The Tiger's Revenge

There is little which I can add to the stirring account of a great raid, told in the words of the gallent bunch of men who dared to challenge the Japanese at the height of their power in the Pacific.  The story relates to how a small party left Australia on 1st September 1943, and sailed nearly three thousand miles through enemy controlled waters, to strike a crippling blow at the heart of the Japanese Co-Prosperity Sphere

Of Operation Jaywick General Sir Collin Gubbins wrote: ' Tomorrow we will do what is possible...the impossible will take longer. Badly stated the project was fantastic-to penetrate directly to the enemy's heart, to attack him at his strongest point, and yet it was done, and carried out without loss and with minimum expenditure of resources. Truly it was epic'.

Of finding out first hand about Operation Jaywick In 1943 US Vice Admiral Christie wrote in his diary: 'Ivan Lyon is an extremely brave man; possibly the bravest man I have ever met. Almost a single-handed endevour of extremely bold pattern. My hat is off to them. Someday his exploits will be disclosed, and will read stranger than any fiction. 

Stranger than fiction

The Tiger's Revenge is an extraordinary book, highlighting the extreme courage and daring of a group of specially trained young men, a mix of Australian and British, led by Ivan Lyon who carried out one of the most successful but little known acts of sabotage during WW2.

Evan Morris is an accomplished writer who has combined the factual accounts of a secret mission called Operation Jaywick; a seaborn raid which against all the odds succeeded in destroying a large number of Japanese ships in Singapore Harbour with the personal stories of the men involved. Most significantly, Evan draws on first hand information taken directly from his father, Ronald Morris, who played a key role in the sabotage. His father was ultimately the only survivor of the original crew when a second mission which did not involve him, failed disastrously.

On a personal level, Evan's book has given me something invaluable; a deeper understanding of how the success of Operation Jaywick, unintentionally led to such terrible consequences for the POWs in Changi Gaol. My own family was directly affected by this as my father and grandfather, both interned in Changi, suffered greatly under the backlash from the Kempeitai.

For anyone interested in learning more about real-life acts of heroism and the extraordinary courage and resilience of the human spirit, I can thoroughly recommend The Tiger's Revenge.

Epic Read

You don't have to visit Singapore to read this book! However, I knew I had a forthcoming business trip so brought it along to digest during some downtime. I was certainly not disappointed, Evan Morris MBE has managed to capture both the enormity of risk those brave men took, and the scale of distance travelled in enemy waters. That their objective was accomplished without detection was remarkable. There is a plaque in the old Keppel Harbour in memory of the gallant crew of 'Krait' and poignantly a memorial to the civilian victims of the Japanese occupation, off Stamford Road. I must declare that I'm an old colleague of the author, we served together for many years in the UK Fire and Rescue Service. I wished I'd met his father, Ronald Morris MM, BEM, whose exploits remained relatively untold until publication of 'The Tiger's Revenge'. A modest man by all accounts, admirable given his exploits. He went from 'Miner to Major', a most fitting epitaph!

Fascinating read

I have read this book twice and what initially was a fascinating tale of courage and perseverance became reinforced on the second time of reading. It made me wonder just how many other heroic and challenging wartime operations went largely overlooked by history due to various governments and military leaders failing to agree. This book provides an insight into the many members of the special operations service personnel who wanted to make a difference by striking back at the enemy and at the same time helping the local civilian population to survive the ever present cruelty and terror created by the Japanese invading forces.

Look at the maps and distance travelled by the Krait from its embarkation to the target and its return to safer waters, which alone speaks volumes to the crews determination and skills. The essence of those involved in dangerous missions into occupied territory comes through from start to finish of the book, including those humorous moments that bring teams together and add a lighter perspective for the reader.

The book has been researched and written by the son of a member of the crew and is a well balanced insight of events and the type of combatant typically found within special forces teams. I highly recommend this book.

Fantastic read

This is a real insight to a relatively unknown secret operation in the Far East during the Second World War. Researched and written by one of the sons of the operation. It details the heroic and bravery of a few men, determined to wreak havoc on the enemy.

An excellent read for anyone interested in this period of history and would make an epic film.

A must read if interested if interested in WW2 Singapore disaster

Having seen a recent obituary, did some research about MV Krait and the successful operation against Singapore harbour. A must read on an understated and little known episode, which deserves greater acknowledgment. A good read and leaves one in awe.

A must read for anyone interested in the role of SOE in the Far East

For far too long, various accounts of WW2 have ignored British efforts against the Japanese Imperial Forces in the Far East and the Pacific theatres of war. Indeed, one could be forgiven for thinking that the British made no contribution to the war effort following the fall of Singapore, with their only story being one of brutal captivity and survival in POW camps along the Burma Railway. Although their early actions were marred by poor preparation and incompetence, war in the Far East saw the British develop revolutionary techniques in jungle warfare and pioneer special forces capable of conducting raids far behind enemy lines.

Arguable the most audacious mission of them all was Operation Jaywick, a tail of heroism and determination that has sadly been forgotten in Britain today. Led by then Captain Ivan Lyon of the Gordon Highlanders, the mission saw a motely crew of British and Australian civilians, soldiers and sailors alike, set sail in a clapped out fishing boat across thousands of miles of hostile seas. Their aim was to strike back at Japanese forces occupying Singapore harbour where they least expected it. What is all the more remarkable, is that the mission was conceived and planned by the men themselves, whom having helped survivors flee the fall of Singapore, later petitioned the brass for their support, not for the glory, but out of a genuine bond and affection for the indigenous people of the Far East.

