Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John William Wardhaugh Walne (VX114714) enlisted with the Citizen Military Forces, aged 19, in Melbourne on 1 January 1942, before transferring to the AIF in November 1942. He served with the 2/5th Infantry Battalion before joining, and becoming a physical training instructor, at the Officer Cadet Training School in Frankston, where was promoted to Lieutenant. In June 1944, John joined ‘Z’ Special Unit.

‘Z’ Special Unit commandos carried out clandestine missions behind enemy lines, often dropped off by submarine, against targets of opportunity such as limpet mine attacks on enemy shipping, coastal reconnaissance, and the interrogation of natives. During 1943-45, ‘Z’ Special Unit conducted surveillance, harassing attacks and sabotage behind Japanese lines in South-East Asia, as well as the training of natives in resistance activities. 

In March 1945, Lieut. Walne was involved in Operation Semut, part of the Borneo Campaign undertaken in Sarawak to secure North Borneo. There were four operations, each made up of eight men, under the auspices of Operation Semut. Lieut. Walne commanded part of Semut 4 (4A), who were inserted on the coast by boat (Tigersnake) at Simalajau River and went upriver to secure support of the local population. They collected and reported intelligence, carried out security work, and occupied the Japanese garrison at nearby Bintulu, Sarawak, after the Japanese evacuated.

Following the cessation of hostilities in mid-August, Semut operatives continued to work around Sapong until late October 1945, during which time they worked to secure the surrender of remaining Japanese troops who were engaged in fighting with local guerrillas. Japanese casualties as a result of Operation Semut were estimated at over 1,000 with 240 captured. These were inflicted by a force of around 82 Allied soldiers, and 200 local guerrillas.

John Walne returned to Borneo after the war and served as a policeman. In January 1946, he was attached to British Borneo Civil Administration Unit, seconded by the Government of North Borneo as Captain with the Armed Constabulary Detachment, and served with British troop battalions to fight communist insurgents until 1952.

In 1952, John Walne, then superintendent of police in Sabah, helped to identity the fishing vessel MV KRAIT used by ‘Z’ commandos during their famous Operation Jaywick raid of September 1943 to secretly attach limpet mines and sink Japanese ships in Singapore Harbour. After contacting former 'Z' Special Unit colleagues back in Australia a public appeal was organised to raise funds to purchase the vessel and return it to Australia. In 1962 John organised a meeting with the vessel owner and the Governor General of Borneo, Sir William Goode, who negotiated the purchase of KRAIT. In 1964, it sailed into Sydney Harbour to a hero's welcome and is on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum.

In 1956, John was official coach for the two-man North Borneo team that competed in the 1956 Olympic Games. He remained with the Australian Defence force and, in 1963, served as a security representative in New Guinea and, in 1967, in Hong Kong. In 1981 he transferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs as a diplomatic representative in South Korea. John retired at 65 in Melbourne and later moved to live on the Gold Coast. He died April 2012, aged 89.