Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
On the afternoon of 23 March, A coy struck an Indonesian anti-personnel mine killing Sergeant Weiland and an Iban tracker by the name of Murdah Anak Jali, Corporal Hyland and Private Lee were wounded. In April, Lt Ivey stood on a mine, which bent the prongs but did not go off. Then on the 17th of May, Sergeant Vella who had taken over from Sergeant Weiland stood on another mine killing himself and Private Downes.
The Indonesians tried to control the border area with the use of mortars between the 14th and 21st April there were five mortar attacks in the battalion area.
On our right was the British 2nd parachute battalion and on our left were the 1st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. We patrolled well into Indonesian territory, and if captured we were to say that we did not deliberately cross the border and request return to Malaysian or British authorities.
On 27 May, a patrol led by Lt Beale from B coy set up an ambush on the Sungai (river) Koemba. At around midday, two boats loaded with Indonesian Soldiers came down the river. These were engaged. A further two boats came in to view round the bend and these were also engaged by Private Jackson. He killed all in the third boat. The fourth boat put to shore forcing Jackson to engage them with grenades. The whole action took less than two minutes, by which time a further enemy group (which was 50 metres away) opened up with a heavy volume of automatic fire. At least fifteen enemy had been killed.
There were two more successful ambushes in the first week of June. On 12 June, enemy were sighted approaching on foot along the river. These were engaged by 7 Pl C Coy with the results of eight enemy Killed, one seriously wounded and one escaped. There were no Australian casualties. A Coy set up an ambush along an east-west track leading to the border on the 15th of June when 25 Indonesians were in the killing ground the ambush was sprung. At least 12 enemy were killed by the first burst of fire, 3 more were killed when they tried to escape. There were up to 100 enemy in the party and only 14 Australians who withdrew under enemy fire carrying with them Jack Ezzy who had been wounded by a gunshot wound to the knee. Alby Kyle was also wounded by shrapnel from a mortar round but was able to walk out.
On the night of 27-28 June the enemy attacked a police station on the Kutching-Seria road which was to our rear. On 12 July, C Coy had another successful ambush, the enemy counter attacked and were driven back the results were 13 enemy killed and another 5 wounded there were no Australian casualties.
When we patrolled across the border, support from the air was ruled out completely we could not call for air drops so we had to be self-sufficient for up to 10 days or more. On the 28th of July we were lifted by "Wessex" choppers to the Aircraft Carrier HMS Bulwark three days later we landed on the beach at Terendak.
I enjoyed being forward scout in Borneo as on the way back into Serikan I would give some of my equipment to the others so I had nearly an empty pack, I would drop off and buy two bottles of engarn (a cheap and nasty local rice wine) then I would tag on the end and come in as tail end charley, the other reason I enjoyed it was that none of the women in the village wore tops unless we were around, I always caught them off guard before they could run for cover.
On arriving in Borneo I was issued with a new rifle which was one of six being user-trialed by us. It was a M15E1 an early version of the M16. On one of our patrols I found myself waist deep in quicksand and sinking fast I quickly unloaded my rifle and stretched it out so that the second scout (Kel Jobson) could pull me out, on doing so I dropped the magazine and lost it, when I got back into Sereken Boy did I cop it for losing the mag.
The second night after the battalion arrived back there was a big fight. The British battalion against the Australian battalion all hell broke loose, the fighting soon spread all over Terendak Garrison. My roommate at the time was Massa Clarke he came home crying because no one would fight him, I don't blame them as he was a lean mean fighting machine. The final result was 25 Scots Guards in hospital to 2 Australians.
The remainder of our tour in Malaya passed quietly. On the 6th of October 1965 I flew out of Singapore heading home, our first stop was Darwin and then on to Sydney. I had trouble in Darwin as an Immigration flight from England landed at the same time that we did, when customs saw my International Health Certificate they thought I was from the other flight, so I was detained while all the rest of the guys went up to the bar for a beer. By the time I had convinced them I was an Australian Soldier it was time to reboard to plane. Continue to the source and article......
