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Semut: The Untold Story of a Secret Australian Operation in WWII Borneo
A remarkable new book about Operation Semut, an Australian secret military operation launched by the organisation popularly known as Z Special Unit in the final months of WWII.
March 1945. A handful of young Allied operatives are parachuted into the remote jungled heart of the Japanese-occupied island of Borneo, east of Singapore, there to recruit the island’s indigenous Dayak peoples to fight the Japanese. Yet most have barely encountered Asian or indigenous people before, speak next to no Borneo languages, and know little about Dayaks, other than that they have been – and may still be – headhunters. They fear that on arrival the Dayaks will kill them or hand them over to the Japanese. For their part, some Dayaks have never before seen a white face.
So begins the story of Operation Semut, an Australian secret operation launched by the organisation codenamed Services Reconnaisance Department – popularly known as Z Special Unit – in the final months of WWII. Anthropologist Christine Helliwell has called on her years of first-hand knowledge of Borneo, interviewed more than one hundred Dayak people and all the remaining Semut operatives, and consulted thousands of military and other documents to piece together this astonishing story. Focusing on the operation's activities along two of Borneo’s great rivers – the Baram and Rejang – the book provides a detailed military history of Semut II’s and Semut III’s brutal guerrilla campaign against the Japanese, and reveals the decisive but long-overlooked Dayak role in the operation.
But this is no ordinary history. Helliwell captures vividly the sounds, smells and tastes of the jungles into which the operatives are plunged, an environment so terrifying that many are unsure whether jungle or Japanese is the greater enemy. And she takes us into the lives and cavernous longhouses of the Dayaks on whom their survival depends. The result is a truly unique account of the encounter between two very different cultures amidst the savagery of the Pacific War.
"The incredible, little-known story of Australia’s top secret ‘Z’ operations deep inside Japanese lines in Sarawak in 1945 – aided by Dayak tribes who, with Australian approval, had resumed the ancient practice of headhunting . . . against Japanese patrols. Christine Helliwell records the dying months of the Pacific War, the terror of the Japanese, the world of the indigenous tribes, the intensity – down to the very smell and taste – of this jungle conflict with such menacing immediacy that this book will possess you long after you lay it down. A superb read, brilliantly researched, written in prose as sharp as a machete" - Paul Ham
March 1945. A handful of young Allied operatives are parachuted into the remote jungled heart of the Japanese-occupied island of Borneo, east of Singapore, there to recruit the island’s indigenous Dayak peoples to fight the Japanese. Yet most have barely encountered Asian or indigenous people before, speak next to no Borneo languages, and know little about Dayaks, other than that they have been – and may still be – headhunters. They fear that on arrival the Dayaks will kill them or hand them over to the Japanese. For their part, some Dayaks have never before seen a white face.
So begins the story of Operation Semut, an Australian secret operation launched by the organisation codenamed Services Reconnaisance Department – popularly known as Z Special Unit – in the final months of WWII. Anthropologist Christine Helliwell has called on her years of first-hand knowledge of Borneo, interviewed more than one hundred Dayak people and all the remaining Semut operatives, and consulted thousands of military and other documents to piece together this astonishing story. Focusing on the operation's activities along two of Borneo’s great rivers – the Baram and Rejang – the book provides a detailed military history of Semut II’s and Semut III’s brutal guerrilla campaign against the Japanese, and reveals the decisive but long-overlooked Dayak role in the operation.
But this is no ordinary history. Helliwell captures vividly the sounds, smells and tastes of the jungles into which the operatives are plunged, an environment so terrifying that many are unsure whether jungle or Japanese is the greater enemy. And she takes us into the lives and cavernous longhouses of the Dayaks on whom their survival depends. The result is a truly unique account of the encounter between two very different cultures amidst the savagery of the Pacific War.
