The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (NX82924) Lieutenant Alan Robert Gubbay, Z Special Unit, Second World War

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Richard Cruise, the story for this day was on (NX82924) Lieutenant Alan Robert Gubbay, Z Special Unit, Second World War.

NX82924 Lieutenant Alan Robert Gubbay, Z Special Unit
Presumed dead 13 April 1945
Photograph: P10358.001

Story delivered 26 September 2013

Today we remember and pay tribute to Lieutenant Alan Robert Gubbay.

Gubbay was born in 1923 in Noumea, New Caledonia, where his family owned a plantation. He was sent to Australia to be educated and attended Canberra Grammar School. Fluent in French, he was working as a customs clerk in Sydney at the time of his enlistment in January 1942.

Gubbay was originally part of the 2/11th Australian Armoured Car Regiment, but was transferred in 1944 to Z Special Unit. This was established during the Second World War to conduct secret operations in Japanese-occupied territory. On their missions, unit members served with personnel from the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal Australian Navy, as well as British, Dutch and American personnel.

Gubbay was one of eight Australian Z Special Unit commandos to land on Japanese-held Muschu Island off the coast of New Guinea during the night of the 11th of April 1945. Their mission was to determine the island's defences and confirm the location of two long-range naval guns that guarded the approaches to Wewak Harbour. This information was vital to the security of the coming Allied landings in one of the final major actions of the war.

The men, in four kayaks, were dropped from their patrol boat just on midnight, but unexpected currents pushed them south of their landing area. The kayaks were swamped by the surf, and some equipment was lost.

Nonetheless, the men pushed on, and at daybreak they began their reconnaissance of the island. Unbeknown to the Australians, the Japanese had found the equipment that had been lost in the surf and mounted an intense search for the commandos. Some of the Australians were killed, but Gubbay and three others set off on logs in an attempt to reach a neighbouring island. They were never seen alive again. Gubbay was buried by locals, and his body reinterred in the war cemetery at Lae in 1947. He was 22 years old when he died.

The name of Lieutenant Alan Gubbay is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with around 40,000 others from the Second World War. His story is also featured in the Memorial's new exhibition Salute: Canberra's military heritage, which has been produced as part of this year's Centenary of Canberra celebrations.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Lieutenant Alan Robert Gubbay and all those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.