On the 12th December 1941 the 2/2nd Independent Company (WWII Commandos) landed in Timor to form a barrier between the Japanese advance on Australia. During the next year these 327 men of all ranks were to tie up over 21,000 crack Japanese troops and inflict 1,500 deaths with the loss of only 40 Australians killed in action.

On 19th February 1942, the 2/2nd took to the hills and carried out the most successful guerrilla warfare of any units in WWII against the Japanese. With loss of communications with Australia, these troops were thought to have either surrendered or been captured. It was not until 20th April 1942 that contact was re-established with Australia. In that time the men of the 2/2nd Independent Company lived off the land with the help of the people of Portuguese Timor and their Portuguese administrators, and with the great help of the Creados, the men and boys of Timor who personally supported the Australian soldiers. Near the town of Iliomar is reportedly the site from where the last members of the famous WW2 Australian Sparrow Force were evacuated from the country, some of whom were in fact discovered hiding in a nearby cave & massacred by the Japanese army just before they could be picked-up. *

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