"The incredible, little-known story of Australia’s top secret ‘Z’ operations deep inside Japanese lines in Sarawak in 1945 – aided by Dayak tribes who, with Australian approval, had resumed the ancient practice of headhunting . . . against Japanese patrols. Christine Helliwell records the dying months of the Pacific War, the terror of the Japanese, the world of the indigenous tribes, the intensity – down to the very smell and taste – of this jungle conflict with such menacing immediacy that this book will possess you long after you lay it down. A superb read, brilliantly researched, written in prose as sharp as a machete" - Paul Ham
562 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2021
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January 9, 2024Surprisingly interesting book. A lot of it is about the interactions between the Australians and the native people.
That said, almost none of the individual details seemed that interesting to me. A brief summary of the main events would serve to get you basically all the information I found interesting from the book: there was an operation called Semut run out of Australia that was intended to capture Borneo from Japanese control during World War II; several teams were embedded and recruited natives to help in the operation — the natives were the main thing keeping the Europeans alive and making them successful in their mission due to their superior ability to survive and thrive in the jungles of Borneo; in the end the promised European troops didn't materialize, but the war did end and the Semut operation took control of Borneo.
One thing that I did find interesting was the role of head hunting in Semut. The natives had a tradition of head hunting that had been more-or-less suppressed around Europeans, but during World War II Europeans had a sort of unofficial operation encouraging natives to take Japanese heads. At first they were paying for Japanese heads, but a lot of the natives found that a bit crass, since they considered head-hunting to be its own reward, and a sort of sacred ritual. The contrast between the Iban beliefs that taking the head of a fallen warrior was a sign of respect and the European cultural preference for maintaining bodily integrity even after death was well called-out in the book: Helliwell mentions that mutilating corpses in this way is a violation of the Geneva convention, but the Geneva convention is kinda arbitrary in this way — blowing someone up with a grenade is fine, but chopping them into bits after they are already dead is not? Reminds me of a twitter bot I saw that just tweets sort of innocuous things in video games that would be war crimes under the Geneva convention.
3 of 5 stars
That said, almost none of the individual details seemed that interesting to me. A brief summary of the main events would serve to get you basically all the information I found interesting from the book: there was an operation called Semut run out of Australia that was intended to capture Borneo from Japanese control during World War II; several teams were embedded and recruited natives to help in the operation — the natives were the main thing keeping the Europeans alive and making them successful in their mission due to their superior ability to survive and thrive in the jungles of Borneo; in the end the promised European troops didn't materialize, but the war did end and the Semut operation took control of Borneo.
One thing that I did find interesting was the role of head hunting in Semut. The natives had a tradition of head hunting that had been more-or-less suppressed around Europeans, but during World War II Europeans had a sort of unofficial operation encouraging natives to take Japanese heads. At first they were paying for Japanese heads, but a lot of the natives found that a bit crass, since they considered head-hunting to be its own reward, and a sort of sacred ritual. The contrast between the Iban beliefs that taking the head of a fallen warrior was a sign of respect and the European cultural preference for maintaining bodily integrity even after death was well called-out in the book: Helliwell mentions that mutilating corpses in this way is a violation of the Geneva convention, but the Geneva convention is kinda arbitrary in this way — blowing someone up with a grenade is fine, but chopping them into bits after they are already dead is not? Reminds me of a twitter bot I saw that just tweets sort of innocuous things in video games that would be war crimes under the Geneva convention.
3 of 5 stars
May 28, 2025
Christine Helliwell’s Semut is an amazing account of operations in Japanese-occupied Borneo, and the audiobook, with its foreword and epilogue read by the author and the main narration by Dorje Swallow, made for an excellent listening experience.
I particularly enjoyed learning about the meticulous preparations made before the operatives were parachuted into Borneo and their hopes of recruiting the Dayaks to their cause. It involved so many anthropologists and students who had previously studied in the region. Landing in such an unfamiliar landscape must have felt like arriving on an alien planet, and survival relied not only on resisting the Japanese but also on the locals’ generosity and support. Not only had the locals not seen a Westerner before, but many Australians had not seen any Asians before. Helliwell does a fantastic job describing how difficult it must have been for everyone to adjust, as well as describing how cities and landscapes look now compared to then.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the book was the tension and interplay between Australian and British forces, with class backgrounds influencing operations in unexpected ways. The contrast between individuals, some who sought self-promotion and glory versus those who, despite humble beginnings, took great care to learn the local languages and culture, was especially interesting. Helliwell does ensure that these personal conflicts do not detract from the central narrative of operations and activities.
