February 25, 2020 • 26 mins
Following the tragic death of Pilot Officer Peter Thompson, the stranded airmen head south for the Emergency Landing Ground (ELG). At great cost, the airmen make it to the ELG only for Darwin to rule out sending an aircraft to pick them up. With a Japanese patrol closing in, the airmen retreat into the jungle after Timorese villagers warn of an approaching Japanese patrol. Meanwhile, the RAAF makes a request to an ally to attempt a high-risk rescue.
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(00:05):
Not far to go, lads!
Nearly there!
The date is April 2nd, 1942.
Night has fallen on Dutch Timor.
Following the death of Pilot Officer Peter Thompson,
my grandfather, Flight Lieutenant Brian Rofe, commander of
(00:26):
the rear party that has been hiding from
the Japanese in the jungles of occupied Timor
for six weeks, takes the airmen from the
village of Kapsali, where they've been in camp
for a month.
Come on, chaps, not far now.
The airmen are heading for an emergency landing
ground, or ELG, at Tua Kaul, 23 kilometres
south along the coast.
They've crossed crocodile-infested rivers and forged a
(00:48):
path through thick jungle.
Some of the sick are carried on makeshift
stretchers, fashioned from bamboo and reeds.
Now they've arrived at Cape Kourouz, only three
kilometres from their destination.
The tide is surging around the cape.
Brian consults George, the group's Timorese guide.
(01:08):
George says they must move immediately.
At high tide, the surf explodes on the
jagged boulders at the base of the cliff.
The water isn't that high up yet, but
they haven't much time.
If they're cut off, the only way to
Tua Kaul is hiking inland through the jungle,
and that route will add a full day
to their journey to the ELG.
Brian surveys the group.
(01:30):
Everyone is either sick, starving or a combination
of both.
The stretcher-bearers are exhausted and there's no
way they'll be able to carry the sick
around the cape without dropping them in the
surf.
And then there's the radio.
If seawater seeps inside, the game is up.
But Brian figures they have no other choice.
They have to keep moving.
(01:50):
Heads up.
Watch that wave.
Keep it up, lads.
Not far to go.
The radio crew, comprising the fittest men in
the group, go first.
Where's George gone?
I can't see a bloody thing.
George!
Keep the radio out of the water.
Leading aircraftman Len Burke is in the group,
(02:10):
and although his torn clothes and worn-out
boots give him a dishevelled appearance, his health
has improved.
Flying officer Arthur Cole leads them and they
lift the heavy equipment high over their heads
and stagger into the sea.
Brian remains with the sickest men and orders
those on stretchers to each be lifted onto
a pony.
(02:32):
All right, everyone.
We're nearly there.
Get those stretcher cases onto the ponies.
We have to go now.
Aircraftman Jim Graham is in the worst shape.
Malnourished, weak and wracked with fever, Jim's been
in poor health since pulling his great mate
Len Burke out of the creek back at
Katsali.
It takes four others to lift Jim onto
(02:54):
the back of a pony.
Brian has one man stand either side to
prop him up.
One of those men is leading aircraftman Clyde
Pappin.
Here's Clyde recalling the moment 70 years later.
And we were caught.
We were going along the coast and the
sea where the tide was coming in, and
we had to hurry.
(03:15):
But we were right at the foot of
a cliff, and we had Jim on a
horse, a seaport pony.
I thought then, he's going to fall off.
He wasn't looking too good.
And he would have fallen, I think, if
we hadn't held him.
(03:37):
They enter the surf and the water breaks
across the ponies' hindquarters.
I can see the beach!
Hey, watch those rocks!
Watch out for that wave!
They battle on until a surge of water
knocks the pony sideways, throwing Jim into the
sea.
Clyde and another man desperately lift Jim out
(03:58):
of the water.
They drag him up the beach.
Jim isn't moving.
Someone comes forward with a bottle of whiskey,
thinking a tot will give him the boost
he needs.
Clyde presses the bottle to his lips.
Jim turns his head away.
They lift him back onto the pony.
The pony wickers as each wave washes across
the animal's legs.
(04:20):
Halfway around, Jim starts groaning.
He's in agony.
He begs to be let off the pony,
begs to be allowed to rest.
But there's no going back.
The airman leading Jim's pony can see the
beach on the other side of the promontory,
just 50 more metres.
Not far to go, Jim.
Hang in there, mate.
Nearly there!
By the time they get to the beach,
(04:41):
Jim's arms hang either side of his body
and his head sags into his chest.
They get him down off the pony and
he's limp in their arms.
He's not breathing.
Clyde spends half an hour trying to resuscitate
him, but it's no use.
He died on the horse.
He was only about 90.
(05:04):
High on the beach, a grave is dug
using tin hats.
Before being lowered into the ground, they strip
Jim of his boots and clothes.
Brian conducts a short service before the party
resumes the march south.
But the hope of rescue is no longer
at the forefront of each man's mind.
Instead, their thoughts turn to Jim and his
best mate Len Burke.
(05:28):
When they arrive at the ELG, Brian and
Flying Officer Bill Arthur go in search of
Len.
They find him, not well, sitting on the
beach on his own.
Earlier on the march, he'd taken ill and
vomited violently.
