Operation Opossum

Part of the Japanese occupation of British Borneo during World War II
| Date| 9–11 April 1945

|

Location|

Ternate Island

Result|  Australian success
Belligerents
Empire of Japan|  Australia
Sultanate of Ternate
Commanders and leaders
|  Australia George Bosworth
Australia Dick Perry
Sultan Muhammad Jabir Syah
Units involved
|  Z Special Unit
Strength
Unknown|  13 men
Casualties and losses
All|  1 killed

Operation Opossum was a World War II raid undertaken by Australia's Z Special Unit in 1945 on the island of Ternate near Borneo to rescue the Sultan of Ternate, Muhammad Jabir Syah.[1]

## Operation

[edit]

Sultan Muhammad Jabir Shah in 1930

The island of Ternate had been occupied by Japan since 1942. The Sultan sent several islanders to Australian Army headquarters on Morotai Island asking to be rescued. The Dutch were enthusiastic about the mission.[1]

The mission had been requested by the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration who was, according to Dick Horton "embarrassed that the Sultan...had been captured by the Japanese ... and was being held hostage in his own castle".[2] The mission was authorised by General Douglas MacArthur who was worried about the Sultan's life and his wives. The Sultan had been sympathetic to the Allied cause.[citation needed]

The Allied contingent consisted of eight Australians from Z Special Unit, and three Dutch officers and a Timorese corporal.[1] The mission left Morotai on 8 April 1945 aboard two Australian crewed US Navy patrol boats and landed on the northern coast of Hiri Island,[1] two kilometres north of Ternate.[citation needed] They went to the coastal village of Kulaba after a six-hour trek. Members of the unit rescued the Sultan along with his two wives, eight children and retinue of courtiers and relatives.[citation needed]

Several boatloads of Japanese soldiers arrived the next day, resulting in a shooting fight which resulted in the death of three Japanese and Australian officer Lieutenant George Bosworth.[3] Warrant Officer Dick Perry assumed command and attacked the remaining Japanese, who were all killed.[1]

The sultan and his family were taken to Morotai by PT boat where the Sultan spoke with MacArthur. They were then settled in the Queensland town of Wacol until the end of the war.[4]

## Legacy

[edit]

The mission reportedly inspired the film Attack Force Z (1981), even though the plot of that movie was very different from the facts of Opossum.[5]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e Smith, Kevin (2012). "Operation Opossum: The Raiding Party to Rescue the Sultan of Ternate, 1945". Sabretache. 53 (4, Dec): 48–54\. ISSN 0048-8933.48-54&rft.date=2012&rft.issn=0048-8933&rft.aulast=Smith&rft.aufirst=Kevin&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Operation+Opossum" class="Z3988">
2. ^ Horton, Dick (1983). Ring of Fire: Australian Guerrilla Operations Against the Japanese in World War II. South Melbourne: MacMillan. pp. 148–149\. ISBN 0-333-35615-2.148-149&rft.pub=MacMillan&rft.date=1983&rft.isbn=0-333-35615-2&rft.aulast=Horton&rft.aufirst=Dick&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Operation+Opossum" class="Z3988">
3. ^ George Bosworth's service record accessed 15 September 2013
4. ^ Allard, Tom & Lindsay Murdoch (24 April 2010). "The Untold Story: How Z Force Saved the Sultan". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
5. ^ Johnson, Sue (27 March 1982). "After 37 years and 10 beheadings, Operation Rimau Explodes Again". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 41.

## External

[edit]

* Operation Opossum at Z Special Unit
* "The Official History of the Operations and Administration of] Special Operations - Australia [(SOA), also known as the Inter-Allied Services Department (ISD) and Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD)] Volume 2 - Part IV". National Archives of Australia. p. 15.

* v
* t
* e

British Commando raids of the Second World War

* Abstention
* Agreement
* Ambassador
* Anklet
* Archery
* Aquatint
* Aflame
* Anglo
* Amherst
* Archway
* Abercrombie
* Acid Drop
* Albumen
* Astrakan
* Baobab
* Basalt
* Biting
* Bigamy
* Batman
* Begonia
* Bulbasket
* Brandy
* Barricade
* Bardia
* Hill 170
* Bristle
* Branford
* Litani River
* Candytuft
* Chestnut
* Claymore
* Cold Comfort
* Collar
* Colossus
* Cartoon
* Chariot
* Canuck
* Crackers
* Chess
* Checkmate
* Chopper
* Driftwood
* Dryad
* Defoe
* Dunhill
* Deep Cut
* Devon
* Exporter
* Flipper
* Frankton
* Freshman
* Fahrenheit
* Forfar
* Farrier
* Foxrock
* Gaff
* Gauntlet
* Grouse
* Gunnerside
* Hardtack
* Hardy
* Hawthorn
* Houndsworth
* Huckaback
* Infatuate
* Jaywick
* Jubilee
* J V
* Keystone
* Kipling
* Kitbag
* Loyton
* Maple
* Manacle
* Musketoon
* Myrmidon
* Narcissus
* Nelson
* Newton
* Nicety
* Noah
* Opossum
* Postmaster
* Partridge
* Pistol
* Rimau
* Roast
* Roundabout
* Rumford
* Saxifrage
* Savanna
* Sidi Haneish
* Sunstar
* Speedwell
* Tarbrush
* Thistledown
* Tombola
* Twin Pimples
* Wallace

