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Operation Jaywick - Krait MemorialPrint Page Print this page

27-August-2016 (Erich Nussbaumer)
27-August-2016 (Erich Nussbaumer)

Photographs supplied by Erich Nussbaumer / Michael Doncaster

The monument marks the place where members of Operation Jaywick departed from Australia in the MV Krait .

The MV Krait (originally known as the Kofuku Maru) was formerly the property of a Japanese fishing firm in Singapore. After the fall of Singapore, she was employed in the rescue of evacuees from ships which had been sunk along the East Coast of Sumatra. Some 1100 people were transported in the Krait during this period. When the Netherland East Indies surrendered, the Krait was sailed to India by a civilian, Mr W. R. Reynolds.

It eventually reached Australia and, because it was a former Japanese vessel, was selected to transport members of Operation Jaywick conducted by Z Special Unit, Australian Services Reconnaissance Department, into Japanese-occupied waters near Singapore. On the night of 26th September 1943, six British and 11 Australian army and naval personnel on the Krait placed limpet mines on ships in Singapore harbour. In this operation, seven ships were sunk and the men returned to Australia on the Krait on 19 October 1943.

Location

Address:Minilya - Exmouth Road, 1.5 kilometres north of Learmonth, Learmonth, 6707
State:WA
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -22.125833
Long: 114.083056
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:WW2
Actual Event Start Date:03-September-1939
Actual Event End Date:15-August-1945

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Thursday 2nd September, 1993
Front Inscription

Operation Jaywick

Krait departed for Singapore from this spot on Operation Jaywick September 2, 1943.  

Vessel returned on October 19, 1943 having sunk 37,000 tons of enemy shipping.  

Erected by "Z" Special Unit International (Inc)

2 September, 1993.

Source: WMR, MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au