They tell him about Jim.
(05:54):
Len asks to be left alone again so
the men will not see him cry.
Brian and Bill get to their feet and
set Jim's boots next to Len.
They pat him on the shoulder and let
him be.
(06:15):
I'm Tom Trumbull, and this is Trapped.
The story of one of the greatest escapes
of the Pacific War.
(06:36):
Brian immediately inspects the beach on arriving at
Tuakau.
Arthur Cole is right.
It's a perfect ELG.
Flat and hard, you could land a heavy
bomber on this beach without trouble.
Brian tells his senior wireless mechanic Ron Bell
to signal Darwin that the ELG is perfect.
Darwin's response is immediate.
(07:02):
Brian is bewildered and irate.
I could never understand why Darwin made no
mention of the landing ground.
Maybe they thought I was a bit delirious
with fever and suggesting a beach.
But gee, it was perfect.
The gamble to head south in the hope
of forcing Darwin's hand is backfired.
The airmen no longer have a perpetual water
source in the Kapsali River.
(07:24):
Their food supplies are badly depleted, having had
to leave the bulk of the rice back
at Kapsali, owing to its weight.
The 23km hike has made previously fit men
sick and sick men teeter on the brink
of death.
Worst of all, the hike has killed Jim
Graham.
Pergi ke Kapsali.
They desperately need food.
(07:46):
Brian pays George to bring the rice supplies
they left back in Kapsali and then gathers
them in a hut the Chief of Tuakau
made available to the airmen.
I've sent George back to Kapsali to get
the rice.
I've also told Darwin to send us supplies
and until Darwin can find us another flying
(08:07):
boat, we stay put.
Brian tells them George will soon return with
the food and in the meantime, he's requested
another supply drop.
There's nothing to do but wait.
Brian sits down, exhausted and on the verge
of another malaria attack.
Flying officer Arthur Cole surveys the men and
their leader.
(08:28):
In Arthur's mind, Brian is failing.
It's clear that if they remain here, they'll
all die.
Arthur's not going to let that happen.
Alright, here's what I propose we do.
There's a lifeboat the Yanks left on the
southern coast.
It's big enough for us all.
Arthur proposes a hike of nearly 100km over
a mountain to a fuel dump along the
(08:50):
southern coast.
From there, Arthur and the volunteers would roll
a barrel of fuel 8km along a rocky
beach to an abandoned lifeboat, whose exact location
Arthur seems to remember.
Once we've filled the tank, we'll bring the
boat back After filling up the boat's engine
with fuel they would launch the boat through
a treacherous surf before motoring around the southern
tip of Timor waters choked with Japanese shipping
(09:11):
all the way to Tuakau.
A total of 35 men would then pile
into a boat equipped to hold 16, with
no water and nothing to eat but rice.
They'd have a sea voyage of around 800km
back to Australia.
Leading aircraftman Eddie Park one of the jokers
of the group breaks the silence.
This is Clyde Pappin recalling what was said.
(09:34):
Cole he said, all those that will come
with me will go south put up your
hand and Eddie Parks he never said a
word for a while and then he said
sounds like another one of your harebrained schemes
but he said I'll give it a go
(09:57):
Arthur that's the most harebrained idea I've ever
heard can't be him we all burst out
laughing it sounded so funny and you know
that thinks them, once we got them everyone
laughing what do we want to separate for
or what His leadership assured Brian sinks into
(10:19):
the dirt and gives himself over to the
fever.
The following morning Arthur comes to wake Brian
it takes Brian a few moments to register
what Arthur is telling him inside the hut
he shared with Len and Clyde Private Clem
(10:40):
Clements lies dead it is perplexing Clem had
been no more affected by malaria than anyone
else in fact he seemed to be recovering
Clem's body is placed on a stretcher and
carried to the ELG for burial before lowering
him into the grave one of the men
notices dried blood on Clem's shirt it's pulled
(11:01):
back to inspect the wound the skin is
smooth but for two puncture marks under his
arm on Wednesday April 8th Private Clem Clements
of the 2nd 40th Battalion who I'd brought
along as he had been working continuously in
the Cipher office in Copang died from a
snake bite after Clem is buried Brian calls
(11:24):
over the rest of the party I'll say
this for Clem Clements he did his part
he helped out no one knew Clem all
that well as an army man he'd remained
an outsider but Brian knows Clem was a
contributor a man whose skills in Cipher had
been incredibly useful when Brian was ill and
a crack shot who hunted deer and wild
(11:45):
boar during the long stay at Capsali throughout
the journey he'd never complained he'd done his
bit for the party that was all Brian
had asked the moment Clem's service finishes George
returns with the consignment of rice that had
been left in Capsali Boss Besar, listen to
me Boss Besar, 300 Japanese soldiers are in
(12:05):
Capsali George finds Brian and starts talking rapidly
in Malay two days earlier, he tells him
an enemy patrol landed by boat at Naikliu,
where Brian had gone for supplies latest reports
have them encamped at Capsali it's not hard
to work out what's happened facing the prospect
of torture or execution, a Timorese villager has
(12:25):
told the Japanese about three Australians who came
up from Capsali on a supply run George
doesn't know the exact number of soldiers that
comprise the patrol but there are said to
be many of them and they're only four
hours away Brian has Ron send an emergency
message updating Darwin on the enemy patrol Darwin
recommends radio silence until the patrol has passed
(12:48):
it's a good suggestion fear of the patrol
being guided by direction finders, technology that can
detect radio signals by triangulation is intense but
Ron can still receive signals without being detected
so before Ron signs off, he signals the
two times each day he would keep a
listening watch at the exact same moment, Darwin
(13:09):
signals two different listening times so Ron sends
back another signal seeking clarification Darwin responds immediately
but it's not in response to Ron's request
Ron jots down the message and hands over
the piece of paper to Brian for deciphering,
it's short and unprompted, as if it came
to Darwin's radio operator as an afterthought it
(13:29):
says Do you have a way of shining
a light out to sea?
