Britain
ending the war in Rabaul
. Of the 81 members of the 2/40 Infantry Battalion evacuated, many soldiers reinforced the Tasmania/Queensland-raised 2/12th Infantry Battalion, in the Australian 7th Division
, which later fought in the Salamaua-Lae campaign
, the Finisterre Range campaign
and the Borneo campaign (1945)
. By the end of the war "2/2 Commando Squadron could claim to have spent longer in contact with the enemy than any other unit of the Australian Army".
Secondary Weaponry
Primary Transport
Secondary Transport
The 2/2nd Ind. Coy. on Portuguese East Timor were more heavily armed, with Bren guns, Thompson SMGs, &c.
Australian 8th Division
The 8th Division of the Australian Army was formed to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force, who were in turn, part of the Allies of World War II. The 8th Division was raised from regular army units and new, all-volunteer infantry brigades, from July 1940 onwards...
units, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The force was formed to defend the island of Timor
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...
, from invasion by the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
. It formed the main part of the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
units in the Battle of Timor (1942–43).
The force
The majority of the personnel in Sparrow Force were from the 2/40th Infantry Battalion2/40th Battalion (Australia)
The 2/40th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Formed in mid-1940 from personnel recruited from Tasmania, the battalion took part in the fighting against the Japanese on Timor in 1942...
, which had been formed in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, and was part of the 23rd Australian Infantry Brigade
23rd Brigade (Australia)
The 23rd Brigade was a brigade of the Australian Army. Formed in 1940 for service during the Second World War, the brigade was initially a formation of the Second Australian Imperial Force assigned to the 8th Division, however, after its subunits were captured by the Japanese in 1942 it was...
. The force was initially commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William Leggatt
William Leggatt
Sir William Watt Leggatt DSO, MC was an Australian soldier, lawyer and politician. He served as commanding officer of the 2/40th Battalion and later Sparrow Force during World War II, fighting in Timor against the Japanese invasion in 1942. He was captured by the Japanese and sent to Changi prison...
, although later command was taken over by Brigadier William Veale, before being passed on to Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Spence
Alexander Spence (soldier)
Alexander Spence DSO was an Australian soldier during World War II. Between 24 May and 11 November 1942, Spence commanded Allied forces, during their guerilla campaign in Timor....
. A commando
Australian commandos
The name commando has been applied to a variety of Australian special forces and light infantry units that have been formed since 1941–42. The first Australian "commando" units were formed during the Second World War, where they mainly performed reconnaissance and long-range patrol roles during...
unit—the 2/2nd Independent Company
2/2nd Commando Squadron (Australia)
The 2/2nd Commando Squadron was one of 12 independent companies or commando squadrons raised by the Australian Army for service during World War II. The 2/2nd served in Timor, New Guinea and New Britain during World War II, taking part in the Battle of Timor in June 1942 as part of Sparrow Force...
(recruited mostly in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
)—was also part of Sparrow Force. With the other forces from the 23rd Brigade it shared contingents from 18 Anti-Tank Battery, the 2/12th Field Ambulance
2/12th Field Ambulance (Australia)
The 2/12th Field Ambulance was an Australian military unit of the Second Australian Imperial Force, serving during World War II. During their six years of service, over 200 soldiers were killed, the highest figure for a non-combatant unit in Australian history....
unit, 23rd Brigade Signals unit and the 2/11th Field Company
Sapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
. 445 personnel were delivered to Timor by and , which sailed from Darwin on 8 December 1941.
Sparrow Force was reinforced on the 16 February 1942 with 189 British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
anti-aircraft gunners, from A & C Troop of the 79th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery
79th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery
The 79th LAA Battery was an independent Territorial Army unit of the Royal Artillery of the British Army. It was originally trained to defend key installations in the area of Walton on Thames, including water reservoirs supplying London...
of the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
, mostly veterans of the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. Further reinforcements, an Australian infantry battalion and an American artillery regiment, were attacked en-route to Timor and returned to Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
. The 2/40th and most Sparrow Force units were based at Penfui Airfield, outside the capital of Netherlands Timor
West Timor
West Timor is the western and Indonesian portion of the island of Timor and part of the province of East Nusa Tenggara, .During the colonial period it was known as "Dutch Timor" and was a centre of Dutch loyalists during the Indonesian National Revolution...
, Kupang
Kupang
Not to be confused with Tanjung Kupang in JohoreKupang is the provincial capital of East Nusa Tenggara province in southeast Indonesia....
