MY TIME WITH THE GURKHAS

When India got independence in 1947 some Gurkhas stayed with the Indian Army but four Infantry Regiments came over to the British Army . They were the 2nd , 6th , 7th and 10th Gurkha Rifles. In the 1960s they each had two battalions who were stationed in Hong Kong and Malaya . There was also a Gurkha Engineer Regiment, Signals Regiment and Transport Regiment .

Having originally fought against the Gurkhas we decided it would be a good thing to have the on our side (this was around 1815) and so began a long association . In Borneo we took over from 2/6 GR and handed over to 2/7 GR . During the War there were over a 100,000 Gurkhas in the British Army now they are down to 3,500. They are famed for winning 13 VCs and have a sound reputation which I would not challenge . However , now and again things can go wrong especially if they are not handled properly .

From Singapore I flew to Labuan Island where there was a big logistic base and then made my way by boat to Brunei . Suddenly as you turned a bend in the river there was this magnificent mosque with a golden roof . It was my first and last impression of Borneo . However , I did not spend long there and flew to Sibu in Sarawak where the headquarters of 2/6 GR was located .Shortly afterwards it transpired that there was to be a redeployment so it was not worth sending me up the River Ragang to one of the Gurkha forward companies . As the Gurkhas did not really know what to do with me I mainly ended up collecting visitors from the airport .

As part of decolonisation the British tried to establish Federations in the Caribbean ( Trinidad , Tobago & Jamaica ) ; Africa ( N & S Rhodesia & Malawi ) and in Malaysia ( Malaya , Singapore , Sarawak & Saba). In the end none really worked as conceived . In Malaysia the Sultan of Brunei was not going to join he was not going to share his vast wealth with anyone and Singapore with a predominantly Chinese population decided to go it alone with Lee Kwan Lieu as President .That left Malaya , Sarawak and Sabah . On one of my trips out to the airport I was to encounter a UN Commission which had been sent out to establish if the people of Sarawak wanted to join with Malaya. A large demonstration had been organised primarily by communist Chinese to meet this Commission . At the same time a Gurkha Coy was moving to the airport to redeploy . Hidden behind the airport terminal were two companies of Riot Police. The Gurkhas smiling innocently in their trucks as only Gurkhas can do . The UN group observed this demonstration and then departed. The Riot Police broke cover and the Gurkhas drew their kukris and that was the end of the demonstration.

As part of this redeployment I was pulled back to Brunei Town . This was a fortunate move for me as the other officers in A Coy went off to Tawa in the east I was the only officer left when my own Commanding Officer arrived as part of the advance party . Apart from encountering my first transvite in the OK Bar in Brunei I had kept my nose to what was happening by reading the daily reports from forward locations and studying the map indicating deployments  .I noted there were three independent platoon locations .

When my own CO arrived I went to meet him at the airport and almost forgot to salute him being transfixed by this gorgeous Cathay Pacific air hostess at the top of the steps .

However, about two days later the CO said to me as he was standing next to this large map " Where do you want to go ?" I instantly replied Ba Kelalan. As Ba Kelalan was to be part of the Tactical Area of Operations (TAOR ) of A Sqn SAS  I went to the Haunted House the location of their Headquarters to be briefed . The next day I flew to Ba Ba Kelalan with this SAS troop.

I was lucky to have been in the right place at the right time . My own Coy Comd might not have agreed with the CO preferring to deploy to an independent platoon someone more senior than me. Once ensconced it was going to be difficult to move me .