The seeds for the extraordinary closeness of relationships between ordinary East Timorese and Australians were sown in World War 2.
Veterans of World War II who served in East Timor were among the most loyal and active supporters of the East Timorese after 1975.
Stories posted here by the documentary-maker about World War 2 and the relationship between Australian soldiers and the Timorese will be drawn from an eclectic range of places and people that I have come across over the past seven years and in no way will represent a history. My inclusions all come as a result of connections into people in Pt Phillip in one way or another.
There is an interview with Rufino Alves Correia who was a servant for Tom Nisbet in 1942. Patsy Thatcher recorded the stories of all the members of the 2/2nd Company known as Sparrow Force. She knows Rufino and in 2005 she suggested I document his story because he is the last remaining criado (servant) alive.
I met the Pires family on my journey getting to know this story and Fernando Pires translated for the interview at the home of Palmira Pires and Elizabeth Exposto in Dili in February 2006.
The stories of the Australian soldiers are known by many people but few have heard it from the servants’ point of view. In his recollection Rufino describes some harrowing experiences, reveals some funny insights and the traumatic moment when their Australian friends had to leave them behind on the beach to the mercy of the Japanese.
I have a photograph of Harry Levi camped outside the Indonesian Embassy in 1999 that was given to me by Balthasar Kehi and I know of the existence of some footage of an interview with him that was done by Michael Buckley and Julie Shiels for a CDROM titled ‘Dreams of Return’ in about 1998-1999. I hope to post that interview. Harry Levi wrote letters to the editors of many newspapers protesting at Australia’s continued betrayal of the Timorese from 1975 to 1999.
Pt Phillip artist, Liz Milsom’s father served in East Timor in the 2/4th Company and she is going to provide some sketches and drawings he did during his service.
She knows a Pt Phillip writer whose father also served in East Timor who we are tracking down, to see if has any stories to add to our collection.
The Australian veterans provided a swimming pool at Dare, as a gesture of gratitude to the Timorese for saving their lives. Dare is situated at the foot of the mountains above Dili and many Timorese who walked long distances to and from the Dili market pass through it. The swimming pool was provided in a shady resting place on their journey. I will post a little footage I shot at a ceremony held in Dare, to remember the first death in East Timor in World War II that provides beautiful views over Dili.
David Scott’s Unpublished Chapters - ‘All they Got Was Misery’ and ‘Japan - the Reluctant Invaders’ cover some of the history from the point of view of Australia and Japan. These stories are also available in Tetun: Timor-oan-Hetan-Terus and Japaun Relatante Invasores.
Archie Campbell wrote a memoir titled ‘The Double Reds of Timor’ (1995), and there are some poems and extracts from his memoir on suaimediaspace. Archie documented in his memoir a raid on Dare as well as his apprehension about landing in Timor. He records a poem one of his friends Jim Smailes wrote about the landing in which I believe the poet’s tongue is firmly in his cheek. He documents that Timorese women and their daughters were abducted “confiscated as if they were food” by the Japanese. These women and their families are still trying to get recognition and compensation from the Japanese government for the abduction of Timorese women and girls who were used as ‘comfort women’.
All of the writers express their profound gratitude to the East Timorese for saving the lives of the Australians. Archie writes an admission: “we are all feeling an involvement of the heart here which we have never experienced before”. They also document a terrible betrayal of the Timorese and record that 40,000 Timorese died because Australia involved them in World War II. I have been unable to find any Monument that acknowledges them in the Victorian Remembrance Gardens. Patsy told me that many veterans named their children after their criados (servants) and their properties have names to remind them of Timor. There is a monument at Wilson’s Prom I believe. If you have a photograph of that you might send it to us and we will post it on sms.