2012
1 Green Jackets Borneo Reunion - 1st December (Photo's from Dick Muskett)
As the 50th anniversary loomed of the 1 Green Jackets being moved at a few hours notice, from Penang to Brunei, just before Xmas 1962, over 60 ex-riflemen gathered at John Howard Barracks in Milton Keynes to remember their time in Borneo. That rapid deployment was in response to a revolt in Brunei but behind it was Sukarno, the leader of Indonesia, set on de-stabilising the planned federation of Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei with Malaya, to form Malaysia. Sukarno had ambitions for a Greater Indonesia and over the next three and half years, British, Gurkha, Commonwealth and Malaysian troops fought a small and undeclared war along a long jungle frontier. 1 Green Jackets had three operational tours from December ‘62 till late ‘64, and were followed by both 2 and 3 Green Jackets.
At Winchester weekends over several summers, there had been speculation about marking the 50th anniversary of the start of Green Jacket involvement in some way, and with the support and assistance of E Coy 7 Rifles in Milton Keynes, the ideas culminated in an evening of speeches, Malaysian curry, a fair amount of beer and a lot of reminiscing. Speakers including General Bob Pascoe were all sharp, witty and to the point, the names of the men who died in the far east were read out and the room stood while the bugler played the Last Post, and the raffle as well as the usual bottles of scotch included a parang and a Border Scouts bush shirt and a pair of jungle boots! A number of those there were wearing the old Ox & Bucks tie as they’d commenced their army careers as National Servicemen in the 50’s so we spanned a long period of time. Many commented that we were privileged to serve at the very end of a disappearing world, patrolling to longhouses where the local Dyaks still hunted with blowpipes, and had skulls hanging in the rafters from head hunting days. And because our history lives on in the Rifles, the evening raised a healthy sum for Care for Casualties”.