Thursday, April 9th the USS Sea Raven an
ultra-modern Sargo class submarine charges across the
black surface of the Sarvu Sea Sea Raven
is running 1500 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition
(13:50):
to Corregidor in the Philippines en route, Sea
Raven's new captain, Lieutenant Commander Hiram Cassidy, is
handed a signal from Commander Submarine's Asiatic Fleet,
or ComSubs Cassidy notes the signal in his
logbook When midway between Sumba and Sarvu Islands,
received a signal directing this vessel operate offensively
(14:12):
against the enemy north of Timor the supply
run is off but that doesn't explain his
new orders Sea Raven is operating with a
reduced arsenal a full complement of torpedoes having
made way for the 50 tons of high
explosive it's transporting surely the sensible decision is
to run back to port unload the cargo
reload the torpedoes and go hunting something doesn't
(14:35):
add up then, another signal April 11th, 1942
received serial directing this vessel rescue about 29
Australian troops stranded one and four-tenths miles
south of Cape Currus on Timor from their
(14:55):
present position Cassidy calculates he'll make it to
the rendezvous point about two kilometers off the
Timorese coast on the afternoon of the 13th
of April Cassidy orders Sea Raven to set
a new course and then he turns his
mind to the rescue a submarine has never
been used to rescue displaced allied servicemen from
an enemy held territory in the Pacific there's
(15:16):
no manual for this sort of thing and
it's complicated by a whole lot of unknowns
Cassidy will be taking his men into poorly
charted waters that are believed to be shallow,
full of unseen reefs and dangerous shoals Sea
Raven will have to surface a distance off
the coast to avoid those dangers after contact
is made with the Australians, he'll then launch
the Wherry, a 16 foot wooden boat stowed
(15:39):
in the submarine's superstructure a crew of three
men will row the Wherry to the beach
given the possibility of a strong surf, there
may be the need for a strong swimmer.
He also needs a man willing enough to
swim to a shoreline potentially crawling with enemy
patrols.
Cassidy's got just the man for the job
(16:00):
Ensign George Carlton Cook is a Naval Reserve
Officer, originally assigned to the submarine tender USS
Otis He's aboard Otis when she's bombed at
Cavite in the Philippines at the outbreak of
war.
The tender ultimately ends up in Fremantle, Western
Australia, where she operates out of the largest
submarine base in the Southern Hemisphere But Cook
(16:20):
finds the work of servicing and supporting submarines
tedious.
He's desperate to join the fight.
His chance comes aboard the attack submarine his
boat has docked alongside Cook puts in a
request to transfer and his request is approved
In a service comprised entirely of volunteers Cook's
eagerness to serve on a submarine is looked
(16:41):
on favourably Nine days into his first ever
war patrol, the skipper is going to give
Cook the chance to prove his worth He
offers him the command of the Wherry The
success or failure of the rescue will largely
fall on Cook's shoulders Cassidy tells him to
brief the crew and find two volunteers With
(17:01):
half the ship's complement squeezed into the mess,
Cook briefs the crew on the mission Alright,
listen up The supply run to the Rock
is off We go into a Jap-held
island called Timor.
There's about 30 Aussie flyers who have got
themselves stranded on this island and they're looking
for a ride home This ain't gonna be
easy We've gotta do it at night Owing
(17:22):
to the rendezvous point being close to an
enemy naval base the rescue will be affected
under cover of darkness.
He also tells the men that there's a
real possibility that the Australians are being captured
and are being tortured into signalling for help
That scenario would mean that Sea Raven is
being lured into a trap I need two
crewmen So, who's coming with me?
(17:43):
Two men volunteer Joseph McGreevy, signalman first class,
and Leonard Swede Markison, quartermaster first class With
all that is known and unknown about this
mission it's an act of incredible bravery Sea
Raven is in position at the rendezvous point
(18:05):
a few hours before sunset Cassidy takes a
look through the periscope, training it in the
direction of the beach, and immediately hits on
a problem A heavy swirl was running, causing
waves about six feet high to break about
150 yards from shore There's no way the
wherry can be beached, not in that surf
That means the airmen will have to swim
(18:26):
out to the boat, and Cook will have
to help them out Then Cassidy sees something
else Observed a group of four men mounted
on horseback, and another party of three men
afoot approaching rendezvous They disappeared into the brush
at just about the rendezvous point Cassidy is
convinced he's just got a visual confirmation that
(18:47):
the Australians are at the rendezvous point Shortly
after sunset Sea Raven surfaces From atop the
bridge, Cassidy looks through his binoculars.