As I read, I deeply regretted missing Christine Helliwell’s talk at the Canberra Writers Festival, as I hadn’t yet discovered the book. What an achievement it must have been for her to interview survivors about their wartime experiences, their encounters with the first Westerners they had ever seen, and to uncover hidden truths absent from official military accounts. Her ability to engage with people, navigate cultural barriers, and draw out testimonies is truly remarkable. In that I include not just the various groups from Borneo, but also aging Australians sharing their experiences for the first time. Many of these experiences must have been very difficult and emotional to mentally relive.
Toward the end, I do wish there had been some brief inclusion of the Japanese perspective. The operatives actively encouraged the practice of headhunting, and one can only imagine the terror experienced by Japanese soldiers witnessing entire teams vanish or in one case, a lone soldier returning headless floating down a river. Did the Japanese government ever attempt to retrieve the heads, which had been smoked, dried, and displayed in longhouses? The book also touches on racial tensions, noting how some locals exploited the promotion of Japanese headhunting to settle personal grievances, going so far as to target Chinese shopkeepers with whom they had prior disputes. Several times in the book Chinese people and other ethnic groups had their heads collected. It would be outside the scope of this book, but I would love to read more about the Chinese-Canadian soldiers who studied local languages and customs so meticulously that they could blend in with the region’s Chinese population in preparation for an attack. I worried for them not just because of a potential attack by the Japanese, but also that they might be mistaken as being Japanese, or that locals might have economic-based issues with them (thinking they were local Chinese business owners) and cut off their heads, or, as seemed to happen so many times, the RAAF might just blow them all up by accident anyway. It's very suspenseful reading.
Semut also excels in its discussion of how war did not immediately bring an end to violence and reprisals. The Japanese forces in Borneo took months to fully surrender, and it was disturbing to read about high-ranking military officials prioritizing photographs of themselves over the urgent rescue of starving POWs and civilians. Ultimately, Semut conveys a powerful message: that individuals from vastly different backgrounds can rise above their biases, fears, and weaknesses to accomplish extraordinary acts of courage. I really recommend the book, even if you don't typically pick up military non-fiction.
I particularly enjoyed learning about the meticulous preparations made before the operatives were parachuted into Borneo and their hopes of recruiting the Dayaks to their cause. It involved so many anthropologists and students who had previously studied in the region. Landing in such an unfamiliar landscape must have felt like arriving on an alien planet, and survival relied not only on resisting the Japanese but also on the locals’ generosity and support. Not only had the locals not seen a Westerner before, but many Australians had not seen any Asians before. Helliwell does a fantastic job describing how difficult it must have been for everyone to adjust, as well as describing how cities and landscapes look now compared to then.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the book was the tension and interplay between Australian and British forces, with class backgrounds influencing operations in unexpected ways. The contrast between individuals, some who sought self-promotion and glory versus those who, despite humble beginnings, took great care to learn the local languages and culture, was especially interesting. Helliwell does ensure that these personal conflicts do not detract from the central narrative of operations and activities.
As I read, I deeply regretted missing Christine Helliwell’s talk at the Canberra Writers Festival, as I hadn’t yet discovered the book. What an achievement it must have been for her to interview survivors about their wartime experiences, their encounters with the first Westerners they had ever seen, and to uncover hidden truths absent from official military accounts. Her ability to engage with people, navigate cultural barriers, and draw out testimonies is truly remarkable. In that I include not just the various groups from Borneo, but also aging Australians sharing their experiences for the first time. Many of these experiences must have been very difficult and emotional to mentally relive.
