# Ambush near Remexio (22 May 1942)

URL: https://allhistories.com/timor-leste/timeline/1942-ambush-near-remexio
Location: Remexio, Portuguese Timor
Themes: battle

On 22 May 1942 a Japanese force led by a veteran of the Malayan and Singapore campaigns, known as the Tiger of Singapore, was ambushed near Remexio, in the hills south of Dili. The Wikipedia account of the Battle of Timor says the officer was killed by an Australian sniper. The ambush was one of the sharper actions of the early guerrilla phase and was celebrated in later Australian accounts. The 2/2nd Independent Company held the mountains of the south and east after the Japanese seized Dili and Dutch Timor. On 24 May, two days after the ambush, Veale and van Straten were evacuated and Spence took command. Local Timorese helped the guerrillas with intelligence, porters and guides as they selected ambush positions and moved between camps in the hills. Japanese forces answered such actions with reprisals. In August the 48th Division launched a counter-offensive, and the Japanese raised Timorese auxiliaries to hunt the Australians. The ambush near Remexio was a tactical success for the guerrillas, but it did not change the strategic balance on the island or end Japanese control of Dili. At this point in the timeline (1942), the territory was under Japanese military administration (1942 – 1945), which held effective control in place of Portuguese authority; Manuel de Abreu Ferreira de Carvalho, Governor of Portuguese Timor (1940 – 1945), is listed as the governor nominally in office, although the Japanese administration held effective control.

## Why it matters
It is among the best-known actions of the guerrilla campaign, showing small Australian parties could strike a larger Japanese force with Timorese help.

Ruler at the Time: [Japanese military administration (Imperial Japanese Army)](https://allhistories.com/timor-leste/rulers/japanese-military-administration-imperial-japanese-army)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Timor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Timor)
- [awm.gov.au — timor](https://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/timor)