He can see lights on the beach at
the rendezvous, and what looks like a large
fire Four machine gunners clamber out of the
(19:09):
hatch, along with a small crew to man
the three inch deck gun to guard against
the unexpected arrival of Japanese boats Cassidy knows
that the Australians have a portable radio but
he's not going to risk a direct communication
Signalling this close to Kopang risks giving away
the submarine's position to Japanese direction finders They'd
do this the old fashioned way Signalled SR
(19:32):
on the blinker gun, and within two minutes
received an answering signal from a point a
little to the northward of the campfire Sent
boat in to this point to pick up
party, and signalled beach to this effect The
sea turns choppy around midnight To limit the
distance between the submarine and the shore, Cassidy
reluctantly takes Sea Raven in closer, drawing up
(19:54):
once a 30 foot sounding is obtained In
such shallow water diving in a pinch is
no longer an option The Wherry casts off,
and pulls clear of the submarine Above the
sound of the waves slapping against the wooden
hull, Cassidy's voice ghosts across the water Good
luck man Once the Wherry is within 75
(20:18):
metres off the beach just beyond the surf,
they drop anchor Cook sees 12 men around
a campfire He takes off his shirt and
tosses it to McGreevy, who hands him a
.45 Cook wraps the gun in a piece
of cloth and stuffs it into his belt
buckle.
He ties a long line to his wrist
and grabs the torch The moment he prepares
(20:40):
to jump in, Cook sees something on the
surface in his peripheral vision He turns on
his flashlight and shines it directly into the
water The other two men shuffle alongside and
shine their torches over the edge They count
three sharks swimming directly under the boat McGreevy
reckons they are as big as Sea Raven's
(21:00):
torpedoes almost the size of the Wherry These
are massive sharks While McGreevy and Marcusson are
counting sharks, Cook jumps in The long line
that he attached to his wrist is drawing
out Cook is in the surf hitching a
breaker right up onto the beach The current
(21:20):
pushes him about 100 metres from where the
group is gathered around the fire Once on
the beach Cook scopes and surrounds Beyond the
sand, he notes the jungle at its edge,
black and impenetrable.
He makes his way towards the fire, pulling
the gun from his belt as he nears
The sound of the surf swamps the sound
(21:41):
of the voices and the fire is burning
low, making it difficult to make a proper
assessment of the men around that fire Cook
can't even discern faces There's only one way
to find out who they are for sure
Cook takes a breath steadies himself and stands
up He turns the torch on himself and
shouts Hello, I'm George Cook, an ensign in
(22:04):
the United States Navy.
Come out, show yourselves.
The group of men take one look at
Cook and sprint for the jungle.
Heart beating out of his chest Cook approaches
the fire and calls out again He unties
the long line from his wrist and secures
it to a small log With the log
firmly in the sand, Cook ventures after the
fleeing figures into the darkness On the wherry,
(22:31):
McGreevy and Markison wait patiently McGreevy keeps his
eyes on the beach, while Markison is looking
seaward when he sees Cassidy signalling on the
blinker gun from Sea Raven's conning tower The
wherry is being recalled to the sub McGreevy
grabs his torch and flashes continuously at the
beach It's the signal for Cook to come
back Minutes tick by and then Markison and
(22:59):
McGreevy haul Cook aboard He couldn't find the
stranded airmen All he knows for certain is
that the group gathered around the fire were
not the Australians They weigh anchor and return
to the submarine Cook is given the hero
treatment back on Sea Raven He's made his
report to Cassidy and the lieutenant commander concludes
(23:20):
that the men around the fire were either
Timorese or Japanese He congratulates Cook and tells
him to go grab some chow In the
mess, McGreevy and Markison extol Cook's bravery Cook
is no longer the outsider He's one of
the crew, but he can't shake the feeling
that something is being missed Cook finds the
skipper and requests permission to return to the
(23:41):
rendezvous point the following night to go searching
for those airmen Cassidy denies the request In
the skipper's mind, the Australians have been captured
The Sea Raven crew has done all they
could He gives the orders to submerge In
(24:09):
the hilly country behind Tuakau, deep in the
jungle the Australian airmen talk in whispers They've
been in hiding for the past two days
since receiving reports of the Japanese patrol 300
soldiers strong Every last grain of quinine and
aspirin has been used All but a few
men are dealing with malaria They are all
(24:29):
covered in tropical ulcers Brian calculates that a
third of his men will die in a
week if they don't get off this island
There's nothing he can do but wait As
Darwin suggested they've maintained radio silence out of
fear that the Japanese will locate their signals
In fact, there's been nothing from Darwin at
all in the two listing times Brian requested
(24:52):
The last signal received from Darwin was the
mysterious question asking if they had a light
to shine out to sea and then nothing
Next time on Trapped To the Australian officers
and soldiers All allied forces surrendered to us
(25:15):
without any conditions They are enjoying life and
are waiting for you being supplied with bread,
meat and fresh vegetables Your movement and present
location are reported to us through Rogers If
you continue fighting against us, there is no
(25:38):
way but to conquer you So come to
us with this information and await for the
return of peace with your friends Japanese Army
(26:01):
Trapped was written and produced by Tom Trumbull
with Sam Lloyd, James Milsom and Ryan Pemberton
for the Australian War Memorial
Not far to go, lads!