Toward the end, I do wish there had been some brief inclusion of the Japanese perspective. The operatives actively encouraged the practice of headhunting, and one can only imagine the terror experienced by Japanese soldiers witnessing entire teams vanish or in one case, a lone soldier returning headless floating down a river. Did the Japanese government ever attempt to retrieve the heads, which had been smoked, dried, and displayed in longhouses? The book also touches on racial tensions, noting how some locals exploited the promotion of Japanese headhunting to settle personal grievances, going so far as to target Chinese shopkeepers with whom they had prior disputes. Several times in the book Chinese people and other ethnic groups had their heads collected. It would be outside the scope of this book, but I would love to read more about the Chinese-Canadian soldiers who studied local languages and customs so meticulously that they could blend in with the region’s Chinese population in preparation for an attack. I worried for them not just because of a potential attack by the Japanese, but also that they might be mistaken as being Japanese, or that locals might have economic-based issues with them (thinking they were local Chinese business owners) and cut off their heads, or, as seemed to happen so many times, the RAAF might just blow them all up by accident anyway. It's very suspenseful reading.
Semut also excels in its discussion of how war did not immediately bring an end to violence and reprisals. The Japanese forces in Borneo took months to fully surrender, and it was disturbing to read about high-ranking military officials prioritizing photographs of themselves over the urgent rescue of starving POWs and civilians. Ultimately, Semut conveys a powerful message: that individuals from vastly different backgrounds can rise above their biases, fears, and weaknesses to accomplish extraordinary acts of courage. I really recommend the book, even if you don't typically pick up military non-fiction.
October 20, 2021
This has got to be the most important WWII history to come out this year. The story was begging to be told.... in fact, a publisher approached the author to ask her to write it. Many people will have heard of the mop-up mission in Borneo because of Tom Harrisson, the so-called "barefoot anthropologist" and most "offensive man alive" .... I have been obsessed with Harrisson for years and have long wanted to learn more of his association with this Australian-led mission in Borneo.
The author does an impeccable job telling the story. Being an anthropologist, she is particularly excellent at cultural issues revolving around the various Dayak groups.... their headhunting practices, how the British Rajahs stopped the practice, as well as how Harrisson had the idea to get them back to it.... all for a good purpose? The issues regarding desecration of bodies in war--is it torture? Is it an act of inhumanity? I was also deeply impressed by the way she tracked down the men involved--from the soldiers to the Dayak... anyone still alive to augment her research in archives.
I cannot recommend this book enough. Here is my list of Borneo books:
https://www.borges-library.com/2020/0...
Readers who loved this book will like,
The Most Offending Soul Alive: Tom Harrisson and His Remarkable Life Paperback – November 1, 1999
by Judith M. Heimann (Author) )Amazon says I have purchased this book 3 times) and Heimann's other book, The Airmen and the Headhunters
The author does an impeccable job telling the story. Being an anthropologist, she is particularly excellent at cultural issues revolving around the various Dayak groups.... their headhunting practices, how the British Rajahs stopped the practice, as well as how Harrisson had the idea to get them back to it.... all for a good purpose? The issues regarding desecration of bodies in war--is it torture? Is it an act of inhumanity? I was also deeply impressed by the way she tracked down the men involved--from the soldiers to the Dayak... anyone still alive to augment her research in archives.
I cannot recommend this book enough. Here is my list of Borneo books:
https://www.borges-library.com/2020/0...
Readers who loved this book will like,
The Most Offending Soul Alive: Tom Harrisson and His Remarkable Life Paperback – November 1, 1999
by Judith M. Heimann (Author) )Amazon says I have purchased this book 3 times) and Heimann's other book, The Airmen and the Headhunters
April 13, 2022
This is a superbly crafted account of an unexplored aspect of World War 2 in a part of the world that was also largely unexplored as well. Britain and Australia put a small group of undercover 'Z' force soldiers into Japanese occupied Borneo in the latter days of World War 2. In some respects who was in actual charge was a bit of a muddle as Britain had an undeclared objective of reinstating their Colonial rule into North Borneo, while the Dutch were the pre-war colonial rulers in the southern portion, although the emerging Indonesia also had claims for the area. In the midst of this complex plot the real heroes were the Dyaks, the native river people, with a custom for head hunting, a pastime that terrified the Japanese. The author is an anthropologist and there is no doubt that her sympathies rest with the Dyaks and she is also able to display her detailed knowledge of their history and customs. There is no doubt that the small group of British and Australian soldiers, working with the Dyaks were able to get great 'bang for their buck', while the Australian Army landed on the coast and moved inland. If my description sounds complex, it is, but it rewards the persistent reader with a fascinating tale. This is Volume One and I am looking forward to the second book with great anticipation.
