Captain Padraic Pearce McCabe, June 1917 - April 1970. Pat served as a commando in 2/2nd Independent Company - Australian Infantry Forces - in Timor approx 1942 - 1943. Listed as missing. He and comrades lived approx 7 months in Timor hills under constant attack from the Japanese. Pat lived on
berries & other edible plants which the Timorese taught them to find. Food scavenged by the Timorese supplemented this diet.

Eventually he and the others constructed a radio using bamboo & other pilfered materials. (One of Pat's teenage hobbies was making crystal sets). They were able to contacted Darwin and eventually. evacuated by sea with a number of Timorese to the Australian
mainland & thence to Melbourne, where Pat acted as interpreter for the Timorese .

Whilst in Timor he had been
promoted through the ranks from
Private to Lieutenant & was
subsequently appointed adjutant of an Army Intelligence Unit, the Far Eastern Liaison Office,
headquarters in Brisbane. Unit
engaged in psychological warfare. Dealt with interpretation of
captured documents and
compilation of leaflets which were dropped off on Jap held islands off
Australia.

Because of Pat's knowledge of Timorese languages (he was able to compile a dictionary of Timorese dialects. Pat had a gift for
languages.

Before being driven into the hills of Timor he worked closely in Dili with a Dutch Colonel Von Straten from whom he learnt Dutch. He was also fluent in German and Italian.

After Pat's death,  amongst his possessions was found the original 'Instrument of
Surrender' of the Japanese in Timor, signed at Koepang (Kupang) 11. 9. 1945 by
Tachinchi Kaida (Commander) and Minow Stoji (Chief of Staff). .

It seems likely that Pat witnessed the
signing of the surrender since he continued to work for Army Intelligence until peace was declared.

After his discharge he worked for the
Brisbane Courier Mail and for the last 14 years of his life was Advertising Manager of the Queensland Country Life newspaper. He was highly regarded and a P P McCabe
Memorial Award for writing was instituted by the paper.

Pat's death from kidney failure at 52 years was attributed to the deprivation he
suffered in Timor. He was only 6 & half stone when he returned to Australia.

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