DEFENCE MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by Ministerial Support and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT
Phone: 02 6127 1999, Fax: 02 6265 1545
MSPA 393/09
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
WWII Z FORCE VETERAN PASSES AWAY
The Commanding Officer of HMAS Stirling, CAPT Brett Dowsing, expressed his
condolences today on behalf of Navy at the passing of revered 84-year-old WWII Z
Force veteran, Jack Wong Sue.
“Jack Sue was a highly respected West Australian who served his country with great
distinction,” said CAPT Dowsing. “He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct
Medal for his actions in WWII and in 2006 was made a Member of the Order of
Australia. He will be sadly missed by the local Perth ex-serving and current military
community.”
After joining the Royal Australian Air Force for WWII, as a 19-year-old Jack Wong
Sue served as a member of Z Force, a special operations unit formed to operate
behind enemy lines in South East Asia. After WWII he became a recognised author,
prominent businessman, Justice of the Peace and well-regarded musician in Perth for
around 60 years.
In his book “Blood on Borneo”, Mr Sue recounted his experiences with his Z Force
colleagues and gave an insight into the mistreatment that occurred in the prisoner of
war camps – the most notorious of these being the Sandakan camp in North Borneo.
He returned to Perth after being discharged from the RAAF in January 1946 and
subsequently opened a diving equipment store in Midland. He was so highly regarded
by the military that, although remaining a civilian, he later instructed and advised
members of the Australian Army’s SAS Regiment in jungle warfare.
Media Contacts:
Major John McPherson:
0400 083 723
Defence Media Liaison:
02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664
NEWS 