. The 2/2nd Independent Company was based across the border, at Dili
Dili
Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....
in Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor was the name of East Timor when it was under Portuguese control. During this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Netherlands East Indies, and later with Indonesia....
.
Actions
Japanese Army units began amphibious landings in both Dutch and Portuguese Timor during the night of 19–20 February 1942. While withdrawing from Klapalima and Penfui towards Tjamplong in Dutch West Timor, rear echelon units of Sparrow Force encountered about 500 Japanese marine paratrooperParatrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
s who had landed near Usua
USUA
The United States Ultralight Association is a non-profit organization that endeavors to support ultralight aviation and ultralight aircraft...
Ridge and advanced to Babau on 20th February. The main body of the 2/40th retook Babao in the afternoon of 21st and advanced towards their base at Tjamplong.
The Japanese were reinforced by hundreds more from another paratrooper drop on the 21st and marines from the Paha River who marched overland to meet them at Usau. The Japanese dug in defensive positions on Usua Ridge with a mountain howitzer and heavy machine guns near the road. After an Australian mortar and machine gun barrage, Captain Johnson of A Coy., Captain Roff of B Coy. and Captain Burr of C Coy led their platoons in a bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
charge up the ridge, followed by R Coy. (Reinforcements). Gunners of the 2/1st Heavy Battery and sappers of the 2/1st Fortress Engineers reinforced the infantry platoons in action. They destroyed the paratroopers and marines detachment as a fighting force; the Japanese recorded only 78 survivors from their 1,000-odd men at Usau. Sparrow Force lost only a few dozen members in the action.
However, Sparrow Force was attacked from the west by the main Japanese force of about 3,000 men with tanks and artillery units. The following morning, with his men low on ammunition, out of food, water and weary from little sleep, and hopelessly outnumbered, Lieutenant Leggatt surrendered at Irekum on the 23rd February. Both forces were bombed by Japanese aircraft in two waves at 10am and 10.10am and more men from both sides were killed. More Japanese landed at Koepang which brought their numbers up to about 22,000 in Dutch West Timor.
Some members of Sparrow Force who were at Tjamplong, not in the main column at Irekum, escaped to Portuguese Timor where they joined the 2nd Independent Company as D Platoon. They joined a successful guerrilla campaign against the Japanese Imperial Army until their eventual withdrawal in December 1942.
The Japanese High Command diverted an entire division to flush out the guerrillas of Sparrow Force. A highly-decorated Japanese Major known as the "Tiger of Singapore" or "Singapore Tiger" —his real name is unknown— was also sent to Timor. Shortly after arrived on Timor, on 22 May a Japanese party was moving on Remexio and an Australian patrol with the international brigade staged an ambush killing 4 or 5 Japanese soldiers and another ambush further down the track killing another 25 Japanese. In the second ambush Cpl Aitken and his patrol saw the "Tiger", wearing his medals, on a white horse leading the enemy column. The Tiger was killed and the Japanese retreated to Dili.
The Allied guerrillas would become associated with the phrase "you alone do not surrender to us", which were contained in a message to the men of Sparrow Force by the Japanese commander on Timor, Lieutenant General Yuichi Tsuchihashi. Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
later stated: "they alone did not surrender."
In late 1942, Army public relations sent the Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
winning filmmaker Damien Parer
Damien Parer
Damien Peter Parer was an Australian war photographer. He became famous for his war photography of the Second World War, and was killed by Japanese machinegun fire at Peleliu, Palau. He married Elizabeth Marie Cotter on 23 March 1944, and his son, producer Damien Parer, was born after his father...
, and war correspondent Bill Marien to Timor, to record the efforts of the Australian commandos. His film, Men of Timor
Men of Timor
Men of Timor was a short documentary propaganda film about the guerrilla warfare activities of the Australian forces on Timor.The film opens with a map of the area showing Timors in relation to the north Australian coast, and briefly explains the circumstances of the left behind Australian troops...
, was greeted with enthusiasm by Australian audiences.
In September 1942, Sparrow Force was reinforced by the Australian 2/4th Independent Company (Lancer Force). With the exception of a few officers, Sparrow Force was evacuated to Australia on 11–12 December.
Of those evacuated, the 2/2nd Independent Company was renamed the 2/2 Commando Squadron and fought in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
ending the war in Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
. Of the 81 members of the 2/40 Infantry Battalion evacuated, many soldiers reinforced the Tasmania/Queensland-raised 2/12th Infantry Battalion, in the Australian 7th Division
Australian 7th Division
The 7th Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army. It was formed in February 1940 to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force...
