| Description |
1 online resource (streaming video file) (54 min. 32 sec.) ; 327584806 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 modern descendants of the original Z Special operatives are going through similar training to that undertaken by their forefathers on the banks of Pittwater Bay in New South Wales. Now they are given the chance to operate a Sleeping Beauty - a one man motorized submersible kayak - under the watchful eye of surviving Z Special member Norman Wallace, the last veteran from WW2 who trained on the machines. Enthusiast Chuck Anderson has built a life-sized replica of the kayaks and the recruits' trainers have trouble submerging the machine, just as Norman experienced in his original training camp. The second episode also features the story of Jim Ellwood, a Z operative sent to Japanese occupied Timor to help form a resistance group. He is captured and tortured by the Japanese and for the first time in public talks candidly and harrowingly about his experience. (Part 2 of 3) (Commissioned by SBS) (Documentary) PG (A) CC **New Episode**Follow the conversation on twitter: #SBSdoco |
| Event |
Broadcast 2014-06-22 at 20:30:00 |
| Notes |
Classification: PG |
| Subject |
Military education.
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Recruiting and enlistment.
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Soldiers -- Social conditions.
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Special forces (Military science)
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Soldiers -- Abuse of.
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Australia.
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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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Anderson, Chuck, contributor
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Doyle, Frank, contributor
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Ellwood, Jim, contributor
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Fawkes, Henry, contributor
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Griffiths-Marsh, Roland, contributor
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Jones, Arthur, contributor
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Powell, Alan, contributor
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Rutherford, Cato, contributor
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Stanley, Peter, contributor
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Stringfellow, Keith, 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, Tian, contributor
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Young, Horrie, contributor
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