Z-Force Memorial - Cairns, QLD, Australia
Posted by: denben
S 16° 55.033 E 145° 46.520
55K E 369576 N 8129196
The Z-Force Memorial is located on the Cairns Esplanade right beside the World War I memorial. It was rededicated on 26 October 2007.
Waymark Code: WMN6YW
Location: Queensland, Australia
Date Posted: 01/07/2015
Views: 3
"The Memorial commemorates the Z Force who were a special group of commandos who trained in or around Cairns in World War Two. The memorial was moved from HMAS 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 II. 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 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." (
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Description
The Z Special Unit memorial has the shape of a truncated pyramid with plaques and inscription attached to its east side (facing the promenade and Cairns foreshore).
The inscriptions read
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"
and
This memorial was erected by the Queensland Commando Association