Home » Themes » Conflict » World War Two
Z Special Unit MemorialPrint Page 
The memorial commemorates Z Force who were a special group of commandos who trained in or around Cairns in World War Two. The memorial was moved from H.M.A.S. 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 Two. 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 during 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.
Location
| Address: | Esplanade, near Cenotaph, Cairns, 4870 |
|---|---|
| State: | QLD |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -16.917241 Long: 145.775352 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
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
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | October-2007 |
|---|
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"
This memorial was erected by the Queensland Commando Association.