* British Commandos
* List of Commando raids on the Atlantic Wall

* v
* t
* e

Australian special operations of the Second World War

Timor,
Sundas
and Java|

* Operation Mackerel (1942)
* Operation Tiger (Java) (1942)
* Operation Lion (1942)
* Operation Flounder (1942)
* Operation Ambon (1942, abandoned)
* Operation Walnut (1942-43)
* Operation Lancer (1942)
* Operation Lizard (1942–43)
* Operation Lagarto (1943)
* Operation Cobra (1943)
* Operation Adder (1944)
* Operation Mugger (1944, incomplete)
* Operation Hornet (1944)
* Operation Bat & Apache (1944)
* Operation Wasp (1944)
* Operation Gnat (1944)
* Operation Flea (1944, abandoned)
* Operation Louse (1944, abandoned)
* Operation Sounder (1944, abandoned)
* Operation Sunfish (1945)
* Operation Sunable (1945)
* Operation Sunbaker (1945)
* Operation Suncharlie (April 1945)
* Operation Sundog (1945)
* Operation Blackfish (1945, abandoned)
* Operation Blackbird (1945, abandoned)
* Operation Sunlag (1945)
* Operation Lagartout (1945)
* Operation Brim (1945)
* Operation Pigeon (1945, abandoned)
* Operation Suncob (1945)
* Operation Salmon (1945)
* Operation Carp (1945, abandoned)
* Operation Cod (1945, abandoned)
* Operation Starfish (1945)
* Operation Binatang (1945)
* Operation Anchovy (1945, abandoned)
* Operation Groper (1945)
* Operation Demo (1945)

New Guinea|

* Salamaua Raid (1942)
* Heath's Farm Raid (1942)
* Mubo Raid (1942)
* Operation Cockroach (1942, abandoned)
* Operation Beetle (1942)
* Operation Ladybird (1942)
* Operation Spider (1942, abandoned)
* Operation Wasp (1942, abandoned)
* Operation Tick (1942)
* Operation Bug (1942)
* Operation Locust (1943)
* Operation Oaktree (1942–44)
* Operation Whiting (1943)
* Operation Scorpion (1943)
* Operation Mosstroops (1943)
* Operation Menzies (1944)
* Operation Perch (1944)
* Operation Reaper (1944)
* Operation Silver (1944)
* Operation Gold (1944)
* Operation Copper (1944)
* Operation Vokeo (1944)
* Operation Crayfish (1944)
* Operation Falcon (1944)
* Operation Phoenix (1944)
* Operation Rose
* Operation Dodo
* Operation Moa
* Operation Lennon
* Operation Socrates
* Operation Flathead

Borneo|

* Operation Python 1 (1943)
* Operation Python 2 (1944)
* Operation Agas (1945)
* Operation Semut (1945)
* Operation Squirrel (1945)
* Operation Platypus (1945)
* Operation Toad
* Operation Vulture

Celebes and
Moluccas|

* Operation Giraffe
* Operation Crane
* Operation Shril
* Operation Magpie
* Operation Raven
* Operation Garnish
* Operation Opossum (1945)
* Operation Swallow
* Operation Swift
* Operation Finch (1945)

Malaya and
China Seas|

* Operation Jaywick (1943)
* Operation Rimau (1944–45)
* Operation Politician-Optican
* Operation Gunard
* Operation Crocodile
* Operation Carpenter
* Operation Period
* Operation Oblivion

Other|

* Operation Sabre (1945)
* Operation Apple (1945)
* Operation Turnip
* Operation Potato
* Operation Goldfish
* Operation Pine Needle
* Operation Trout
* Operation Shark
* Operation Carrot
* Operation Radish
* Operation Asparagus
* Operation Bream
* Operation Robin
* Operation Stallion
* Mission 204 (or 'Tulip Force') (1942–43)
* Operation Source (1943)
* Operation Guidance (1944)

Proposed|

* Operation Hornbill (1944)
* Operation Kingfisher (1944–45)

Other Netherlands
East Indies|

* Operation Prawn (1944)
* Dace Raid (1944)
* Operation Apricot (1945)
* Operation Firetree (1945)
* Operation Poppy (1945)
* Operation Parsnip (1945)
* Operation Inco I (1945)

0°47′N 127°22′E﻿ / ﻿0.783°N 127.367°E﻿ / 0.783; 127.367
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