Australian guerillas on Timor

Damien Parer's forward: "This film of the Timor Force [i.e Sparrow Force, 2/2 Independent Company, AIF] is dedicated to those many guerilla bands now fighting in so many parts of the world - who are watching and striking the enemy quick, fierce blows. The day is surely coming and the Japs realise this - when all the hardships and valour and courage will be rewarded, and these guerillas will be at the spearhead of our offensive to drive out the yellow invader. These men of Timor are unique in that they remained an organised fighting body all through the lightning Jap successes and that for months there was no contact between them and the mainland and the Allied command thought that the force had been annihilated. Indeed the Japs boasted to the natives that they had wiped it out but that dirty lie was wiped from their mouths by this highly-elusive, hard-hitting band which has killed nine Japanese for everyone of our boys killed in action. These lads are writing an epic of guerrilla warfare". Identified personnel are: Corporal McKenzie, "Doc" Wheatley, brothers Stan and Charlie Sadler (WA), Lieutenant Jerry MacKenzie, Company Commander Major Geoff Laidlaw (Newcastle), NCOs Scotty Taylor, Jerry Haire, Dud Tapper, Bob Palmer and Ray Aitken, Major Bernie Callinan CO, Captain R R Baldwin (Melbourne), "Rocky" Williams (Kalgoorlie miner), Lieutenant Johnny Rose (Sydney), Dutch officer Lieutenant Edward Snell, Sergeant Bill Tomasetti, Lieutenant Colin Doig, Godfrey Merritt, Vic Schmidt, CO of Sparrow Force Lieutenant Colonel Spence, Eric Herd (Sydney). See also F01615 'Men of Timor' for the Cinesound newsreel made from this footage).