The Brunei Revolt 1962 - 1963.
by John A Bailey BSc MA FRICS IRRV

In 1962, 42 Commando Royal Marines was based in Singapore at the RNAS Sembawang or HMS Simbang as it was then called. This was near Nee Soon Gurkhas Camp and the rifle range. The first some of us had heard of Brunei was on the 9th December 1962 when the Tannoy system went with the message "this was the 2 I/C speaking the CO Lt Col Bridges was away at a briefing and the unit is now on 4 hours standby to go to Brunei where a revolt is taking place." Needless to say some of us consulted an Atlas to see where Brunei was whilst other older hands were talking about how much gear they should stow away, before we had to leave with only our basic fighting equipment and small kit bag. Also what to do with dogs, monkeys etc. 

It soon became apparent that on December 8th 1962, the militant part (TNKU) of the popular Party Rakyat had launched a widespread armed revolt in the tiny Oil-State of Brunei and areas of Sarawaks Fifth Division. On the 10th December most of the Commando was on its way by air and sea to the island of Labuan off of the coast of Brunei with instructions to restore law and order.

L Company flew out of RAF Changi with MMG's from S Company and arrived on 11th under the command of Capt Jeremy Moore MC. K Company went by HMS Woodbridge Haven, the remainder of S Company and some of HQ Company by HMS Tiger, and M Company including myself in HMS Alert. From Labuan the various units flew into Brunei, and 42 Commando RM was allocated the Brunei Hotel and some offices opposite. L Company was already in Brunei and on it's way up river to attack rebels who were holding Limbang Town including some hostages. Mr R.D.Morris OBE the Resident, Sarawak First Division and his wife together with a number of other personnel had been captured and imprisoned by rebels and held in the Town jail. Limbang Town, was the H.Q of Sarawak's Fifth Division, and late in the afternoon of the 11th December Mr Morris and his wife, were transferred to Limbang Hospital. 

That evening the Hospital and Police Station area was held by a company of rebels, with two other companies along the riverbank and jungle fringe. At 0600 on December 12th just as dawn was breaking L Company arrived in two "Z" Lighter Craft and in Malay called on the rebels surrender, this was answered by a prolonged burst from a rebel's Bren gun. Then the battle commenced. Mr Morris later recalled the intense fire from the Baron (Sgt Wakeling's) MMG's ,as L Company launch their successful frontal assault in which they regained control of Limbang and released six European hostages. Cpl Lester and Cpl Rawlinson later received Military Medals for their leadership on that day. Unfortunately however, five marines were killed and six wounded including two Naval ratings.

Back in Brunei the news of L Company's attack together with the information on casualties heightened the tension and made one quickly realise we were involved in real jungle warfare. On the 13th M Company under the Command of Capt Priest moved to mount a similar attack on Bangor and K Company Commanded by Maj Darling moved up river to relieve L Company at Limbang. M Company went up river in similar Z Crafts on the 13th but disembarked prior to reaching Bangor. Advancing through wet boggy Jungle towards the Town, where we soon experience our first bull leeches which had some how got under our laces, and were trying to enter the seams of our trousers. We also had some air support available if necessary. However on arrival at Bangar we tactically cleared the Town and no opposition was encountered because the rebels had taken to their heels up the Temburong river. K Company cleared the road from Limbang to Bangar without incident and so by the 14th, parts of commando HQ with K and M companies were in Bangar with L Company still at Limbang. The remainder of S Company had been dispatched to Lawas in the Fifth Division. The remainder of HQ and the Command centre was partly established at a School in Brunei Town. 

The next two months were spent rounding up rebels in Temburong district with some long distance patrols to areas where rebels were believed to be. During this period there was some serious flooding which hampered some of the operations and the availability of helicopters. Lt Rupert Van der Horst RM led one long distance patrol, of which I was a member, to the mountain Bukit Pagon 1850m, however during our return we had to go without proper food for several days due to bad weather conditions making re-supply difficult. We also had difficulty with radio contact and used Morse code which provided the most likely means of getting through. However, finally a Valletta aircraft from Labuan made a food drop containing self heating soup, and we were finally taken out by two Helicopters flying in very difficult conditions, one piloted by Lt Attwood RN and the other by Lt D Rowe RM. When we returned home we found that on the 7th January the 2/IC Major B.R.Loudoun RM had written to all our next of kins as follows. 

" Mne Bailey is away from the unit on a long range patrol and has been unable to write to you for 10 days. We are in daily wireless contact with him and he is fit and well. Please do not worry about the lack of letters from him which will continue for another 2 weeks or so." The full story is recalled in the Globe & Laurel. Members of Rupert Force, as it was called, were given leave on Labuan . I then moved from 8 Troop M Company to the Intelligence Section under Lt. I.M.Walden.

During the time the unit was in Brunei over 500 prisoners, including some leaders, and some 250 weapons were recovered. The tremendous effort of the 'Schoolie Instr.Lieut George BSc RN played a significant related intelligence role during the period, for which he was mentioned in dispatches. On April 1st with the feeling of a job well done we made our way by various means out to HMS Albion for the trip back to Singapore, and the Schoolie returned to those marines taking RMET 1, HET and current affairs.