The Tiger’s Revenge, provides a thoroughly entertaining and human account of the mission, through the perspective of the author’s father, Ronald George \"Taffy\" Morris. Born in Pentre, in the Rhondda Valley, the ex-coal miner left Wales before the war in search of adventure. However, it was his first-aid training from the mines that helped shape his military career. As a corporal in the Royal Army Medical Corps, it was his medical skill set, together with his calming presence and friendship, that led Lyon’s to include him in this hand-picked unit. Later decorated for his role in Jaywick, Morris not only survived the war but his career spanned 35 years before retiring from the army as a Major.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in early special forces and the role of the Special Operations Executive in the Far East.

I did not know about this story so I just had to read it.

I had a job putting this book down. I am not going to say to much. But its an excellent read.

A little known WW2 Special Operation

This really is a splendid book relaying the story of a very successful special operation behind Japanese lines and especially the story of one member of the team, written by the family. These men carrying out Jaywick were very brave, knowing what their fate would be if caught.

The book also details the prelude to the operation and how members of the team initially escaped as the Japanese invaded Malaya and island hopping until they reached safety and commenced planning to return and attack shipping in Singapore harbour.

A must-read for an amazing story which should be better known.

A fabulous, moving book. If you are familiar with the story this will still add so much. If you don’t know the story you will be amazed at the courage, daring and sense of duty shown. Make sure you keep the map handy during the journey described. It beggars belief. Above all it’s written as a labour of love from family which again adds so much to the narrative. Read and recommend it as widely as possible. It’s a story which should be so much better known. In the UK the Cockleshell Heroes are so familiar to us, The Heroes of Operation Jaywick and the Krait deserve to join them. I hope Peter Jackson the filmmaker gets to read it and surely a new blockbuster would follow.

Excellent read. Well written and provides in depth vision of not only the comradeship but the outstanding bravery of such a small group of men. Wonderful legacy and very humbling. We shall remember them.

For those who wish to know more about Operation JAYWICK, I offer this new book by Evan Morris MBE, the son of Ronald 'Taffy' Morris, who was a key figure in SOE, along with MAJ Ivan Lyon, in the conduct of this daring mission to strike Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour on 26 Sep 1943. I have the pleasure of many months of contact, sharing information and discussions with the author, Evan Morris, as he was working on his manuscript using the primary resources of his father 'Taffy' Morris, along with many archival materials and other published works as references for checking, cross-checking, and establishing the facts. I am also aware that Brian Young, son of Horrie Young, the Telegraphist on Krait for Operation JAYWICK, collaborated with Evan Morris to also check and confirm information that Horrie had recorded in his personal papers. It is quite wonderful that Evan Morris has now managed to complete this work, and I encourage the widest possible reading of the book. From drafts that I have seen, the book is a great read! People would do well to understand and remember that while the key date is the actual sabotage and successful demolitions of several ships on one day, 26 September 1943, there were many months of planning, training, travel and execution of the operation beforehand, and an equally challenging lengthy period for the men of JAYWICK to safely return to Australia. LEST WE FORGET. Evan Morris - BRAVO ZULU on your dedication to writing this history.

Actually this was excellent, and so far the most complete account of Operation Jaywick that I’ve read (and I’ve read a lot). It’s let down somewhat by a lack of proof-reading - it’s got a lot of grammatical errors and a few mistakes in dates (eg the fall of France was in 1940, not 1939), which makes me sad, especially as the royalties go to veterans charities, and it would have been so easy to fix. Nonetheless, it’s really enhanced by the inclusion of Taffy Morris’s recollections - the author is Taffy’s son. I gained particular insight into the fall of Malaya (I now want to read more about this dramatic time) and the activities of Lyon and Morris with SOE before Jaywick. Lyon spoke Malay and French, and I noted that his wife Gabrielle, previously divorced, had a daughter who is never mentioned again - I wonder what happened to her. I also learned a lot about the training at Camp X on the Hawkesbury river, including an amusing incident around Morris’s use of the camp toilet as an ad hoc incinerator. I had no idea that the Krait had a ship’s cat, named Cleopatra and looked after by Morris after she left kittens on his neatly folded clothes at Camp X, though she was sadly washed overboard in heavy seas off the east coast of Australia. I also learned that Lt Donald Davidson - who tripped on the train station platform when he first met Lyon and Morris - loved butterflies, and his butterfly collection is now held by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. I noted with interest Evan Morris’s assertion that the operation was named after a popular brand of detergent in Singapore, J-Wick. I was excited to read that when the Krait was being repaired in Brisbane, Lyon and Davidson sent the crew to enjoy the beaches of Surfers Paradise for a couple of weeks (somewhere I visited in 2024). I was interested to read that delays in the operation were behind the changes in crew in Cairns. Finally, I smiled at how the crew snuck aboard USS Chanticleer when they returned. The concluding section about the tragic consequences of the raid for people in Singapore at the hands of the Kempeitai was also interesting - the Japanese never realised it was a seaborne raid. All in all, a fascinating read.

This is a very well researched book. It is well written and easy to read. A true war story everyone should know about. The men aboard the Krait were true heros. Well done Evan.