The true story of the 42 Australian, New Zealand and British guerrillas and their Borneo warrior allies who fought behind Japanese lines in World War II and forced the surrender of the last two Japanese companies, ten weeks after World War II’s official end.

Over 1,000 Japanese were killed in the Semut I operation, a casualty rate out of all proportion to the small size and armaments of the force. But rather than revere and praise their leader, after the war, many of the guerrillas recounted their hatred for their British major, Tom Harrisson. 

“One of those amazing stories that wars throw up.”

Steven Carroll

The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age

“Kill the Major reveals much that will be news to the descendants of the Kelabit warriors.”

Dr Philip Raja

President, Rurum Kelabit Sarawak

“While it is now 75 years since Special Operations Australia (SOA) conducted its most successful operation throughout the course of the Second World War, the author has provided a refreshing review of events, and he has reignited much debate over the legacy of Operation Semut!”

Major (Rtd.) Jim Truscott

Commando—The Magazine of the Australian Commando Association

“Malone’s fascinating book reveals that the Allied guerrillas, with the help of traditional headhunting local tribesmen, did an outstanding job after being dropped into the Borneo jungle during the Pacific War. In particular, Malone builds a strong argument that the 9th Division should have accepted the guerrillas’ accurate intelligence and moved inland to round up the two big groups of Japanese roaming the interior. Instead, following the official Japanese surrender, they chose to withdraw, leaving the loyal locals at the mercy of the Japanese.”

Brian Toohey

National security writer and former Canberra and Washington correspondent, Australian Financial Review