Honours and Awards for Brunei Operations
Bar to Military Cross Capt.J.J.Moore MC
The Military Medal Cpl. W.J.Lester & Cpl R.C.Rawlinson
Mention in Despatches Lt Col E.R.Bridges OBE RM; Instr.Lieut.G.C.George, BSc., RN; Marine B.A. Underwood.
Commander in Chief's Commendation Sick Berth Attendant T.J.C.Clarke.
The New Year's Honours and Awards 1st January 1963 included.
Colour Sergeant G.H.Pritchard.
Queen's Birthday Honours 8th June 1963 included
Order of the British Empire- Maj. R.J.E.Bavin Staff Officer Operations (SOO) 42 Commando Brunei 
British Empire Medal-RSM.C.C.J.Deakin. 
The Royal Humane Society's Testimonial on Vellum - Corporal N.R.Ayling as a result of his efforts in saving a Marine from drowning in the Temburong river during December 1962.

On Saturday the 3rd August 1963 at 8 a.m. a memorial was unveiled by the last British Governor of Sarawak, Sir Alexander Waddell to the four policemen who died trying to defend the Police Station in the initial rebel attack and the five Marines who died when Limbang was retaken. In 1968 Lieut Col E.R.Bridges OBE RM unveiled an oil painting by the military artist Terence Cuneo at Lympstone to commemorate the assault on Limbang. The painting shows the first landing craft just after beaching, with the troops moving across the road towards the rebels. At the same time a message from Austrialia in the Times stated "42 Commando Royal Marines. In grateful memory of those who fell at Limbang on December 12, 1962. Dick and Dorothy Morris." Lest we forget.

» View Photographs of  Officers Serving in 42 Commando at the time
» More Pictures from the Limbang Memorial Opening Ceromony

John A Bailey BSc MA FRICS IRRV

Little Aden 1960's
 John A Bailey

During the 1960's to reach the top of Telegraph Hill in Little Aden, you had to climb 846 steps and about 300 feet of rough rock scrambling. At the top of Telegraph Hill, where pay parade often took place, you were rewarded with one of the best views of the State of Aden from the west side of the bay. From this advantage point you could see not only the military, BP and civil installations in the immediate distance, but also to the north and west the shimmering yellow sands of the coastal plain and the foothills of the Up Country States some thirty miles beyond. In the east the bay curved past Hiswa which contained several radio masts, then past Al Ittihad the then to the developing Federal Capital, onto the dual carriageway causeway that lead to Aden. Beyond which was RAF Khormaksar with its complex of military buildings and married quarters. The mountainous rim of Crater which also provided a reminder of the Internal Security (IS) problems of that area, where patrols of 45 Commando often came under grenade attacks in the evenings, including the CO's landrover.

Prior to the 1950's Little Aden consisted mainly of fishermen squatted in shacks on the bays and the remainder of the coastal Arabs lived in groups of dirty huts slightly inland.  The 1950's saw the arrival of the BP company and a camp was build for the refinery builders, then plant and storage tanks followed and then residential houses for the European employees. The native labour force was established in the Arab villages of Manzilla and Al Kheisa and as the population grew, the township of Little Aden developed as blocks of flats, shops and administrative buildings went up.  When the military arrived they took over BP camp. Tented camps were pitched to house growing number of service personnel. In the late 1950's and early 60's the tents came down and barrack blocks were erected to
house, by the middle 60's, a whole infantry brigade in the cantonment of Falaise. Towards Bir Fukum the officers' married quarters were completed, and in a flat wide re-entrant close by, blocks of flats were erected for soldiers' families.

 Included in this developed landscaped area, was an £80,000 church adorned with copper roof, the Phoenix all ranks club, a 30 metre swimming pool, tennis courts, library, shopping centre, filling station, medical centre and NAAFI block. Notwithstanding this new development 45 Commando RM was to remain in BP camp which had been built in 1951 and expected to last for three years. 

How the camp which consisted of boards not much thicker than cardboard remained upright for so long never ceased to amaze one. The sand would blow up under the eaves and the ceiling boards would often fall in under the increased weight. The Japanese plumbing and separate air-
conditioning units often failed and were maintained by unskilled Arab labour. However that said most of us who lived in BP camp were happy, because it was near the sea, with our own stores and without Brigade HQ on top of us. 45 Commando or some of it's Companies were often away from BP camp carrying out Internal Security duties in Aden or up country so BP camp often seemed much more comfortable when we returned.  
-- 
John A Bailey

 

 

Internal Security Exercises in Singapore Nov 1962 & June 1963.  
Exercise Shadow Punch  13th - 14th November 1962 
Fresh Exposure 17th - 19th June 1963.

One of the main purposes of these exercises carried out in Singapore, was to test the Singapore Police Force and 4th Federation Infantry Brigade for their post Malaysia Internal Security Role. These widely disruptive exercises were announced on Singapore Radio and some ranks of 42 Commando dressed in civilian clothes were given the right to disrupt the smooth and efficient running of Singapore Island. M Company enjoyed the experience and were quite effective. In June 1963 the Company started off with a noisy banner carrying protest march, down into Nee Soon getting some playful encouragement from the locals. They dispersed before an irate police baton charge. M Company created areas of ‘irresponsibility’ provoking and irritating the forces of law and order.  Major traffic jams became common place and irate citizens suffered humiliation. After a lot of small incidents the full company turned out to conduct a mass rally in Serangoon Gardens Estate, a predominantly family residential area. Buses and vehicles were rocked and chaos reigned until the Riot Squad arrived, these well-trained anti-riot police with parade-type discipline soon had the rioters on the run.  After two days of continued disruption the Military were called in to assist the civil powers. Marine ingenuity in disruptive actives included a mock funerals and a night raid on a water pipe line at Seletar Reseroir.

John A Bailey