The battle formed part of the Allied efforts to secure North Borneo in the final months of the war and saw two Australian infantry battalions attack the town, which was held by a force of around 800 – 1,000 Japanese.

The town is located on the northern bank of the Padas River and is dominated by hills covered in dense jungle on three sides.

[1] The town was a key transport hub, as it stood at the junction of two railroads, including a light railway which connected Weston with Jesselton, and a major river.

Once these objectives were captured, the region between Brunei Bay and Beaufort on the North Borneo mainland was to be occupied, as was the Miri–Lutong–Seria area of Sarawak.

Allied forces would then construct bases in these regions, protect oil and rubber resources and re-establish civil governance.

[9] The area was defended by elements of the 56th Independent Mixed Brigade,[10] which formed part of the Thirty-Seventh Army, led by Lieutenant-General Masao Baba.

There were no roads leading inland, so the battalion advanced along the single track railway towards Beaufort,[13][14] while the 2/43rd Battalion landed unopposed around Mempakul – under the cover of artillery firing from Labuan – to secure the Klias Peninsula with the 2/11th Commando Squadron, before moving by barge along the Klias River in concert with several motor gunboats.

Despite being slowed by torrential downpour and difficult terrain, the 2/32nd Battalion secured the south bank of the Padas River, while one company from the 2/43rd was sent to take the town and another marched to the flanks, to take up ambush positions along the route that the Japanese were expected to withdraw along.

Fighting its way through numerous Japanese positions throughout the afternoon, the company reached their objective in the early evening and launched its assault.

In the days immediately following the fighting, the Australians maintained pressure on the Japanese, and pushed them further east through a series of patrol actions.

[21] With the capture of Beaufort, the Australians were able to open the Weston–Beaufort railway line; improvised rolling stock – carriages pulled by jeeps – were pressed into service to bring supplies forward.

[9][23] Following the war, the units involved in operations in British North Borneo between 17 and 30 June 1945 were awarded the battle honour "Beaufort".

[24] The fighting around Beaufort was the only occasion Japanese forces attempted to resist the Australian advance in British North Borneo.