Z-Force Memorial - Cairns, QLD, Australia
Posted by: denben
S 16° 55.033 E 145° 46.520
55K E 369576 N 8129196
The Z-Force Memorial is located on the Cairns Esplanade right beside the World War I memorial. It was rededicated on 26 October 2007.
Waymark Code: WMN6Z3
Location: Queensland, Australia
Date Posted: 01/07/2015
Views: 4
"The Memorial commemorates the Z Force who were a special group of commandos who trained in or around Cairns in World War Two. The memorial was moved from HMAS Cairns naval base and rededicated.
Often known as Z Force, a joint Australian, British and New Zealand Commando Unit, saw action against the Japanese during World War II. Z Special Unit carried out 284 covert operations in the South West Pacific Theatre. The most well-known of these are, a Kayak Raid on Singapore Harbour called Operation Jaywick and the subsequent Operation Rimau, in which all 23 participants were either killed in action or executed.
The MV Krait is a wooden hulled vessel famous for its use by the Z Special Unit (Z Force) of Australia during the raid against Japanese ships anchored in Singapore Harbour. The raid was known as Operation Jaywick." (
visit link)
The inscriptions read
1939 WORLD WAR II 1945
In memory of
The "HEROES" of
M & Z Special Commando Units
Who trained on this site
And the gallant ship "KRAIT"
and
This memorial was erected by the Queensland Commando Association