, which later fought in the Salamaua-Lae campaign
Salamaua-Lae campaign
The Salamaua–Lae campaign was a series of actions in the New Guinea campaign of World War II. Australian and United States forces sought to capture two major Japanese bases, one in the town of Lae, and another one at Salamaua. The campaign to take the Salamaua and Lae area began with the Australian...
, the Finisterre Range campaign
Finisterre Range campaign
The Finisterre Range campaign, also known as the Ramu Valley–Finisterre Range campaign, was a series of actions in the New Guinea campaign of World War II...
and the Borneo campaign (1945)
Borneo campaign (1945)
The Borneo Campaign of 1945 was the last major Allied campaign in the South West Pacific Area, during World War II. In a series of amphibious assaults between 1 May and 21 July, the Australian I Corps, under General Leslie Morshead, attacked Japanese forces occupying the island. Allied naval and...
. By the end of the war "2/2 Commando Squadron could claim to have spent longer in contact with the enemy than any other unit of the Australian Army".
Sparrow Force units
- HQ Sparrow Force
- 2/40th Infantry Battalion
- 2/2nd Independent Company
- 2/1st Heavy Battery
- [A & C Troops, 79th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery79th Light Anti-Aircraft BatteryThe 79th LAA Battery was an independent Territorial Army unit of the Royal Artillery of the British Army. It was originally trained to defend key installations in the area of Walton on Thames, including water reservoirs supplying London...
], (British Royal ArtilleryRoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
) - 75th Light Aid Detachment
- 2/1st Fortress Engineers
- 2/1st Fortress Signals
- B Troop, 18th Anti-Tank Battery
- No.2 Section, 2/11th Field Company
- 23rd Brigade Signals
- 2/12th Field Ambulance
- 22nd Dental Unit
- AASC [Australian Army Service Corps]
Equipment
Primary Weaponry- 2 × 6 inch coastal artillery, taken from
- 8 × Bofors 40 millimetre automatic anti-aircraft artilleryBofors 40 mm gunThe Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
- 4 × Ordnance QF 2 pounderOrdnance QF 2 pounderThe Ordnance QF 2-pounder was a British anti-tank and vehicle-mounted gun, employed in the Second World War. It was actively used in the Battle of France, and during the North Africa campaign...
anti-tank guns - 6 × 3 inch mortar
- 6 × Mk 1 or 2 Bren Guns, came with British Bofors troops
- 40 × Lewis gunLewis GunThe Lewis Gun is a World War I–era light machine gun of American design that was perfected and widely used by the British Empire. It was first used in combat in World War I, and continued in service with a number of armed forces through to the end of the Korean War...
s
Secondary Weaponry
- No.1 Mk III* SMLE Lee-EnfieldLee-EnfieldThe Lee-Enfield bolt-action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle was the main firearm used by the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century...
rifles - 2-in. Discharger cups,
- 42 × Thompson submachine gunThompson submachine gunThe Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
- No. 23 Mills bomb grenades
- .455 Webley revolverWebley RevolverThe Webley Revolver was, in various marks, the standard issue service pistol for the armed forces of the United Kingdom, the British Empire, and the Commonwealths from 1887 until 1963.The Webley is a top-break revolver with automatic extraction...
s (used by officers)
Primary Transport
- 8 × ChevroletChevroletChevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
5 tonne trucks/tractors - 20 × ChevroletChevroletChevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
3 tonne trucks - 10 × LP1 Universal CarrierUniversal CarrierThe Universal Carrier, also known as the Bren Gun Carrier is a common name describing a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrong. Produced between 1934 and 1960, the vehicle was used widely by British Commonwealth forces during the Second World War...
s plus 4 × Dutch armoured cars
Secondary Transport
- 8 × ChevroletChevroletChevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
1.5 tonne utility trucks - 3 × ChevroletChevroletChevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
sedans - 4 × motorcycles with sidecars
- 6 × motorcycles
The 2/2nd Ind. Coy. on Portuguese East Timor were more heavily armed, with Bren guns, Thompson SMGs, &c.
External links
- Australian War Memorial, 2005, "Fighting in Timor 1942"
- Australian War Memorial, "Remembering Timor 1942"
- Australian Department of Veterans Affairs, 2005, "Fall of Timor"
- L. Klemen, 1999–2000, "The fightings on the Portuguese East Timor Island, 1942"
- L. Klemen, 1999–2000, "The East Timor Island, March 1942-December 1942"
- L. Klemen, 1999–2000, "Dutch West Timor Island in 1942"
- The Australian 8th Division
- Digger History - Timor