Nearly there!
The date is April 2nd, 1942.
Night has fallen on Dutch Timor.
Following the death of Pilot Officer Peter Thompson,
my grandfather, Flight Lieutenant Brian Rofe, commander of
(00:26):
the rear party that has been hiding from
the Japanese in the jungles of occupied Timor
for six weeks, takes the airmen from the
village of Kapsali, where they've been in camp
for a month.
Come on, chaps, not far now.
The airmen are heading for an emergency landing
ground, or ELG, at Tua Kaul, 23 kilometres
south along the coast.
They've crossed crocodile-infested rivers and forged a
(00:48):
path through thick jungle.
Some of the sick are carried on makeshift
stretchers, fashioned from bamboo and reeds.
Now they've arrived at Cape Kourouz, only three
kilometres from their destination.
The tide is surging around the cape.
Brian consults George, the group's Timorese guide.
(01:08):
George says they must move immediately.
At high tide, the surf explodes on the
jagged boulders at the base of the cliff.
The water isn't that high up yet, but
they haven't much time.
If they're cut off, the only way to
Tua Kaul is hiking inland through the jungle,
and that route will add a full day
to their journey to the ELG.
Brian surveys the group.
(01:30):
Everyone is either sick, starving or a combination
of both.
The stretcher-bearers are exhausted and there's no
way they'll be able to carry the sick
around the cape without dropping them in the
surf.
And then there's the radio.
If seawater seeps inside, the game is up.
But Brian figures they have no other choice.
They have to keep moving.
(01:50):
Heads up.
Watch that wave.
Keep it up, lads.
Not far to go.
The radio crew, comprising the fittest men in
the group, go first.
Where's George gone?
I can't see a bloody thing.
George!
Keep the radio out of the water.
Leading aircraftman Len Burke is in the group,
(02:10):
and although his torn clothes and worn-out
boots give him a dishevelled appearance, his health
has improved.
Flying officer Arthur Cole leads them and they
lift the heavy equipment high over their heads
and stagger into the sea.
Brian remains with the sickest men and orders
those on stretchers to each be lifted onto
a pony.
(02:32):
All right, everyone.
We're nearly there.
Get those stretcher cases onto the ponies.
We have to go now.
Aircraftman Jim Graham is in the worst shape.
Malnourished, weak and wracked with fever, Jim's been
in poor health since pulling his great mate
Len Burke out of the creek back at
Katsali.
It takes four others to lift Jim onto
(02:54):
the back of a pony.
Brian has one man stand either side to
prop him up.
One of those men is leading aircraftman Clyde
Pappin.
Here's Clyde recalling the moment 70 years later.
And we were caught.
We were going along the coast and the
sea where the tide was coming in, and
we had to hurry.
(03:15):
But we were right at the foot of
a cliff, and we had Jim on a
horse, a seaport pony.
I thought then, he's going to fall off.
He wasn't looking too good.
And he would have fallen, I think, if
we hadn't held him.
(03:37):
They enter the surf and the water breaks
across the ponies' hindquarters.
I can see the beach!
Hey, watch those rocks!
Watch out for that wave!
They battle on until a surge of water
knocks the pony sideways, throwing Jim into the
sea.
Clyde and another man desperately lift Jim out
(03:58):
of the water.
They drag him up the beach.
Jim isn't moving.
Someone comes forward with a bottle of whiskey,
thinking a tot will give him the boost
he needs.
Clyde presses the bottle to his lips.
Jim turns his head away.
They lift him back onto the pony.
The pony wickers as each wave washes across
the animal's legs.
(04:20):
Halfway around, Jim starts groaning.
He's in agony.
He begs to be let off the pony,
begs to be allowed to rest.
But there's no going back.
The airman leading Jim's pony can see the
beach on the other side of the promontory,
just 50 more metres.
Not far to go, Jim.
Hang in there, mate.
Nearly there!
By the time they get to the beach,
(04:41):
Jim's arms hang either side of his body
and his head sags into his chest.
They get him down off the pony and
he's limp in their arms.
He's not breathing.
Clyde spends half an hour trying to resuscitate
him, but it's no use.
He died on the horse.
He was only about 90.
(05:04):
High on the beach, a grave is dug
using tin hats.
Before being lowered into the ground, they strip
Jim of his boots and clothes.
Brian conducts a short service before the party
resumes the march south.
But the hope of rescue is no longer
at the forefront of each man's mind.
Instead, their thoughts turn to Jim and his
best mate Len Burke.
(05:28):
When they arrive at the ELG, Brian and
Flying Officer Bill Arthur go in search of
Len.
They find him, not well, sitting on the
beach on his own.
Earlier on the march, he'd taken ill and
vomited violently.
They tell him about Jim.
(05:54):
Len asks to be left alone again so
the men will not see him cry.
Brian and Bill get to their feet and
set Jim's boots next to Len.
They pat him on the shoulder and let
him be.
