Tom Daly was described by Gavin Long, Australia’s Official Historian of the Second World War, as ‘the outstanding CO’ of the Balikpapan campaign of July 1945. Just before 9am on 1 July, Daly and the 2/10th Battalion landed at Balikpapan with orders to capture a steep hill, nicknamed Parramatta, that dominated the landing beaches. Almost immediately Daly was confronted with a dilemma. The first knoll on the way to Parramatta – Hill 87 – loomed before the 2/10th but the battalion’s supporting tanks were bogged on the beach, and artillery and naval gunfire support was likewise unavailable. Should he wait for the fire support but give the Japanese time to recover from the pre-invasion bombardment? Or should he push on without it, with all the risks that entailed? Each option had the potential for heavy casualties.

Knowing the danger an organised Japanese force atop Parramatta could pose to the landings, Daly ordered an assault. Relying almost solely on the tactics of fire and movement to maintain momentum, the attacking troops surged up Hill 87; it was in Australian hands by 12.40pm. By this time the tanks had been freed and moved forward, and the artillery was also in action. With this support in train, the 2/10th was firm on the summit of Parramatta by 2.12pm. Visiting Parramatta the next day, and viewing the fields of fire it provided over the landing beaches, Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead, commander of I Corps, commented, ‘Thank God for the 2/10th Battalion.’