Rotary Club of Canberra PDG Jack Olsson OAM invited to Commemorative Mission to Borneo

Balikpapan, Indonesia, 6 June

We departed from Singapore at 7.55 am and arrived in Balikpapan at 10.20 am. This was the first port of call in that part of Borneo known as Kalimantan. Formerly Dutch it is now controlled by Indonesia. Having had a packed breakfast on the plane, we arrived and settled into the Novotel Hotel Balikpapan and departed for the Tank Memorial (Chevron Oil Company Compound). At the Ceremony Colonel Justin Roocke, the Australian Attache –Jakarta, welcomed us. Later on we viewed the Balikpapan Memorial to Australia 7^th Division at a centre intersection roundabout. As traffic frequented this roundabout, we could only view it from the bus as we circled the monument.

The landing in 1945 by the 7^th Australian Division was known as Oboe 2 , was against the oil port of Balikpapan in what was known as Dutch Borneo. This was the last and final landing in Borneo and took place under massive air and naval bombardment to seize the town and ruins of its old oil refinery.

It was said by the Australian Commander in Chief Sir Thomas Blayney that it lacked any strategic purpose, General MacArthur however, affirmed that it was justified in choosing to liberate a Dutch Town of some importance.

Before ending this segment of the Mission we visited the landing beaches. The rough stones covering the whole beach was still evident and from some of the fellows of the Mission who had served there in 1945 we learned how the beach was littered with Japanese bombs and that strenuous efforts of our Navy was necessary to prepare bomb free lanes for the troops to land, which they endured under heavy fire from the Japanese. This was a costly landing with 168 killed or wounded.

After breakfast the following day we departed  by  DVA Charter Flight for Tarakan .

The smaller part of north Borneo before 1945 was divided into three main countries . The North western area was known as Sarawak, the North Eastern area was British North Borneo and the two smaller divided areas where known as Brunei. Today Brunei  is a small nation in two distinct sections  surrounded by Malaysia and the North China Sea. Brunei , the capital, together with the water villages  is now known as Banda Seri Bagawan,  owned and ruled by the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiak.

Brunei Town is now called Brunei Darussalam ( A place of Peace). Today the Population of the Malaysian countries east and  west of Bandar Seri  Begawan is

3 125 000 and Brunei Darasulam 259 000.

Leaving Tarakan at 10.30 am on Tuesday 8 June we flew by DVA Charter Flight, to Bandar Seri Begawan,  arriving about an hour later,  we transferred to the luxurious Empire Hotel and Country Club. After lunch we departed for a familiarisation tour of Bandar Seri Bagan and a river cruise around Kampong Ayer (Water Village) followed by dinner at  the Royal Brunei Yacht where the Minister of Veteran Affairs Michael Ronaldson joined us for dinner.

We departed at 5..00am from the overnight Empire Hotel  for the Serasa Ferry  for a two hour trip to the Malaysian Island of Labuan.

After light refreshments at the Grand Dorset Hotel, we visited the Labuan CWGC Cemetery the responsibility of which rests with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Here, all of the Allied war dead in Borneo whose bodies could be recovered- no less than 1726, mostly prisoners of war, were entirely unidentified-are buried and the missing commemorated. It was here that we located and paid our respects at the graves of eight of our fellows who fell during the battle on the mainland.This was beautifully tendered cemetery where for my part I unashamedly shed a tear as I placed a poppy on the graves respectively of :

James Gordon Condick VX 53514- 10 June 1945, Jack Hall TX16270 -13 June 194,  Stuart Gordon Moore VX 16270- 28 June 1945, Howard Winfrey Spry VX 14362 -2 July 1945, and Gordon William Trewin VX 28727 -29 June 1945. This was a very sad time as we realised that these fine fellows never had the chance to enjoy a lifetime of joy and happiness with their respective families and grandchildren as we who served with them. Later on we attended the Commemorative Ceremony at

Labuan Cemetery where I had the Honour of giving the Ode dedicated to the Australian 8^th Division soldiers who finished up as POW’s –quite a moving ceremony.

