Kimberley Incursion: Japanese Landing 1944

02/13/25 • 14 min

In 1944 a special Japanese unit, the 'Matsu Kikan' ('Matsu' meaning Pine Tree) was tasked with gathering intelligence on bases and allied air activity in Northern Australia. Sailing from Timor in a disguised fishing vessel the 'Hiyoshi Maru', the team, all experienced in unconventional warfare, successfully made landfall in Western Australia and conducted a reconnaissance in the remote Kimberley region before returning to Koepang.

Previous Episode

The Koolama Incident, 1942

The 'Koolama' was a ship of Western Australian State Shipping Service. It was built in 1936 by Harland and Wolff, ominously the same firm that built 'Titanic', for the servicing of the remote ports of the North West and Northern Territory. In 1942, bound for Darwin with a cargo of 180 passengers and war material it was attacked by Japanese bombers 35km off the Western Australian coast. Severely damaged, 'Koolama' limped into a remote bay in the Kimberley. What followed was a murky tale of bravery, malice and possible mutiny. This episode of Backyard Battlefields tells the story of 'Koolama', from it's halcyon days as the pride of the WA state ships to it's final resting place at the bottom of Wyndham harbour.