75 years since Operation OBOE launched at Borneo

Mackay veteran Terry Hayes recalls his WWII experience of the ‘Battle of the Atlantic’

Veteran Terry Hayes holds a photograph of when he served in World War 11. Picture: Tony Martin

IT WAS 1944 and Mackay veteran Terry Hayes had not long turned 19 when he boarded a US ship at Brisbane for the long journey to Borneo.

"From the time we sailed out of the Brisbane River, for the best part of a couple of weeks we never saw land or sea," Mr Hayes said.

"We were all by ourselves, it was an eerie experience."

He was with the 5th Replenishment Centre, Royal Australian Air Force which would take the place of soldiers being sent home after long services.

And while there, he witnessed Operation OBOE - a series of Allied operations launched on May 1, 1945 to liberate Borneo from the Japanese.

Mr Hayes distinctly remembers watching the Allies' rows of warships bombing Labuan Island and the Brunei mainland. 

"The warships unleashed a great big bombardment," he said.

"They shelled and shelled and shelled the island and when they were finished, RAAF Mitchell bombers came over and bombed the town."

He said a few Japanese escaped, retreating to hide in the scrub and caves.

"The ones that survived launched what was really a kamikaze operation," he said.

"They set out to do as much damage as they could."

Their camp had to be vigilant of their whereabouts, Mr Hayes said.

One night while playing cards they were told to quickly turn off the lights after hearing noises, which turned out to be chickens, he said.

Veterans' Affairs Minister Darren Chester said the OBOE operations were the most complex amphibious assaults carried out by Australians during World War II.

"The Tarakan Island operation, OBOE I, was the first … the second operation occurred at Labuan/Brunei Bay on 10 June 1945 and the final operation at Balikpapan on 1 July 1945," Mr Chester said.

The operations were part of Australia's longest WWII campaign, the Battle of the Atlantic - fought to stop Germany cutting off Allied supply routes in the Atlantic Ocean.

Mr Chester said about 600 Australians died in the OBOE operations with Japan agreeing to unconditional surrender on 15 August 1945, 'marking' the end of WWII.

"This year we will commemorate the 75th anniversary of (OBOE), and remember the almost one million men and women who fought to protect the Australian way of life," Mr Chester said.

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