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Home » Themes » Conflict » World War Two
2nd / 40th Infantry BattalionPrint Page 
The plaque commemorates the members of the 2nd / 40th Infantry Battalion who served in World War Two. The plaque is located on a wall behind the Cenotaph.
The 2nd / 40th Infantry Battalion was the only battalion in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) recruited almost entirely from Tasmania. After months of training at Brighton Army Camp, it joined a detachment called Sparrow Force, sent on an impossible mission to defend the island of Timor from imminent Japanese invasion.
In February 1942 they were confronted by a force of 23,000 Japanese troops. After four days of heavy fighting, cut off, low on supplies and completely outnumbered, most of Sparrow Force had to surrender.
Consequently, the bulk of the Battalion became prisoners of war. The prisoners spent the first seven months of their captivity interned in a camp at Usapa Besar. From Java the prisoners were dispersed throughout Japan’s conquered territory. They were liberated in late-August and early September 1945.
Location
| Address: | Paterson Street, Remembrance Wall near Cenotaph, Launceston, 7250 |
|---|---|
| State: | TAS |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -41.438534 Long: 147.133308 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | WW2 |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 03-September-1939 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 15-August-1945 |
Dedication
In remembrance of members of 2 / 40 Btn. 2 A.I.F. who fought to defend their country during World War 2
Lest We Forget
