Jack Wong Sue
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Jack Wong Sue, OAM, DCM, JP also known as Jack Sue, born 12 September 1925 is a prominent Chinese Australian. Wong Sue served behind enemy lines in Borneo as a member of AGAS 1, part of the Z Special Unit, during World War II. After the war, Sue became a prominent businessman owning a dive store, and working as a guide for tours into Borneo and later an author. He was also a musician performing with local bands around Perth, Western Australia for 60 years.
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[edit] War service
Following the outbreak of the Pacific War, and even though he was only 16, Wong Sue was given a white feather, a symbol of perceived cowardice sometimes presented to men of military age in wartime. In spite of his age, Wong Sue was able to join the Norwegian Merchant Navy by claiming to be 18 and forging his parents' signatures.
Following many hazardous wartime voyages on merchant ships, Wong Sue attempted to join the Royal Australian Navy when he turned 18. He claimed that he was rejected as a result of racism, due to his Chinese descent. Although the Australian armed services did not have an official policy which rejected non-white applicants, there is evidence that discrimination did occur.[1] On September 25, 1943, Wong Sue joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and became a crew member on RAAF crash rescue boats.
Because of his Asian appearance and fluency in the Malay and Chinese languages, Wong Sue was asked to join the Allied intelligence/commando unit, Z Force, and he received jungle warfare training at Fraser Island, Queensland and advanced jungle training at Cairns.
Wong Sue was among members of Z Force landed in Borneo in groups of between 5 and 25 men to undertake surveillance, sabotage, attacks against Japanese forces, and the training of Bornean resistance forces. The commandos claimed 1,700 Japanese killed for the loss of 112 commandos.[1] They also claimed to have trained about 6,000 Bornean guerillas. Wong Sue witnessed the mistreatment of Allied prisoners of war at the infamous Sandakan camp, in North Borneo and the failure of Allied military leaders to enable rescue operations, before all but six of the POWs died, as a result of the Sandakan Death Marches.
He reached the rank of Leading Aircraftman[2] (some sources indicate that he was an acting Sergeant) and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM).[3]
[edit] Return to civilian life
Wong Sue was discharged from the RAAF on 21 January 1946, where upon he returned to Perth and subsequently opened a retail store devoted to diving equipment in Midland, the first such store in Western Australia. Although he remained a civilian, Wong Sue later instructed and advised members of the Australian Army's SAS Regiment in jungle tactics.
His published works include two books published circa 2001: a memoir of his military service, Blood on Borneo (ISBN 0-646-41656-1) and; a collection of anecdotes regarding a 1963 shipwreck, Ghost of the Alkimos (ISBN 0-646-42801-2).
In 2006, Wong Sue was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for "For service to the community, particularly through the preservation and recording of military and maritime history."[4]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ According to Mo Yimei: "It is estimated that there were probably more Chinese serving in the Australian forces than any other minority group in Australia. Although Chinese applicants were still to some extent discriminated against, prominent examples can still be found in the forces." ("Harvest of Endurance: a History of the Chinese in Australia 1788-1988". Australia-China Friendship Society, Sydney (1988). Retrieved on 2007-10-28.)
- ^ World War 2 Nominal Roll. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ It's an Honour website. Australian Government. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ It's an Honour website. Australian Government. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