(06:15):
I'm Tom Trumbull, and this is Trapped.
The story of one of the greatest escapes
of the Pacific War.
(06:36):
Brian immediately inspects the beach on arriving at
Tuakau.
Arthur Cole is right.
It's a perfect ELG.
Flat and hard, you could land a heavy
bomber on this beach without trouble.
Brian tells his senior wireless mechanic Ron Bell
to signal Darwin that the ELG is perfect.
Darwin's response is immediate.
(07:02):
Brian is bewildered and irate.
I could never understand why Darwin made no
mention of the landing ground.
Maybe they thought I was a bit delirious
with fever and suggesting a beach.
But gee, it was perfect.
The gamble to head south in the hope
of forcing Darwin's hand is backfired.
The airmen no longer have a perpetual water
source in the Kapsali River.
(07:24):
Their food supplies are badly depleted, having had
to leave the bulk of the rice back
at Kapsali, owing to its weight.
The 23km hike has made previously fit men
sick and sick men teeter on the brink
of death.
Worst of all, the hike has killed Jim
Graham.
Pergi ke Kapsali.
They desperately need food.
(07:46):
Brian pays George to bring the rice supplies
they left back in Kapsali and then gathers
them in a hut the Chief of Tuakau
made available to the airmen.
I've sent George back to Kapsali to get
the rice.
I've also told Darwin to send us supplies
and until Darwin can find us another flying
(08:07):
boat, we stay put.
Brian tells them George will soon return with
the food and in the meantime, he's requested
another supply drop.
There's nothing to do but wait.
Brian sits down, exhausted and on the verge
of another malaria attack.
Flying officer Arthur Cole surveys the men and
their leader.
(08:28):
In Arthur's mind, Brian is failing.
It's clear that if they remain here, they'll
all die.
Arthur's not going to let that happen.
Alright, here's what I propose we do.
There's a lifeboat the Yanks left on the
southern coast.
It's big enough for us all.
Arthur proposes a hike of nearly 100km over
a mountain to a fuel dump along the
(08:50):
southern coast.
From there, Arthur and the volunteers would roll
a barrel of fuel 8km along a rocky
beach to an abandoned lifeboat, whose exact location
Arthur seems to remember.
Once we've filled the tank, we'll bring the
boat back After filling up the boat's engine
with fuel they would launch the boat through
a treacherous surf before motoring around the southern
tip of Timor waters choked with Japanese shipping
(09:11):
all the way to Tuakau.
A total of 35 men would then pile
into a boat equipped to hold 16, with
no water and nothing to eat but rice.
They'd have a sea voyage of around 800km
back to Australia.
Leading aircraftman Eddie Park one of the jokers
of the group breaks the silence.
This is Clyde Pappin recalling what was said.
(09:34):
Cole he said, all those that will come
with me will go south put up your
hand and Eddie Parks he never said a
word for a while and then he said
sounds like another one of your harebrained schemes
but he said I'll give it a go
(09:57):
Arthur that's the most harebrained idea I've ever
heard can't be him we all burst out
laughing it sounded so funny and you know
that thinks them, once we got them everyone
laughing what do we want to separate for
or what His leadership assured Brian sinks into
(10:19):
the dirt and gives himself over to the
fever.
The following morning Arthur comes to wake Brian
it takes Brian a few moments to register
what Arthur is telling him inside the hut
he shared with Len and Clyde Private Clem
(10:40):
Clements lies dead it is perplexing Clem had
been no more affected by malaria than anyone
else in fact he seemed to be recovering
Clem's body is placed on a stretcher and
carried to the ELG for burial before lowering
him into the grave one of the men
notices dried blood on Clem's shirt it's pulled
(11:01):
back to inspect the wound the skin is
smooth but for two puncture marks under his
arm on Wednesday April 8th Private Clem Clements
of the 2nd 40th Battalion who I'd brought
along as he had been working continuously in
the Cipher office in Copang died from a
snake bite after Clem is buried Brian calls
(11:24):
over the rest of the party I'll say
this for Clem Clements he did his part
he helped out no one knew Clem all
that well as an army man he'd remained
an outsider but Brian knows Clem was a
contributor a man whose skills in Cipher had
been incredibly useful when Brian was ill and
a crack shot who hunted deer and wild
(11:45):
boar during the long stay at Capsali throughout
the journey he'd never complained he'd done his
bit for the party that was all Brian
had asked the moment Clem's service finishes George
returns with the consignment of rice that had
been left in Capsali Boss Besar, listen to
me Boss Besar, 300 Japanese soldiers are in
(12:05):
Capsali George finds Brian and starts talking rapidly
in Malay two days earlier, he tells him
an enemy patrol landed by boat at Naikliu,
where Brian had gone for supplies latest reports
have them encamped at Capsali it's not hard
to work out what's happened facing the prospect
of torture or execution, a Timorese villager has
(12:25):
told the Japanese about three Australians who came
up from Capsali on a supply run George
doesn't know the exact number of soldiers that
comprise the patrol but there are said to
be many of them and they're only four
hours away Brian has Ron send an emergency
message updating Darwin on the enemy patrol Darwin
recommends radio silence until the patrol has passed
(12:48):
it's a good suggestion fear of the patrol
being guided by direction finders, technology that can
detect radio signals by triangulation is intense but
Ron can still receive signals without being detected
so before Ron signs off, he signals the
two times each day he would keep a
listening watch at the exact same moment, Darwin
(13:09):
signals two different listening times so Ron sends
back another signal seeking clarification Darwin responds immediately
but it's not in response to Ron's request
Ron jots down the message and hands over
the piece of paper to Brian for deciphering,
it's short and unprompted, as if it came
to Darwin's radio operator as an afterthought it
(13:29):
says Do you have a way of shining
a light out to sea?
