The Secret War

Borneo Campaign by Graham Caines

This true story is written by Graham Caines, about his own personal tour and experiences while serving in Sarawak.

My friend Graham lives in the same road as I do, and he was also serving out in Borneo at the same time that I was there. At times he was attached to the Royal Marine Commandos, often going into the deepest parts of the Borneo jungle.

He tells us about his involvement in an incident while travelling in a Landrover going to the next camp; but the Landrover never reached that camp.

What he remembers, or has been told happened, he has written for you to read.

Graham's tour of duty in Sarawak

Which began on the seventh of October 1965.

I was attached to 10 Infantry Workshops REME in the capital city of Kuching. Our role was to service and maintain all vehicles and equipment, for the British Armed Forces in that theatre of war.

We had a detachment in the small town of Simanggang, about one hundred miles to the east of Kuching. The population was predominantly Ibans, land and sea Dyaks, who were the native people of Sarawak. There were also a mixture of Malay’s, Chinese and Indian type Asians.

Stationed with us were Forty Commando’ Royal Marines and a small RAF detachment that controlled a patch of land that was used for an airstrip. One part of our duties was to operate the ‘Hearts and Minds Campaign’, in Sarawak which was of great importance. If the Security Forces, were to leave behind a foundation of ‘Goodwill’, on which the ‘Federal’ and ‘State Governments’, could build on. Also it was very important to the success of the ground and air operations against the enemy.

It was vital in remote areas to report any evidence of discontent or suspicious movements, to prevent any dangerous situations arising.

We therefore mixed freely with the natives; and were cordially invited to do so, sometimes living in their ‘Long Houses’. Although some of the younger Ibans spoke English, it was important for us to learn some of their language, even if it was only to help break the ice.

Dugout with outboard motors

Journeys to their long houses involved long ‘Long boat’ rides up river, often going deep into the heart of the jungle. As gifts we took our 'Composit Ration' packs, the natives accepted these as a sign of goodwill.

To gain their trust, their customs had to be obeyed, anything offered by the Ibans must not be refused. This sometimes meant eating all of their local dishes and drinking vast quantities of the local wine ‘Tuak’ and ‘Arak’ made from rice. ‘Betel Nuts’ were also chewed as a stimulant or narcotic; this reddened the saliva and the gums. It came from the betel palm tree, which is small and slender, and grows throughout South East Asia.

On one visit I noticed one Iban who’s teeth were very badly stained by the betel nut, they were more dark brown than red; a sign of a large consumption of the narcotic. He was chewing the drug constantly and was in a permanent state of contentment. The headman of the long house explained to us, that the man was mentally unstable and that he was a disruptive element. Betel nut was away of keeping him out of trouble, and giving the others in the long house, a trouble free life.

Shrunken heads hung around like onions

If trust were established, you would be honoured by being shown the famous-or infamous-’Shrunken Heads’. Which hung down like strings of onions. We were told that these shrunken heads were mostly the heads of Japanese soldiers, who had occupied their country during world war two. The heads were exact miniatures; with their hair and eye’s still intact, they were very errie to look at.

Whilst on a visit to a long house called ‘Surki Pryak’, I fell through a wooden plank while holding the hand of a young Iban boy. We both fell through amongst the chickens and the goats that were kept underneath the big basher. Luckily the lad fell onto my stomach, and didn’t hurt himself.

The headman was happy that no-one was hurt, and praised me for my quick thinking; although in retrospect it all happened so quickly, that I don’t know what else I could have done. He ordered a celebration, thus continuing through the night and ending the next morning.

Selamet Taur Baru

Whilst on a visit to a long house called ‘Surki Pryak’, I fell through a wooden plank while holding the hand of a young Iban boy. We both fell through amongst the chickens and the goats that were kept underneath the big basher. Luckily the lad fell onto my stomach, and didn’t hurt himself.

The headman was happy that no-one was hurt, and praised me for my quick thinking; although in retrospect it all happened so quickly, that I don’t know what else I could have done. He ordered a celebration, thus continuing through the night and ending the next morning.

On one occasion two of us were invited to the long house for their ‘New Year’ celebrations, ‘Selamet Taur Baru’; which was held in February. We took with us a large box of Composit rations that included bars of chocolate, which they loved. Of course Tuak and Arak were flowing for two days and nights. We were well-fed on raw fish dried fish and cooked fish of every type, all served with rice.

On the way back to Simanggang we were taken by long boat, paddled by two eleven year old Iban boys called Argoy and Narta. I tried my hand at paddling the craft but could not control the long boat the two lads did it without any effort at all.

When the Journey was completed we were handed two carrier bags of gifts, one for each of us. Argoy and Narta were full of pride, it pleased them so much to give us these gifts, in the bags there was a bottle of Tuak and some rice cakes, that were made by their mother. To these two lads it was the equivalent to several bars of chocolate. What a sacrifice, it was a selfless act of generosity it made me feel very humble indeed.

