| Description |
1 online resource (streaming video file) (51 min. 39 sec.) ; 312207086 bytes |
| Summary |
Australia's Secret Heroes tells the extraordinary story of Z Special unit, a remarkable group of men who were plucked from the Australian military in World War II, trained in explosives, camouflage, silent killing and how to resist torture and then sent on incredibly perilous undercover operations in Asia.At the time of the White Australia policy, the unit actively recruited soldiers of Asian heritage, so they could blend in and help train native guerrilla resistance movements. For years, the Z Special operatives were sworn to secrecy. But now the veterans relive their incredible wartime exploits.In a unique "living history" approach, Australia's Secret Heroes takes six descendants of the Z Special operatives and places them on training missions to give them a taste of what their forefathers went through.The first episode outlines the formation of Z Special Unit in the face of a possible Japanese invasion and the drive, in the midst of the White Australia policy, to recruit soldiers of Asian descent to fight behind the lines in Japanese-occupied countries like Timor, Papua New Guinea and Borneo. The first training camp in 1942 was organised by Captain Ivan Lyon on the banks of Pittwater Bay - where a modern training camp is now pitched by the descendants of the Z Special operatives, and they are put through a series of physical tests including running and swimming. Lyon was a Special Ops officer who had escaped the invasion of Singapore, and was determined to hit back at the Japanese. He had formulated a daring plan to sail to Singapore, thousands of kilometres behind Japanese lines, paddle into the harbour in foldaway kayaks, and place limpet mines on Japanese ships. (Part 1 of 3) (Documentary) PG CC **New Series Premiere**Follow the conversation on twitter: #SBSdoco |
| Event |
Broadcast 2014-06-15 at 20:30:00 |
| Notes |
Classification: PG |
| Subject |
Military education.
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Military training camps.
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Special forces (Military science)
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Special operations (Military science)
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Military operations, Naval.
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Australia.
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Singapore.
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| Form |
Streaming video
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| Author |
Wilkins, Robert, director
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Cowell, Brendan, cast
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Berryman, Moss, contributor
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Doyle, Frank, contributor
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Foster, Des, contributor
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Jones, Arthur, contributor
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Powell, Alan, contributor
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Pratten, Garth, contributor
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Rutherford, Cato, contributor
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Sisson, Danielle, contributor
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Stanley, Peter, contributor
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Sue, Brenden, contributor
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Thomas, Luke, contributor
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Tredrea, Jack, contributor
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Wallace, Norman, contributor
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Williams, Tina, contributor
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Wong Sue, Jack, contributor
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Young, Horrie, contributor
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