Happy Days

Wallace Bay

Sebatik Island is about 10 Km off Tawau in Sabah. It has an area about 450 square km. The island is split half across in the middle, east to west, between Malaysia and Indonesia. The island forms the main battlefront during Confrontasi. Troops deployed in Sebatik include an Infantry Bn and our special forces GGK and an Arty Bty. Infantry cum Arty gun positions were located in Wallace Bay (HQs), Sg Limau, Bogosong, and Semantan.

I was deployed to Sg Limau and later to Bogosong. Operational life in the front line was very much war-like. The single gun troop comprise the GPO and about 18 gunner ORs. All gun positions were firebases, providing HF and DF fire for supported troops, including Commonwealth SAS troops. The gun position was always co-located with an infantry platoon for local protection. Our one gun troop comprise a comd post, one gun in a dugout gun pit, admin area, ammo dump and dug in defence bunkers of Bowen designs, which doubled as our accomodations. We used a foldable camp bed to sleep in. Everything was under camouflage and with OHP. There was stand-to at first and last lights. During the night stand-to the gun was always loaded and laid onto our DF(SOS) and unloaded during first light stand-to. The infantry patrolled the base perimeter and primed all booty traps covering approaches to the base before night stand-to. Radio silence and lights out were strictly practiced every night.

In the dug in Bowen bunker comd post, we used the Arty Plotter and Arty Board as main plotters. All positions had about 30- 50 DF targets, some datas were as fired but not registered. All targets were recorded in the target record book. A target trace was also used on the Arty Board. Target traces were important as Sebatik Island had two different topo maps. Malaysian maps and Indonesian maps across the border have different fixations and gridlines. The gridlines do not match as both maps originate from different national trig points. Most targets, save local DFs were across the border. Daily metrological data were also not readily available and inconsistent.

Life in the gun position was quite routine, until calls for fire. We did gun drills, CP drills, passing the line, impromptu stand to drills, maintenance, and played sepak takraw and card games. Our soldiers had their daily prayers individually in their Bowen bunkers. We ate mainly compo ration with fresh ration runs once a week. Pucuk Paku and Kangkung were always available from the river bank. Not much fish though. We operated a Bty canteen. Beer was sold at 40 sen per can, most liqueur under RM10.00. Chivas Regal Whisky was only RM7.00 per bottle. Cigarette were issued free on a weekly scale. I don’t smoke and I used my stock of issued cigarettes as capital for my card games. Zippo lighters lighted up in all weathers and were mainly bought by ORs. Officers bought the more suave Ronson Lighter. May Brant matches from the NAAFI were also common. Oh yes, condoms were issued free from the CRS on requests. Luckily no scale imposed.

Newspapers were one week late collections. There were plenty of old books and magazines to read. The GPO conducted one on one counseling and we were always a great team in the gun position. Monthly R&R were scheduled to Tawau, usually cum admin duties. The BK kept all our Sabah allowances for safe keeping and reimbursed after returning back to Taiping. Now looking back, what happened to the bank interest accrued from savings about 6 months in the bank ? I do not recall. I suppose there were no bank interest for savings less than a year. I hope the Arty Board is not discarded in present times. It is a very essential equipment. I suppose it is still being used by safety officers on the firing range. If it is to be discarded I propose the Arty Board to be recycled to make majong tables. Morale was always high. What a life.

Being a GPO was always the best part of my 36 years career. I had my own Comd Post team and guns. I was closest to my men and I knew them better than their mothers. I know all their names, nick names and their regimental numbers in the 650 series. How I wished I could be a GPO on ops again.

Deployed

We returned from our YOs course in Larkhill in early March 1965. We were officially designated FA in the tradition of the British RA affixed to our ranks and names. We were qualified gunners, brash and not so young officers and gentlemen of The Regiment.

In less than 36 hours after reporting back to the regiment, then stationed in Kumunting Camp, Taiping, I was off to join my battery in Sabah. I flew First Class in our very own SUNSHINE AIRWAYS (RMAF was then called) as there was only one class for all pax. The flight was a weekly scheduled flight from KL to Tawau via Labuan and KK. The usual ETA at Tawau was around 1700 to 1830 hours. But my flight was delayed in Labuan and we were running late. And there was no night landing facilities at Tawau Airport. Also to our horror we could not return to KK or Labuan due to a heavy storm at our tail, making it impossible for our Sunshine Airways to make a U turn. Landed in Tawau we did, at about 2030 hours under improvised lightings from all the vehicles from 5 Bde lined up on both sides of the runway. So much for drama on my first operational duty in Sabah. What a welcome on Day One.

