KUCHING: A sharing session on Sergeant CF Sanderson’s trail to Bario was held at the State Library here today.
David Sanderson, the second son of the late Sergeant CF Sanderson DCM (of the “Z” Special Unit) from Newcastle, Australia, shared stories about his late father by retracing his trail in Borneo during the Japanese Occupation in 1945.
In his talk, David showed a series of photos of his late father’s jungle trail in Bario such as the plaque on the rock face atop Batu Lawi and Sanderson’s sketch mark on a rock.
Looking back on the history of the Second World War, not many knew the story of the “Z” Special Unit who fought against the Japanese forces in the Borneo jungle.
The elite unit was established for Semut 1 Operation (semut literally means ants in Malay), which was an operation to drop parachutists on a special mission to Bario behind enemy lines. Their aim was to capture and dislocate the Japanese forces that had occupied Borneo and tortured the natives for three years.
The special unit comprised eight Australians, namely commanding officer Major Tom Harrison, Captain EA Edmeades MC CPM (second in command), Sargeant CF Sanderson DCM (contact man), Staff Sargeant DH Bower and Sargeant KW Hallam (wireless operators), First Warrant Officer RD Cusack MID (in charge of stores), Sargeant JK Barrie (surveyor) and Second Warrant Officer HJ Tredrea (medical man).
They were all highly trained in diverse skills such as espionage, secret intelligence, guerrilla warfare and the art of killing swiftly and silently. The methods of trapping and killing the enemy were varied but effective.
Apart from that, they included the use of blowpipes, false hospitality, many uses of the hand grenade, and various types of ambush as well as mastering several methods of communications such as messages by native runners, gongs, beating on bamboo and wireless.
Nicknamed as the “suicide squad”, the first planned drop at Bario was recorded on March 25, 1945.
Unfortunately, the First Squadron Leader Graham Pockley’s plane which dropped the first team of four (Harrison, Sanderson, Bower and Barrie) vanished on its return to Morotai; it was believed to have crashed in the South China Sea with 12 crew.
According to David, his father underwent training at Fraser Island, Queensland, the School of Eastern Interpreters at Ringwood in Victoria, and over Christmas/New Year 1944 parachute training at the RAAF Base at Richmond, New South Wales.
“He was a specialist in intelligence work with a faculty for native languages which led to the selection for the role of the contact man under the operation code-named “Semut 1”, said David.
“Under the instruction of Major Harrison, he (Frederick Sanderson) recruited the local Dayaks and guerrillas to fight the Japanese and kill the maximum number with no prisoners to be taken,” he added.
David continued: “It was a big order considering that the military necessities were scarce. He only had 21 rifles including one shotgun and 1,500 rounds of ammunition and no trained men available for his force. However, he still managed to recruit500 Iban tribal men within a short period of time.”
Known respectfully as “Tuan Sandy” by the indigenous people of Borneo, especially in Bario, Sanderson was awarded the “Distinguished Conduct Medal” for his excellent service in Semut 1 Operation.
David keeps returning to Borneo to honour his late father and to foster ties with the locals as well as to visit the jungle trail in Bario left by his father since 1945.
The talk programme also featured an introduction on the Society of English Writers Northern Zone (SOSWE) by its secretary Jennie Soh, a talk on “Miri River: Then and Now” by SOSWE member Jamila Bibi and “Reminisces-Glimpses Into The Past” by SOSWE president Florence Enau.
With the support of the Miri City Council, SOSWE promoted the city of Miri through its book “Miri Then and Now” which was published last year.
By sharing its views on the latest development in and around the city, SOSWE hopes to promote Mirito tourists.
Its first protem committee led by then local journalist Abby Lau was formed on November 24, 1997.
Among SOSWE’s objectives are cultivating a general interest in the art of writing for any genre and encouraging local writers to write through activities such as writing contests, workshops, seminars and talks.
At the same time, SOSWE also promotes research activities with special emphasis on the social and cultural aspects of Sarawak as well as fosters closer ties among local writers who are residing in Sarawak.
For more information on the society, contact Izaruddin Moss or Jassalini Jamin at 082-440488 or email to izaruddin@sarawak.gov.my / jassalij@sarawak.gov.my .
Also present at the programme was Sarawak Tourism Federation Heritage Development Committee chairman Datuk Lim Kian Hock.