Thursday, April 9th the USS Sea Raven an
ultra-modern Sargo class submarine charges across the
black surface of the Sarvu Sea Sea Raven
is running 1500 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition
(13:50):
to Corregidor in the Philippines en route, Sea
Raven's new captain, Lieutenant Commander Hiram Cassidy, is
handed a signal from Commander Submarine's Asiatic Fleet,
or ComSubs Cassidy notes the signal in his
logbook When midway between Sumba and Sarvu Islands,
received a signal directing this vessel operate offensively
(14:12):
against the enemy north of Timor the supply
run is off but that doesn't explain his
new orders Sea Raven is operating with a
reduced arsenal a full complement of torpedoes having
made way for the 50 tons of high
explosive it's transporting surely the sensible decision is
to run back to port unload the cargo
reload the torpedoes and go hunting something doesn't
(14:35):
add up then, another signal April 11th, 1942
received serial directing this vessel rescue about 29
Australian troops stranded one and four-tenths miles
south of Cape Currus on Timor from their
(14:55):
present position Cassidy calculates he'll make it to
the rendezvous point about two kilometers off the
Timorese coast on the afternoon of the 13th
of April Cassidy orders Sea Raven to set
a new course and then he turns his
mind to the rescue a submarine has never
been used to rescue displaced allied servicemen from
an enemy held territory in the Pacific there's
(15:16):
no manual for this sort of thing and
it's complicated by a whole lot of unknowns
Cassidy will be taking his men into poorly
charted waters that are believed to be shallow,
full of unseen reefs and dangerous shoals Sea
Raven will have to surface a distance off
the coast to avoid those dangers after contact
is made with the Australians, he'll then launch
the Wherry, a 16 foot wooden boat stowed
(15:39):
in the submarine's superstructure a crew of three
men will row the Wherry to the beach
given the possibility of a strong surf, there
may be the need for a strong swimmer.
He also needs a man willing enough to
swim to a shoreline potentially crawling with enemy
patrols.
Cassidy's got just the man for the job
(16:00):
Ensign George Carlton Cook is a Naval Reserve
Officer, originally assigned to the submarine tender USS
Otis He's aboard Otis when she's bombed at
Cavite in the Philippines at the outbreak of
war.
The tender ultimately ends up in Fremantle, Western
Australia, where she operates out of the largest
submarine base in the Southern Hemisphere But Cook
(16:20):
finds the work of servicing and supporting submarines
tedious.
He's desperate to join the fight.
His chance comes aboard the attack submarine his
boat has docked alongside Cook puts in a
request to transfer and his request is approved
In a service comprised entirely of volunteers Cook's
eagerness to serve on a submarine is looked
(16:41):
on favourably Nine days into his first ever
war patrol, the skipper is going to give
Cook the chance to prove his worth He
offers him the command of the Wherry The
success or failure of the rescue will largely
fall on Cook's shoulders Cassidy tells him to
brief the crew and find two volunteers With
(17:01):
half the ship's complement squeezed into the mess,
Cook briefs the crew on the mission Alright,
listen up The supply run to the Rock
is off We go into a Jap-held
island called Timor.
There's about 30 Aussie flyers who have got
themselves stranded on this island and they're looking
for a ride home This ain't gonna be
easy We've gotta do it at night Owing
(17:22):
to the rendezvous point being close to an
enemy naval base the rescue will be affected
under cover of darkness.
He also tells the men that there's a
real possibility that the Australians are being captured
and are being tortured into signalling for help
That scenario would mean that Sea Raven is
being lured into a trap I need two
crewmen So, who's coming with me?
(17:43):
Two men volunteer Joseph McGreevy, signalman first class,
and Leonard Swede Markison, quartermaster first class With
all that is known and unknown about this
mission it's an act of incredible bravery Sea
Raven is in position at the rendezvous point
(18:05):
a few hours before sunset Cassidy takes a
look through the periscope, training it in the
direction of the beach, and immediately hits on
a problem A heavy swirl was running, causing
waves about six feet high to break about
150 yards from shore There's no way the
wherry can be beached, not in that surf
That means the airmen will have to swim
(18:26):
out to the boat, and Cook will have
to help them out Then Cassidy sees something
else Observed a group of four men mounted
on horseback, and another party of three men
afoot approaching rendezvous They disappeared into the brush
at just about the rendezvous point Cassidy is
convinced he's just got a visual confirmation that
(18:47):
the Australians are at the rendezvous point Shortly
after sunset Sea Raven surfaces From atop the
bridge, Cassidy looks through his binoculars.