The BKs land rover was waiting for me to take me to our admin base at the river front in Tawau. No BK nor any other officer to welcome me. What ? Kapt Mustafa Saad to receive me? Not on your life.

E Bty was already deployed in Sabah, with BHQ and one gun position, in Wallace Bay, Sebatik Island, and three other one gun positions in Bogosong, Sg Limau and Semantan. Sg Limau did not have an officer GPO, hence I was to report to Sg Limau ASP. The Bty admin area was based in Tawau under tentages and secured with a barb wired perimeter fence. We use assault boats as ferries from Tawau to Sebatik Island. All vehicles were also stationed in Tawau except for Wallace Bay which had the BC land rover and local 3 toners from 5 Bde.

My first night in Tawau was shagged and tired from the day’s long flight and landing drama and I slept early. The following day BK welcomed me over the Bty admin net. He informed me to remain in Tawau for one more night and to move to Sg Limau the next day. As it was film night, he had dispatch the week’s AKC film previously shown in Wallace Bay, and also we had an Adult film as bonus. 16mm film reel to boot. Adult films were usually borrowed from the Japanese and Taiwanese merchant ships that ply to Wallace Bay for timber and other goods. Also available from the sailors were duty free cameras and watches. Any popular brands. All officers/ ORs bought their first Omega Seamaster watch and Canon camera after receiving their first Sabah / Sarawak allowance.

I had asked the BQMS where do we screen the movies. No problem sir, we park the 3 toner under the coconut tree and drape a white officer’s mess table cloth at the side. But the adult movie ? Again no fuss. Casual spectators usually watch from across the barb wired fence, only invited guests, namely police officers, government officers and our ladies would join us on army cushioned chairs from the mess and planked benches for the ORs. 5 Bde camp would screen their film shows inside Nonokan Camp.

For recreation we played sepak takraw, volleyball, football, badminton. Trup Keling and other card games were played on most nights. There was no curfew in Tawau and we were allowed to be in town until 2359 hours. Officers would drive in our land rovers at will. We never carried firearms in Tawau and would move freely in our civies. Our guard post was manned 24 hours though.

I left Tawau for Sg Limau at first light the following day, commanding the Bty admin run. We had several assault boats, some with twin 45 hp OBM engines clamped together for extra oomph.

Sebatik Island was the battle front. Life would be different, wouldn’t it ? You bet.

AWOL ?

AWOL? Me ? No not me, but missing from this blog ? Yes.

Ok I confess, I did not run away nor was hiding from everybody and everything. I'll even do a SD that I was around. Ya maybe a  retractable SD.

Here is the truth of the matter. I have never been more busier in my life. More busy that pre ARTEP preparations.

I have been blogging with a vengeance. Like there is no tomorrow. I managed to put up two more blogs and a website in 10 days. I did the unthinkable. I joined the Pacesetters Athlete Club Malaysia. I have since done the  NB 15 Km Run and the KLIM Half Marathon with good timings to boot.

 I met up with the Pacesetters Putrajaya Area Group Leader and we decided to run a membership drive. So I did a website ( still under construction) and a blog to support our activities.

Pacesetters Putrajaya Area Group Website

Pacesetters Putrajaya Area Group Blog

I also picked up cycling as a support activity to my running. They say runners should also have different type of exercises as cross training. I have since cycled in the Ulu Langat areas which is very hilly, and to PD which is not so challenging but good for long distance rides. I did a personal blog for my rides, to keep up with peer pressures. All cool riders have their own blogs. 

My personal blog

OK , I'll return to the war front as soon as I am done with the above blogs and website.

Cheers

A stint with the British Army in the Rhine

My second operational experience was actually serving in the British Sector in West Germany during the Cold War. After our 6 months YO course in Larkhill UK, 2 Lt Pan, 2Lt Maskan, 2Lt Chin and I were seconded to 2 Field Regiment RA on an operational tour in Munster, Germany. It was early 1965 and Europe was still not yet out of a bad winter. Fresh from Larkhill, we were assigned as section comanders in the gun batteries L (Nery) Bty, N (Eagle Troop) Bty and O (Rocket Troop) Bty. Whilst RHQ remained in Munster, the field btys were deployed throughout the British Sector in West Germany. We were part of the overall NATO Force post WW2.

