Gurkhas rushed to Tawau as matter of precaution
Published on: Wednesday, December 19, 1962
Text Size:
The police here have found some uniforms in the possession of Indonesian immigrants working in Tawau.
The significance of these is not yet known, a Government statement issued today stated.
Some arrests have been made and police investigations continue, the statement added.
“All remains completely quiet in Tawau and there is no cause for alarm,” the statement said.
“Overwhelming security forces are available should they be needed,” the statement added.
Early last Friday morning, the Company of Gurkha Rifles arrived here. Nobody could say when the Gurkhas arrived.
But early Friday morning, people who were found walking on Tawau roads and in the outskirts of the town had been searched by the Gurkhas.
This had added some panic to the already tense atmosphere following reports that Indonesia and the Philippines had backed the Brunei rebellion:
This border town has watched the developments in Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines with intense anxiety because the people walking on the water-front could see Indonesia.
But so far they have showed calmness and have gone with their usual business without much concern. Last week there had been some rumours that the security forces had been pulled out of the East Coast to help fight the rebels in Brunei.
This had been denied by a police spokesman.
The Company of Gurkhas was airlifted into Tawau early Friday morning.
According to RAF sources a Beverley aircraft carried out the airlift from Anduki which is the airfield of the oil town of Seria in Brunei.
The Company has now joined elements of the Queen’s Own Highlanders already stationed in Tawau on anti-piracy duty.
This is the nearest the British troops are now situated to the Indonesian border. Meanwhile the Governor, Sir William Goode, flew to Labuan yesterday to attend a Conference with Lord Selkirk, U.K. Commissioner-General in South-east Asia, the Governor of Sarawak, and the High Commissioner to Brunei. Service Chiefs also present at the Conference included Brigadier J.B.A. Glennie.
According to the BBC, Lord Selkirk said after the Conference that there would be a period of rehabilitation for Brunei now that the rebellion had been crushed.
No concrete evidence had been found so far that material help had been given to the rebellion from outside, he stated. Lord Selkirk spent the night in Jesselton and left this morning for Brunei.
The newly appointed Director of Operations, Borneo Territories, Major-General W.C. Walker, CBE, DSO, is due in Brunei tomorrow (19th Dec.) to take over from Brigadier J.B.A. Glennie as Commander of British Forces, Borneo.
Major General Walker has been General Officer Commanding 17 Gurkha Division, Overseas Commonwealth Land Forces since 1961.
Previously he had been on active service in Burma India and Malaya, where he was Commander, 99 Gurkha Infantry Brigade from 1957-59.
ADVERTISEMENT