He can see lights on the beach at
the rendezvous, and what looks like a large
fire Four machine gunners clamber out of the
(19:09):
hatch, along with a small crew to man
the three inch deck gun to guard against
the unexpected arrival of Japanese boats Cassidy knows
that the Australians have a portable radio but
he's not going to risk a direct communication
Signalling this close to Kopang risks giving away
the submarine's position to Japanese direction finders They'd
do this the old fashioned way Signalled SR
(19:32):
on the blinker gun, and within two minutes
received an answering signal from a point a
little to the northward of the campfire Sent
boat in to this point to pick up
party, and signalled beach to this effect The
sea turns choppy around midnight To limit the
distance between the submarine and the shore, Cassidy
reluctantly takes Sea Raven in closer, drawing up
(19:54):
once a 30 foot sounding is obtained In
such shallow water diving in a pinch is
no longer an option The Wherry casts off,
and pulls clear of the submarine Above the
sound of the waves slapping against the wooden
hull, Cassidy's voice ghosts across the water Good
luck man Once the Wherry is within 75
(20:18):
metres off the beach just beyond the surf,
they drop anchor Cook sees 12 men around
a campfire He takes off his shirt and
tosses it to McGreevy, who hands him a
.45 Cook wraps the gun in a piece
of cloth and stuffs it into his belt
buckle.
He ties a long line to his wrist
and grabs the torch The moment he prepares
(20:40):
to jump in, Cook sees something on the
surface in his peripheral vision He turns on
his flashlight and shines it directly into the
water The other two men shuffle alongside and
shine their torches over the edge They count
three sharks swimming directly under the boat McGreevy
reckons they are as big as Sea Raven's
(21:00):
torpedoes almost the size of the Wherry These
are massive sharks While McGreevy and Marcusson are
counting sharks, Cook jumps in The long line
that he attached to his wrist is drawing
out Cook is in the surf hitching a
breaker right up onto the beach The current
(21:20):
pushes him about 100 metres from where the
group is gathered around the fire Once on
the beach Cook scopes and surrounds Beyond the
sand, he notes the jungle at its edge,
black and impenetrable.
He makes his way towards the fire, pulling
the gun from his belt as he nears
The sound of the surf swamps the sound
(21:41):
of the voices and the fire is burning
low, making it difficult to make a proper
assessment of the men around that fire Cook
can't even discern faces There's only one way
to find out who they are for sure
Cook takes a breath steadies himself and stands
up He turns the torch on himself and
shouts Hello, I'm George Cook, an ensign in
(22:04):
the United States Navy.
Come out, show yourselves.
The group of men take one look at
Cook and sprint for the jungle.
Heart beating out of his chest Cook approaches
the fire and calls out again He unties
the long line from his wrist and secures
it to a small log With the log
firmly in the sand, Cook ventures after the
fleeing figures into the darkness On the wherry,
(22:31):
McGreevy and Markison wait patiently McGreevy keeps his
eyes on the beach, while Markison is looking
seaward when he sees Cassidy signalling on the
blinker gun from Sea Raven's conning tower The
wherry is being recalled to the sub McGreevy
grabs his torch and flashes continuously at the
beach It's the signal for Cook to come
back Minutes tick by and then Markison and
(22:59):
McGreevy haul Cook aboard He couldn't find the
stranded airmen All he knows for certain is
that the group gathered around the fire were
not the Australians They weigh anchor and return
to the submarine Cook is given the hero
treatment back on Sea Raven He's made his
report to Cassidy and the lieutenant commander concludes
(23:20):
that the men around the fire were either
Timorese or Japanese He congratulates Cook and tells
him to go grab some chow In the
mess, McGreevy and Markison extol Cook's bravery Cook
is no longer the outsider He's one of
the crew, but he can't shake the feeling
that something is being missed Cook finds the
skipper and requests permission to return to the
(23:41):
rendezvous point the following night to go searching
for those airmen Cassidy denies the request In
the skipper's mind, the Australians have been captured
The Sea Raven crew has done all they
could He gives the orders to submerge In
(24:09):
the hilly country behind Tuakau, deep in the
jungle the Australian airmen talk in whispers They've
been in hiding for the past two days
since receiving reports of the Japanese patrol 300
soldiers strong Every last grain of quinine and
aspirin has been used All but a few
men are dealing with malaria They are all
(24:29):
covered in tropical ulcers Brian calculates that a
third of his men will die in a
week if they don't get off this island
There's nothing he can do but wait As
Darwin suggested they've maintained radio silence out of
fear that the Japanese will locate their signals
In fact, there's been nothing from Darwin at
all in the two listing times Brian requested
(24:52):
The last signal received from Darwin was the
mysterious question asking if they had a light
to shine out to sea and then nothing
Next time on Trapped To the Australian officers
and soldiers All allied forces surrendered to us
(25:15):
without any conditions They are enjoying life and
are waiting for you being supplied with bread,
meat and fresh vegetables Your movement and present
location are reported to us through Rogers If
you continue fighting against us, there is no
(25:38):
way but to conquer you So come to
us with this information and await for the
return of peace with your friends Japanese Army
(26:01):
Trapped was written and produced by Tom Trumbull
with Sam Lloyd, James Milsom and Ryan Pemberton
for the Australian War Memorial
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