At 11.30 pm we departed the Cemetery for a buffet lunch at the Grand Dorset Hotel hosted by the Minister of Veteran Affairs Michael Ronaldson following which we departed for the Surrender Point and points of interest on Labuan. At 3.00pm we departed by ferry from Labuan to Brunei. Where we had a casual visit to the Brunei –Australia Memorial

Wednesday 10 June saw us up bright and early where following breakfast we departed for Panta Muara .

At 8.45  am  we attended  the  Commemorative Ceremony at the Brunei –Australian Memorial , at Panta Muara(Green Beach).

The ceremony was introduced by Group Captain Phil Lavelle followed by the mounting of the Catafalque Party  by the Australian Federation Guard, with a Prologue from HE Mr Todd  Mercer ,Australian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam. The Commemorative address was given by Senator Michael Ronaldson and the ODE was given by me. The ceremony concluded with the Last Post and Rouse, and the National Anthems of Australia and Allah Peliharakin Sultan (God Bless His Majesty)

Earlier  His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al Muhtadee Bolkiah, the Deputy Sultan, had  received an audience from Senator Michael Ronaldson , the Australian Minister of Veterans’ Affairs who is on a visit to Borneo in conjunction with the 70th Anniversary of the Oboe 6 landings at Muara Beach. ( See “Homepage   Borneo Bulletin 11 June 20. Later on the Deputy Sultan received the eight Australian Veteran members of the 70^th Anniversary Commemorative Mission.

He was obviously briefed about our landings, especially where during the Muara Island landing I lost my Jeep in a bog hole and had to swim to shore . I was given the privilege of speaking to His Royal Highness about my experience in landing some 70 years ago .

During our visit here I had the privilege also of speaking to two elderly  Bruneians who had some 70 years witnessed our landings and came out from hiding from the Japanese.(See Brunei Times article 11 June.)

The Mission finally came to an end on Thursday 11 June when we departed for return to Australia with a stop over in Singapore where we had a Farewell Dinner with Singapore High Commission Staff. Here I took the opportunity of thanking Maj General Mark Kelly , Stuart Watson, Mission Coordinator, Mathew Hardy ,Assistant Mission Coordinator and other Department of Veteran Affairs officers, including Doctor Natalie Boulton Mission Doctor and Nursing Staff Jane Gallagher, Senior Mission Nurse and Nerida Waldron, Mission Nurse.

On the 10^th May 1945 , the remainder of the Australian Division and supporting troops landed around Brunei Bay, in the NW Borneo (Oboe 6) seizing the Island of Labuan and liberating the Sultanate of Brunei. It was the most complex amphibious operation in which Australians had participated , with landings on four beaches at both ends of Brunei Bay. My Regiment (2/8 Field Regiment) left Australia  sometime in March 1945 together with the 20^th Brigade of the 9^th Division, and  shipped to the staging area, Morotai Island  in an American ship, the David C. Shanks. In due course my troop was selected together with the 15^th Infantry Battalion, to act as a Diversionary Force , land and clear Muara Island and then proceed down the Brunei River to Brunei Town. with the support of the American Navy. It was during this time after engagements on our first position some three miles from the Town that I had to select another suitable gun positions nearer the Town. It was at this time ,with urgency requiring  the selection of a second suitable platform for the guns. The quick alternative was a position off the road , in an area , as a I found out later on was the Sultans Palace. Unbeknown to all of us at that time, the Sultan was hiding from the Japs well away from his Palace. Apart from visiting all the battlefields where we fought the Japanese, I would like to highlight three events:

First  Seeing the vast developments of all four countries in Borneo, since we were there, mainly due to the prosperity from Oil.

Secondly meeting two Bruneians, who told me how they escaped and hid in the forest with their families when the Japanese took over their land in 1942 and how they were  so overwhelmed when they were rescued by us. They are still grateful today to Australia for their lives today. The elderly  91-year-old Lady  and the  80-year-old man both grasped my hands  with tears running down their cheeks-quite  a sad moment. They told us how they lived for four years in the jungle until we were successful in pushing the Japs out, the old man speaking in excellent English , told me how he was able to be educated and ultimately appointed an Ambassador .

Thirdly the painstaking, efficient and excellent assistance given to all the Veterans during the whole tour so that we could refresh our memories of the past and to have the opportunity of paying tribute  to the POW’S and soldiers .