The Wild Man of Borneo

‘The wild men of Borneo’ and their families were strong, fearless warriors and yet gentle and caring people. Their love for the British was never beyond any doubt, some long houses had pictures of the ‘Queen’ and the ‘Duke of Edinburgh’ hanging in prominent positions of the main room.

As far as the Ibans were concerned ‘Great Britain’ was in England, a land that was so far away; Scotland, Ireland and Wales didn’t exist as separate countries, they were in England, and it was no use trying to convince them otherwise.

A difference of attitudes

How different the attitudes of the Chinese and Malay’s was to the British soldier. One Saturday lunchtime a friend and I were having a beer in a caf’e on the riverfront.

Suddenly a Chinese man thrust a little girl; of no more than three years old, upon me and walked out of the caf’e. The little girl was crying, but would not let go of my hand. I had no idea why I had been given this small child with tears running down her cheeks. She stayed with me obediently, never once did she attempt to pull away, everyone was looking at us.

As luck would have it the owner of the bar was there; he spoke good English. I asked him. “What’s going on?” He replied. “The little girl has misbehaved, so her father has told his daughter that because she had been naughty the ‘British Soldiers’ would take her away?” It was hard to imagine the effect on a tiny child, who stood with me petrified and all alone.

This act did little for the relationships between the Malaysian population and us whose children through Chinese propaganda lived in fear of the British soldier. Her father came back for her after about five minutes, which to that little girl must have seemed like an eternity. Not all of the Chinese were the same but an element of hostility ran through some of them.

A land mine exploded underneath us

It was on the 9th of September 1966, while I was with the detachment at Simanggang. I was summoned by my ‘Quarter Master Sergeant’, and told. “Caines go and get ready, you’re going to return to the Depot at Kuching.”

I collected my kit and came back; there were three of us. We all set off in a Landrover that was driven by Lance Corporal Jim Smith the other passenger sitting in the front was Sergeant Chapman. I was sitting in the back and have no recollection of that journey, what-so-ever, my mind is a total blank. My last memory of that day was two hours before we set off for the depot at headquarters in Kuching.

From here on therefore, I must rely totally on the information of those who served with me in Simanggang at the time of the incident. To-date I have received no official confirmation from the ‘Ministry of Defence’ as to what occurred on that day.

On our way to Kuching we were approaching a post-called ‘Bara Ruger’, this post was defended by Australian and New Zealand forces. Without warning a land mine exploded underneath us, the Landrover was blown up into the air and off of the track, into thick jungle and down a steep embankment on the side of a mountain. All three of us were scattered into different parts of the jungle.

The Ibans were alerted by the sound of the explosion, and were the first to come to our rescue. When they found us, they carried both Jim Smith and myself up to the track. Sergeant Chapman was in a deep state of shock, and was unable to help. I don’t know to this day what injuries he sustained. A public bus on the way to Simanggang approached the scene, and was waved down by the Ibans, on seeing the devastation caused by the bomb the soldiers on the bus got off. Lance Corporal Jim Smith was dead, and I was unconscious. We were laid in-between the seats in the isle of the bus. I can only assume that Sergeant Chapman was capable of sitting.

The Commandos, Aussies and Kiwis

Meanwhile the Royal Marines at Simanggang were alerted, and a rescue party was sent out. How they got news of the incident can only be speculated, my suggestion is that the Aussies or Kiwi’s from the base at Bara Ruger who had notified the Commandos.

On the arrival of the rescue party they saw the Ibans looking at the wrecked Landrover. Although basic Iban could be spoken, it was difficult for the rescue party to understand precisely what the Ibans were saying had happened.

When the Ibans had first arrived on the scene, it was a mystery to them that there were no bodies present. The Landrover was in such a tangled mess; it was hard to believe that anyone had survived from the explosion. The Ibans realised that there had to be some bodies somewhere, so they searched the jungle, until they found us.

Sergeant Chapman was the only one capable of telling them how many of us there were, so I presume that was what he did. There were soldiers on the bus who were able to assist the Ibans, until the main rescue party arrived.

On my arrival to Simanggang I was transferred by helicopter and taken to Kuching General Hospital. After being there for three days I was transported to ‘Queen Alexandra Hospital’ in Singapore. Three weeks later I regained consciousness, but I couldn’t fathom out why I was there.

Ten days later I was considered well enough to be able to fly back to England. To this day I am partially paralysed down the left side, and have lost my sense of smell and I can not taste anything. I have never really healed, my mind through brain damage has altered and I can never be the same person anymore.

Confrontation (the ‘Borneo Campaign’)

At the time of Confrontation (the ‘Borneo Campaign’), I can remember Dennis Healy, an M.P. in the Labour Government saying; “Confrontation was the most secret war that Britain has ever fought?”

He was right, even today very little is known about the Confrontation by the British public. This conflict, although many were killed and injured, is still not spoken about today, which appears to be quite amazing.

Why should something that has touched so many thousands of people’s lives, some from other Continents be so insignificant?

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