WILLIAMS, Harry
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 July 1942 |
| Last Rank: | Sub Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Seaforth, England, 27 March 1910 |
| Home Town: | Perth, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Sales Manager |
| Died: | Greenwich, New South Wales, Australia, 31 May 1982, aged 72 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 15 Jul 1942: | Enlisted Royal Australian Navy, Sub Lieutenant | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar 1946: | Discharged Royal Australian Navy, Sub Lieutenant |
The Wartime Story Lieutenant Harry Williams
8/02/1942 Fall of Singapore to the Japanese- British forces surrendered.
15/ 7/1942 Harry Williams Reported for duty to HMAS ‘ Leeuwin ‘ Navy Base , Fremantle W.A.
24/2/1943. Qualified as Skipper.
24/3/1943 Appointed as Acting Skipper - Naval Auxiliary Patrol Rank: Sub Lieutenant .
24/3/1943 Appointed Skipper “ Spinnaway” Patrol Vessel - Aug. 1944 Joined : SRD ( Special reconnaissance Department ) -Z Special Unit.
Nov 1944. Sent to train on Fraser Island - Commando Training Area - (K’Gari). QLD. along with fellow members: “Z Special Unit. Training included - Unarmed Combat, Weapons training using all types and makes of light weapons, hard physical training, use of explosives etc.
12/2/1945 Sub Lieut. Harry Williams given command of HMAS ‘Krait’ on the 12th
February 1945.
28/6/1945 to 30/6/1945 Krait carried out beach exercises and weapons drills at One Tree Point, Bathurst Island.
13/7/1945 Commanding Officer “Krait” Lieutenant H. Williams issued with Top Secret orders to proceed with operation “Lagartout”.
13/7/1945 to 21/7/195 Secret Operation “Lagartout” to extract members of “Z” Special Unit from Japanese occupied Timor. Details of the mission are in report by C.O. “Krait” Lieut. Harry Williams & marked Top Secret.
13/08/1945 Maintenance & repairs carried out in Port of Darwin.
22/08/1945 Krait departed Darwin for Morotai escorted by HMAS Gympie.
23/09/1945 Krait arrives at Ambon from Morotai to take part in operation “ Occupation Ambon” to enforce terms of surrender of Japanese forces.
04/10/1945 Krait slipped her moorings departed Ambon on passage to Arro Islands
to carry out a topographical survey.
06/10/1945 Heavy seas were encountered & water entered the hold & cabins damaging the scientific equipment beyond repair.
08/10/1945 At 1015 Krait enters Dobo Harbour
Oct.1945 C.O. Krait Lieut. H.Williams & Perryweapons Smith Navy Intelligence take surrender of weapons from Capt Sakai, Japaneses army
( see photo):
16/10/1945 Krait ordered to depart Dobo for Ambon.
18/10/1945 Arrival of Krait to Ambon
22/10/1945 A Captain Robinson AMF (33rd Brigade HQ) (military intelligence) joined the vessel along, with a Japanese Interpreter, Mr. Kawasaki.
At 0820 Krait proceeded to sea on route to Ceram to pick up a Japanese war criminal “Oushida”
24/10/1945 Krait sailed to Saparoea where Captain Robinson carried out investigations ashore.
It was during this period that Harry Williams CO of Krait wrote home to his wife Complaining that Captain Robinson had mislead him into believing that “Oushida” was simply an interpreter . It was only when a group of about 30 angry and threatening locals came alongside to try and take “ Oushida” away for “justice”, that it turned out he had in fact been the extremely cruel and brutal Japanese Administrator of the island.
29/08/1945 After uneventful passage of 1165 Miles, Krait under command of Sub Lieut Harry Williams reached Morotai.
12/12/1945 HMAS ‘Krait’ - Paid Off & transferred to British Borneo Civil Administration Unit at Labuan, Borneo.
08/3/ 1946. Demobbed
Submitted 11 May 2025 by David Williams
Click images to start slideshow.