January 5, 2022
In 1941, at the outbreak of the war in the Pacific, the Japanese landed on Borneo and remained there unopposed until the closing stages of the war. In 1945, Operation Semut was a series of guerrilla raids, undertaken by Australia’s Z Special Unit, to wrest back control of Borneo’s oilfields, and inflict as much damage as possible on the Japanese forces. The terrain and the lack of knowledge of the area made recruiting the indigenous Dayak people critical to success. Helliwell is well-qualified to write this thoroughly entertaining history of the war in Borneo because she is an anthropologist and has, for almost 40 years, either lived with, studied, or written about the Dayaks. Her history goes much deeper than the commando raids to include an intimate picture what happens when the worst of the wider world comes to an ancient culture already under threat.
August 25, 2021
Set in the Borneo jungle in the last months of WW2 this is a great story, impeccably researched and well told.
The author’s respect and affection for the operatives and the indigenous Dyaks shine through. Soldiers selected for their independence make a brilliant alliance with Dyaks who had a reputation for headhunting.
The other colourful and robust character in the book is the jungle.
Now I want to go there before it’s all gone.
The author’s respect and affection for the operatives and the indigenous Dyaks shine through. Soldiers selected for their independence make a brilliant alliance with Dyaks who had a reputation for headhunting.
The other colourful and robust character in the book is the jungle.
Now I want to go there before it’s all gone.
September 26, 2021
Semut is a riveting read which brings to life the challenges and costs of an Allied secret operation through the Borneo jungle in 1945, whose success depends on the indigenous Dayaks. It’s beautifully written, giving you a real sense of the different worlds that met and the richness of the jungle and rivers, as well as an incredible story.
July 31, 2024
Australia's involvement in Borneo was a lesser-known part of Australia's involvement in WWII. This particular history is told in a more scientific (as opposed to story-telling) voice, with more of an anthropological introspection on the involvement of the indigenous Dayak peoples in the operation. The story is fascinating, and it was a unique perspective on one of Australia's WWII special ops.
November 15, 2021
I both read and listened to this book. The hard copy was really necessary to follow the maps but for me, too long to sit and read! But what a remarkable and unknown (to me) story. This is some of the more important Australian war stories upon which I hope historians will focus
December 18, 2021
A wonderful memorial to wartime Borneo lives and loss, elegantly recounting a largely untold story in gripping, page-turning detail. It is a courageous book, as persistent and human as the protagonists it honours. A book that needed to be written, and needs to be read.
November 6, 2022
Really interesting Military history. Written by an anthropologist who makes an honest effort to look at the Dayak peoples and their role. Brings insight, and realistic voice that peels away at the more common narratives that either overly romanticise or erase the role of these people.
January 1, 2026
This is a very detailed history of a largely unknown secret operation by Australian and British officers and men in Borneo in 1945. The author’s extensive research and analysis provide a very reversing glimpse of the difficulties of this mission due to the conditions and politics of the time.
February 2, 2022
Academic but could be a page-turner in the right mindset. Clash of cultures in a lost world.
February 18, 2022
A fascinating read regarding one of the many inter-conflicts within the context of WWII.
December 3, 2025
A fantastic book on Z Special Unit in Borneo WW2.
January 3, 2026
the author tells the story with a writing style that feels like she is directly recounting to the reader the events in the book with a sparkle in her eye. the book discusses the operation formally while keeping it like a story, with loads of interesting information. sometimes i have trouble keeping up, but that's probably because this is the first book ive properly read in 2 years. still, i feel the love and dedication in every page, and it is filled with so much well-researched information that i can just fall into. ive learnt a lot and i appreciate my home a lot more now. very eye opening.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews