Operation Sunlag

Operation Sunlag was an Australian military operation in Timor during World War Two. Its aim was to investigate what happened to Operation Lagarto.

Captain A.D. Stevenson and Sergeant R.G. Dawson, both of Z Special Unit, and Celestino dos Anjos, a Timorese guide, were parachuted into Timor two days ahead of a proposed supply drop to Operation Lagarto.

On the night of 29–30 June 1945, Stevenson's party landed safely in an area close to the signalled drop zone and made preparations to observe any Japanese intervention and discovered Operation Lagarto had been compromised. Due to problems with their radio set, they were unable to contact Australian. In the meantime, Operation Suncob had been undertaken and its men were captured and killed.

Dawson, Stevenson and Anjos had to survive pursuing Japanese for five weeks were successfully rescued. However Dawson died of kidney failure on 10 August 1945 shortly after his return to Australia.