Necessary Chicanery : Operation Kingfisher's
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NECESSARY CHICANERY: OPERATION KINGFISHER’S CANCELLATION AND INTER-ALLIED RIVALRY Gary Followill Z3364691 A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters by Research University of New South Wales UNSW Canberra 17 January 2020 1 Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Australia's Global University Surname/Family Name Followill Given Name/s GaryDwain Abbreviation for degree as give in the University calendar MA Faculty AOFA School HASS Thesis Title Necessary Chicanery: Operation Kingfisher'scancellation and inter-allied rivalry Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) This thesis examines the cancellation of 'Operation Kingfisher' (the planned rescue of Allied prisoners of war from Sandakan, Borneo, in 1945) in the context of the relationship of the wartime leaders of the United States, Britain and Australia and their actions towards each other. It looks at the co-operation between Special Operations Australia, Special Operations Executive of Britain and the US Officeof Strategic Services and their actions with and against each other during the Pacific War. Based on hithertounused archival sources, it argues that the cancellation of 'Kingfisher' - and the failure to rescue the Sandakan prisoners - can be explained by the motivations, decisions and actions of particular British officers in the interplay of the wartime alliance. The politics of wartime alliances played out at both the level of grand strategy but also in interaction between officers within the planning headquarters in the Southwest Pacific Area, with severe implications for those most directly affected. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here afterknow n, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in futureworks {such as articles or books) all or partof this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise niversity Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only) Signature Witness Signature . Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. OR OFFICE USE ONLY Dale of completion of requirements for Award: INCLUSION OF PUBLICATIONS STATEMENT UNSW is supportive of candidates publishing their research results during their candidature as detailed in the UNSW Thesis Examination Procedure. Publications can be used in their thesis in lieu of a Chapter if: • The student contributed greater than 50% of the content in the publication and is the "primary author", ie. the student was responsible primarily for the planning, execution and preparation of the work for publication • The student has approval to include the publication in their thesis in lieu of a Chapter from their supervisor and Postgraduate Coordinator. • The publication is not subject to any obligations or contractual agreements with a third party that would constrain its inclusion in the thesis Please indicate whether this thesis contains published material or not. This thesis contains no publications, either published or submitted for publication Some of the work described in this thesis has been published and it has been documented in the relevant Chapters with acknowledgement - . -. - . l □ - - � - -- . :- -.. � - --_· . This thesis has publications (either published or submitted for publication) □ incorporated into it in lieu of a chapter and the details are presented below CANDIDATE'S DECLARATION I declare that: • I have complied with the Thesis Examination Procedure • where I have used a publication in lieu of a Chapter, the listed publication(s) below meet(s) the requirements to be included in the thesis. Name Date 17/01/2020 Gary Dwain Followill Post raduate Coordinator's D ) I declare that: • the information below is accurate • where listed publication(s) have been used in lieu of Chapter(s), their use complies with the Thesis Examination Procedure • the minimum requirements for the format of the thesis have been met. PGC's Name PGC's Signature Date (dd/mm/yy) 2 For my Father, John Followill One of the many saved by the Atomic Bomb ‘They are dead, but they live in each Patriot’s breast, and their names are engraven on honor’s bright crest’. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 3 SYNOPSIS This thesis examines the cancellation of ‘Operation Kingfisher’ (the planned rescue of Allied prisoners of war from Sandakan, Borneo, in 1945) in the context of the relationship of the wartime leaders of the United States, Britain and Australia and their actions towards each other. It looks at the co-operation between Special Operations Australia, Special Operations Executive of Britain and the US Office of Strategic Services and their actions with and against each other during the Pacific War. Based on hitherto unused archival sources, it argues that the cancellation of ‘Kingfisher’ – and the failure to rescue the Sandakan prisoners – can be explained by the motivations, decisions and actions of particular British officers in the interplay of the wartime alliance. The politics of wartime alliances played out at both the level of grand strategy but also in interaction between officers within the planning headquarters in the Southwest Pacific Area, with severe implications for those most directly affected. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction ‘As a result, Australia is also at war’ 13 Chapter 1 ‘Unconventional tools of warfare’: 31 The creation of Special Operations Australia Chapter 2 ‘Destiny didn’t permit us to carry it out’: 49 Operation Kingfisher Theories Chapter 3 ‘Necessary Chicanery’: 63 Operation Kingfisher cancellation and Inter-allied rivalry Chapter 4 ‘Winston is a dictator’: The Alliance of Britain and Australia 83 Chapter 5 ‘The Best of Allies’: The USA and Britain Alliance 107 Chapter 6 ‘Free of any Pangs’: The Australia and United States Alliance 123 Chapter 7 ‘Relegated to a Sideshow’: Post-war Planning and Operations 141 Conclusion ‘A lack of Priority’ 159 Appendix 1: GHQ Monthly Aircraft Status Reports Dec 1944-May 1945 169 Appendix 2: 1903 Map of British North Borneo 170 Appendix 3: Map of the Japanese Empire in 1942 171 Appendix 4: Map of the movements of AGAS I 172 Bibliography 173 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This journey started in a second-hand book store, when I found a copy of Athol Moffitt’s book Project Kingfisher. As I began reading this book I became quite interested in the mystery of the Kingfisher rescue mission and the real reason for its cancellation. When I started doing research for this thesis, I had no idea where it would take me or what the final outcome would be. It is during this voyage of research around the world, that I would like to acknowledge a number of people. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge and thank Professor Peter Stanley, who I would call a true educator. The student he got at the start of this thesis and the student I am now, has improved multiple times over. The amount of time he has given to make sure I fully understood what was needed and why, as well as teaching me to write a thesis. He was always honest and to the point, and his ‘Stick and pat on the back’ method did work. Secondly, I would like to acknowledge Professor Craig Stockings, for his assistance in starting this Masters by Research. Upon competition of my first Master’s degree in Military History, I found that I wanted to continue studies in this area. It was Professor Stockings who spent the time discussing and offering options for the continuation of my studies. Professor Stocking was also the one who suggested that I approach Professor Stanley to be my supervising professor, which turned out to the best choice I could have made. Next I would like to acknowledge Ms Bernadette McDermott, Academic Support Officer, HASS, for keeping in line with the many rules and regulation of port-graduate study. She has assisted me not only for my current Master’s by Research studies, but also for my first Master’s of Art degree, a total of six years. Over that time, she has helped me with reviews, 6 class changes, university rules and regulations and all of the many other things she does behind the scenes. I would like to acknowledge all of the research centres I have had the privilege to visit and research their files. I have been lucky enough to visit the Australian War Memorial and National Archives of Australia, Canberra, a number of times. I was also able to visit the National Archives and Record Administration, College Park, USA, the MacArthur Memorial Archives and Library in Norfolk USA and the UK National Archives in Kew. I must acknowledge the support and assistance given to me by my wife, Christine Followill, during these past three years. Always understanding my love of the subject matter, my trips to various places to do research and the purchase of large numbers of books. I also want to mention my two daughters, who also provided support and assistance for occasional computer problems. Lastly, a thank you to the late Athol Moffitt for his book which led me