Queen’s Highlanders recapture Seria airstrip from rebels
Published on: Tuesday, December 11, 1962
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Announcing this at a press conference Brigadier J.B.A. Glennie, the Commander of the British force helping to restore order in the Sultanate of Brunei said the men had been reinforced by more Highlanders and others would follow.
Four turbo pioneer aircraft landed on a level stretch of ground on one side of Seria while the attention of the rebels was at the airstrip. He said there were no reports of fighting at the airport or on the outskirts of Seria as the Highlanders advanced.
Brigadier Glennie said Royal Navy vessels were their way to Brunei and expected shortly.
Meanwhile, he said Kuala Belait was apparently still in rebel hands and Brunei Town’s gaol; about 15 miles out, was also rebel held and would be dealt with shortly.
Meanwhile, the Brunei Government today banned the Party Rakyat of Brunei as from today.
A Brunei Government announcement said that the Government was convinced that the armed uprising in the State was engineered political group whose main object was to overthrow the government otherwise they would have not attempted to take the Sultan’s life.
Anyone who continue to assist the party and remains members of the party is liable to three years’ imprisonment.
The announcement said all members of the party should hand in any documents to the police when requested to do so.
Three foreign correspondents who early today went along on a low level reconnaissance flight over the rebel infested areas in the Seria region found the oilfield very quiet and almost deserted.
Red, white and green rebel flags were flapping in the morning breeze, they said.
There was no damage to oil installations or buildings, it was evident from the air, they said. And runways at Anduki and Seria were undamaged.
From the air it appeared that houses and buildings in the town of Seria had been deserted with doors open and cars standing on roads also with doors open.
British troops launched bitter attack on rebel forces in Seria early today in an attempt to retake oil installations and the airstrip.
The Queen’s Own Highlanders linked up with police at Panaga Police Station in Seria, according to a British army spokesman in Singapore.
A Beverley transport of the Royal Air Force had landed at Anduki airstrip with reinforcements of Highlanders.
The British Royal Navy destroyer HMS Cavalier, carrying some men from the Queen’s Highlanders, vehicles and equipment, and the Minesweeper HMS Fiskerton are due to arrive in Brunei late this evening, according to an official spokesman of Britain’s Unified Services Command in Singapore. He said the 42nd Commandos Royal Marines, equipment in strength to an Infantry Battalion, was on its way to Brunei by air.
Another battalion is due in Singapore from Penang late today. The repositioning of this unit has not yet been decided.
The spokesman said that so far today a total of 30 aircrafts left Singapore for Brunei and Labuan.
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