Although that term is widely used it is incorrect, the correct name for this group is Z SPECIAL UNIT.Īs for what inspired me…as a child I was fascinated by all things military. Please tell us what inspired you to start this series on Z Force:įirst I must correct you with the term “Z Force”. Their stories are told through a wealth of rare archival footage, through interviews with the surviving participants, through re-enacted scenes, through interviews with current Australian Special Forces personnel, authors and historians as well as through wartime letters, maps, official records and photographs.Įach of the thirteen episodes is designed to be a standalone piece and while historical and technical accuracy is assured, each episode is written with a bias towards the human drama aspect of the operations described rather than just dry historical facts and figures. The full story of Z operations during WWII is one of mateship, tragedy, courage and humour, but is one which has been largely overlooked, misunderstood and even ignored by the history books for these past 75 years.

The Z Men kept quiet about their exploits for 50 years and even today, the full story has never been made public. Whether it was raising indigenous guerrilla forces, raiding targets of opportunity or performing hair-raising reconnaissance missions in close proximity to enemy forces behind the lines, the men of Z truly embodied the ANZAC spirit. Operating in parties as small as two men, Z Operatives faced overwhelming odds against a barbaric and increasingly desperate enemy.

Z Operatives undertook almost one hundred high-risk covert operations against the Japanese and were directly responsible for eliminating literally thousands of enemy troops, but the price was high – more than eighty Z Operatives lost their lives.

Australian, British, New Zealand, Canadian, South African, Indonesian, Timorese and Malay, “Z” Operatives fought a secret, undercover war in hellish conditions against a brutal enemy occupying force in the islands north of Australia. Special Operations Australia, more commonly known to the public as “Z Special Unit”, was a WWII Special Forces and covert operations organisation operating in the Pacific. Lionel Aitken, the driving force behind capturing and producing all the interviews with surviving members of Z Special Unit. By Pierre Kosmidis Photos and video submitted by Lionel Aitken and used by permissionĪ 13-part documentary series, focusing on Z Special Unit, a largely unknown Australian Special Operations element, is in the making and has reached out to Mr.

Ww2 pacific heroes key