2 Field had Oto Melara 105mm light guns. I remember we used the old Ferret Scout Car as H1 and H2 vehicles. 2Lt Pan and 2Lt Maskan were privileged to have patrolled along the Berlin Wall, with the famous Check Point Charlie to boot. I was patrolling along the British North West sector in the freezing cold, sometimes minus 8 deg C. We stayed in huge double layered tentages with hot stoves inside. Melting snow became sludge and it made our deployment more difficult. Slippery roads and muddy open gun positions. It was combat rations for the whole month in the field. We moved a lot along the wide Autobahns and conducted many night maneuvers and night deployments. We experienced a lot of deployment skills in a conventional battle zone. We practiced every duty required of a section commander/GPO. Even though the operational attachment was only for one month, I had gained a tremendous understanding and insight to our role as Gunners in the battlefield. The need for quick drills and silence were critical. Operations in the European Theatre was quite an experience. It was pure conventional warfare.

2 Field Regiment RA is now designated as 2^nd Regiment RA and is equipped with the AS90 155mm SP.

Footslogger

2Lt Pan and I were commissioned in early December 1964 and were posted to 2 Arty. We were given the standard, but well deserved 14 days annual leave before reporting for duty. The very morning we reported for duty at Sg Besi Camp, we were given the warning order for immediate operations. The Adjutant called all officers in and briefed us. All officers and gunners were to be recalled from leave and a regimental roll call was to be made at 2200 hrs that evening. The regiment was ordered to be deployed to Johore in 48 hours. 2 Arty was Army reserve troops at that point of time. Regt Tac HQ, D Bty and E Bty were deployed to the Kota Tinggi / Mawai area, Johore. We were all deployed as INFANTRY COMPANIES and PLATOONS, making up of 2 companies of 4 platoons in all. Officers were regrouped to take up the platoons.

 

Indonesian troops had parachuted and landed in the Johore jungles east of Gunung Panti and along the Selangor coast. (1 Arty was deployed to the Selangor coast) The Indon troops were from their national strategic crack commando group. They had landed with only their personal weapons and very little combat rations. They were hopeful to survive through local sympathies and support. But immediately after regrouping and moving towards the populated areas, they caught a platoon from 1 SIR (now Singapore Army) camping in the vicinity of Gunung Panti Forest Reserve. They assaulted the camp and slaughtered / wiped out the full platoon of 18 soldiers. They mutilated the bodies and blatantly radioed the platoon’s Company HQ using the platoon’s radio and call sign. They boasted of their kills and challenged the Malaysian army to capture them. 7 Infantry Bde was deployed immediately to cordon off the area. A massive search and destroy mission was launched. 2 Arty was deployed to join the cordon and search ops. See map above. Red Marker shows Regt HQ in Mawai area.

 

The regiment was readied in full ORBAT within 24 hours. 2Lt Albert Manaseh and I were platoon commanders with E Bty. BC was Major John Lane RA. I felt very excited and was very confident of my command as I was still fresh from the FMC. Platoon battle drills, field craft and search and destroy ops were still very fresh. We were armed with the 9mm SMGs for officers and senior ranks and the good old 7.62mm SLR for the gunners. Platoon support group had HBSLRs. The enemy carried ARMALITEs AR15.  The weapon of the era then.

 

The two Btys were ready at the old Sg Besi International Airport by about 36 hours from warning order.  We were flown directly to Changi Airport Singapore, by the RAF transport planes at 1500 hrs and immediately airlifted by RAF Whirlwind Helis to a school padang in the Mawai FELDA scheme. We were received by 7 Bde  HQ. My BC was given an ops briefing, followed by the ops deployment plan. My platoon was in our first ambush position with the help of a guide before last light at 1830 hrs the same day we took off from Sg Besi. I was operational and facing a real enemy within 48 hours of reporting for duty.

 

The first two nights were uneventful. The third night had a bit of excitement. It was full moon.  I received a report that the enemy were moving towards our general direction. I briefed my platoon that this was it. Our first action faster than others. It was past midnight and we were in a linear ambush layout. I recalled my platoon sergeant whispered to me “ Tuan, musuh !”  I triggered our silent alarm scheme by pulling our signals D10 wires. The whole platoon was ready but very tense. The silence was killing. Nothing happened for more than half an hour. My sergeant then informed me that our left flank sentry L/Bdr  Bakri had panicked and crawled 15 metres alone, out of his firing position into our killing zone. I know I had to crawl out to him, to calm him down and to bring him back to his position. I did that in semi darkness. When I reached Bakri, he whispered to me quietly that he was alright and that he had moved out to a better observation and firing position. I said he was right but that we should crawl back as we were in our killing zone. I was glad he understood and we crawled back into our positions together. The enemy did not come pass our position but was ambushed by another 7 Bde platoon, about 1 km to our flank.

