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The Minister for
Veterans’ Affairs, Alan Griffin, today announced he will
travel with six Australian veterans to unveil a memorial in
Brunei honouring Australia’s efforts to end the Japanese
occupation in the region during the Second World War. Mr
Griffin said he is pleased to join the veterans on this commemorative
mission as Australia’s involvement in the campaigns in
Borneo is little known to most Australians.
“I never cease
to be amazed by the achievements of our fighting men and women,
from those who served in the two World Wars to those deployed
in today’s forces,” Mr Griffin said. “The
Australian efforts in Brunei and North Borneo are an example
of how little we know about details of our wartime history.
Australians
may have heard of the campaigns in Borneo, but few are aware
of the details of the operations. The campaign formed part of
the largest amphibious assault undertaken by Australians during
the Second World War, was among the most complex operations
carried out by Australians in the war against Japan and more
than 20,000 Australians were involved. It
is important to honour our wartime history, especially in the
presence of veterans who served our nation so proudly during
the operations,” Mr Griffin said.
Mr Griffin and veterans
of the campaign will officially unveil the new memorial on Saturday
13 December.
The veteran mission
party includes:
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