06/07/2026
We recently had the privilege of creating two replica sets of medals for the family of Corporal Andrew Anthony Crilley MM. He was one of the brave Australian commando’s who was apart of Operation JayWick. He was awarded the Military Medal for his gallantry. I’ve listed the history below.
The Audacious Few: Remembering Operation JAYWICK and the Heroes of the Krait
On the 19th of October 1943, one of the most audacious and brilliantly executed special forces missions in Australian military history reached its conclusion. That day, a battered little fishing boat named the MV Krait sailed quietly back into Australian waters, carrying 14 men who had just achieved the impossible. This is the story of Operation JAYWICK and the heroes who pulled it off.
In the dark days of World War II, with Singapore a seemingly impregnable fortress for the Imperial Japanese Navy, the idea of a strike against its harbour felt like a fantasy. But for the elite commandos of Z Special Unit, it was a mission to be accomplished.
The plan was as bold as it was perilous. Disguised as local fishermen, a team of 11 Australian and three British operatives would sail the captured Japanese vessel from Exmouth Gulf, deep into the heart of enemy territory. Staining their skin and maintaining their cover for the long voyage, they slipped through enemy patrols undetected.
Arriving off Singapore on the 24th of September, the most dangerous phase began. Six of the commandos, led by Major Ivan Lyon, launched three collapsible canoes and paddled a staggering 50 kilometres under the cover of darkness. They established a hidden forward base in a cave on a small island, from where they watched the bustling enemy port.
On the night of the 26th of September, they moved. Paddling like ghosts into the heavily guarded harbour, they methodically attached magnetic limpet mines to the hulls of seven Japanese ships before retreating as silently as they had arrived. The resulting explosions crippled the port, sinking or severely damaging over 39,000 tonnes of enemy shipping and throwing the Japanese command into chaos, who blamed local saboteurs, never suspecting a raid launched from Australia.
After a tense wait for the search to die down, the six men made the perilous return journey to the Krait, rejoining their crewmates on the 2nd of October. Their long, silent trip home ended on the 19th of October, with every one of the 14 men returning safely, a stunning success.
This victory was not the work of a faceless unit, but of fourteen individuals whose names should be etched into our history. We must honour the men behind the legend:
The Officers
Major Ivan Lyon (Mission Commander)
Lieutenant Hubert Edward Carse (Krait's Captain)
Lieutenant Donald Montague Noel Davidson
Lieutenant Robert Charles Page
The NCOs and Seamen
Corporal Andrew Anthony Crilley
Corporal R.G. Morris
Leading Seaman Kevin Patrick Cain
Leading Stoker James Patrick McDowell
Leading Telegraphist Horace Stewart Young
Able Seaman Walter Gordon Falls
Able Seaman Mostyn Berryman
Able Seaman Frederick Walter Lota Marsh
Able Seaman Arthur Walter Jones
Able Seaman Andrew William George Huston
Fourteen men, bound by a singular, shared courage. Their teamwork, skill, and unwavering resolve achieved a victory against overwhelming odds. When we speak of the great feats of Australian military history, let us remember the story of the Krait and the fourteen heroes who sailed her.
Lest we forget.
Rod Hutchings
Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans Association