 

The whole ops was successfully completed in 2 weeks. All enemy troops were killed, captured or surrendered. E Bty managed to capture 5 enemies, Albert’s platoon had one enemy KIA and we recovered all their weapons and cash RM5000.00. We returned to base all safe and exhausted and clocked up some Bty history. We had a regimental party, curtesy from our enemies. Cheers.

 

I am glad I was never deployed as an infantry platoon commander again. GPO was so much better. I am glad I am a Gunner and will always be.

 

SOMETHING'S BREWING IN THE GUNNERS POT

As we approach the year's end, we get into the wind down, holiday mood. For gunners though, it is different. Universally, Gunners,Sappers,Ordnance and Firemen celebrate St. Barbara's Day in December. St.Barbara is the patron saint for the people involved in the organisations as mentioned, but, generally to all involved with explosives. A wonderful tale to read about,but, let's keep that for another occasion.

You may not know it ,but, some very busy ex gunners have been going around doing work to put an event in place that shall bring all retired gunners together. Yes, it is all about our long awaited GUNNERS CLUB. A gathering shall be held in KL, on a fine Saturday morning in December 2009. The Pro-tem Committee has had a few meetings, and also started travelling the length and breath of the country to garner support. The team has also visited some of our beloved, retired, senior gunner officers, to seek their blessings, advice and also support. So far, things are moving as planned. I shall post details once they are finalised. So, meanwhile, you are all welcome to do your bid to spread the word, be there and of course offer your ideas, suggestions and views. It goes without saying that, the success of this endeavour rests on all our shoulders. In fact, the club is us.

2Lt Allen Lai Kim Hinn FA

I was commissioned and posted to 2 Arty in December 1964, together with Steven Pan Kong Leong. 2 Arty was a new regt then, and we were put up in an old Gurkha hutted camp beside the Sg Besi Chinese graveyard.

I was posted to E Bty and Pan to F Bty. There were only two Federation Artillery Regiments in 1964. 1 Arty, also located in Sg Besi, had three gun Btys, A, B and C Bty and 2 Arty had D,E and F Bty. There were indeed more guns in the Bty than officers, because all gun Btys had 4 guns each, and we had 3 officers to each Bty.

E Bty had a BC, Major John Lane RA, a BK, Kapt Mustapha Saad FA and me holding the rest of the Bty appointments; Section Comd, GPO, Troop Comd and 2^nd BK. Boy do we have to learn fast.

My first real operational experience was not as a gunner, but as an infantry platoon comd as E Bty and F Bty were deployed to the Kota Tinggi area in Johore in mid December 1964. Indonesian troops had parachuted into Kota Tinggi / Mawai, area and had butchered about 18 soldiers from 1 SIR Regt from Singapore. But that’s another story.

I settled into routine regimental and bty duties after a successful ops and returning from Kota Tinggi. An introductory YO gunnery course was organized by Mejar Jafaar Mohammed FA IG. The course was held inhouse in 1 Arty. The proper YO Arty course in Larkhill, UK would only commence in August 1965.

From December 1964 to August 1965 all officers from both the regts stayed in the common officers mess up the hill, with all the other troops stationed in Sg Besi. Lt Anthony Chia Eng Lim was the senior subaltern for both the regts. Adjutant for 1 Arty was Kapt Hew Deng Onn and 2 Arty had a Mat Salleh Capt. ( Forgot his name). Whilst 1 Arty had more Malaysian officers, other than the CO Colonel Price, 2 Arty had more Mat Salleh officers, with the CO Colonel Webb. All BCs, Adjutant, QM were Mat Sallehs.

Both Pan and I took our ragging period well. It was all learning process and fun. All new officers were known as NQFA (Non Qualified Federation Artillery), until we had completed our YO Arty course. Our immediate seniors were, Lt Aris Salim FA, Lt Adam Hon FA and Lt Omar FA. Life as a young gunner was not bad, we had a lot to learn and had held a lot of responsibilities to boot. Our lives were centered in the regiment, playing games and the officers mess full time. We learnt and picked up things more at the weekly Happy Hours and daily sessions sitting at the bar counter than in the classroom. Of course TV Malaysia (black and white) was just introduced in 1964. We had regular parties and celebrations. We actually celebrate everything and anything; birthdays, games, end of exercises and regimental dos. Every Bty in both the regts had their own bands. 2 Arty shifted to Taiping in mid 1965, deep in our Arty traditions, and sad to be parted from 1 Arty officers.

Pan, Maskan Katan, Chin Kai Fong and I left for Larkhill in August 1965 for the 6 months YO Arty course. We returned in February 1966 and I joined my Bty on ops duties in Tawau, Sabah.