Being virtually at scene of Krait raid
ONE of the most daring raids carried out by Australian and British commandos during World War II is being showcased as part of a virtual reality exhibit at Townsville Maritime Museum.
Operation Jaywick involved 14 commandos from Special Operations Australia’s top-secret Z Special Unit, who sailed into Japanese-occupied Singapore harbour on the night of September 26, 1943 and planted mines that sank six enemy ships.
The exhibition allows viewers to wear a virtual reality headset, which provides a 360-degree tour of the ship used in the raid – the modified Japanese fishing trawler MV Krait – and shows a backdrop of Singapore harbour.
All 14 commandos survived the high-risk raid, although the Japanese enacted horrific reprisals on some of Singapore’s Malay and Chinese civilian population.
“The exhibition really puts you into the boat,” Townsville Maritime Museum managing curator Robert de Jong said.
There is a direct connection between the Singapore raids and Townsville, with commandos carrying out a secret practice raid on Townsville’s port in June 22-23, 1943.
According to records, a team of commandos paddled up Black River and across to Magnetic Island, where they camped at Nobby Heads, before paddling into Townsville Port at night undetected and attaching dummy mines to 15 ships.
The Operation Jaywick virtual reality exhibition at the Townsville Maritime Museum forms part of a tour by the Australian National Maritime Museum, and runs until the end of September.