Jungle War

Tales of the Unexpected
Royal Marine John Coombes
Recollections of the Limbang Raid

During the afternoon 10\12\62, the rumours flying around the camp came to a head when Company Sergeant Major, Cyril Scoin, ordered me to open up the armoury and issue every man in 'L' Company with their personal weapons, as the company was flying to Brunei .

Having arrived safely in Brunei City we were informed about the situation at Limbang and that we were going up river to retake the town and rescue the hostages. Later that evening I was told that I and other members of company HQ would be attached to 6 Troop to bring them up strength. Corporals Parrish, and Powder Horn and Marines Lofty Witchurch, Bob Todd, Topping ,another fellow, whose name I have forgotten, and I would form 'A' Section in 6 troop.

It was about midnight that we embarked on two old Z craft, which were commandeered for the rescue, and 6 Troop were on the second boat along with the two Vickers machine guns. Our boat also had heavy earth moving equipment right down the centre of the boat.

I catnapped for most of the journey up river but was fully awake when we came around a bend in the river to see Limbang where we were told to take up firing positions.

You could see plenty of movement from the river bank and people were running in and out of buildings; somebody was using a loudhailer from the other boat and then the lights went out, but fortunately it was getting very light by now and we could see clearly. 4 and 5 Troops were already under fire in the first boat and were getting ready to land. I was between the two Vickers who were now firing from our boat and the noise was deafening. We were getting return fire from a Bren gun and the bullets were ricocheting off a bulldozer while some hit the wheelhouse and we received our first casualties. The first boat had landed and Marines were running in all directions firing when they saw a target.

The second boat eventually hit the river bank 200 yards to the right of the police station and the angle we came in at meant that some Marines got very wet getting ashore. My section, led by Corporal Parrish, was told to secure the area around the police station and we kept to the monsoon drain firing at potential cover the TNKU might hide behind until we arrived at the road dividing the police compound from the bazaar area.

Believing the police station had been cleared, I entered the compound, checked the rear building and then went into the police station. Behind a door left open I saw movement, so I backed up to the outside door, fired two warning shots into the ground, and shouted come out. Two TNKU emerged, both very frightened, and one turned out to be second-in -command to Sallah bin Sambas. I was taking the prisoners to the perimeter fence, when one of them ran towards the river and was shot by a Marine coming to check out my two shots.

Corporal Rawlinson met me at the compound, seeking treatment for a shotgun wound, and his back was a mass of raised wheals caused by buckshot with some showing just beneath the skin. He was not bleeding and I directed him to where Sba Nobby Clark was treating the wounded, and not long after him came Sgt. Bickford carrying a wounded Marine on his back. He must have eventually carried him 500 yds.

The rest of my section were back at the police station now and names of our dead comrades were beginning to filter through to us. I had no time to dwell on this, when Second Lieutenant Targett-Adams detailed me to escort the town electrician to the generator house to get it going again, and I was quite apprehensive when we set off knowing that house clearing had not been completed yet. However, we had walked about 20yards when Marine Topping joined us and I felt much better, and during this time we passed at least four dead TKNU. After we got the generator going the electrician took us by way of his house to meet his family (we had a quick cup of tea).

On arriving back at the police station we mentioned the dead bodies. Cpl. Horn, Mne. Topping, me and one other made up the group that used a requisitioned truck, found at the rear of the town, to transport the bodies, and it was not easy lifting dead bodies onto a high backed vehicle but we completed the job and placed the bodies along side two more near the hospital. Mne. Topping and I were given the job of guarding the prisoners during the digging of a mass grave somewhere behind the hospital, where the dead TNKU were then all buried (I remember all the bodies were stiff at this time).

During the afternoon Cpl. Powder Horn had to take charge of his cooking duties, so I went back to the police station to supervise the collection of rebel weapons, which included fifteen .303 Lee Enfields taken from the police, one Bren gun with magazines, one Sterling SMG, various shotguns, muskets, 202s, parangs and a selection of daggers including the wavy curved Kris (traditional Indonesian dagger). During the night movement was heard overhead and we discovered a young police constable hiding in the roof space, where he had been hiding for five days. Only two Sarawak police constables survived the rebel attack on Limbang.

Two days later I was drinking a coke in the bazaar cafe with Mne. Gillingham and several other Marines when Mne. Parsons came in dropping his SMG onto the table, which triggered a shot, tragically killing Mne. Gillingham. I was on guard duty that night with Mne. Parsons at the residency, and he became very distraught and I had to get help for him (I could never understand why Gillingham was not included on the Memorial).

'L' Company was eventually deployed around Banger Town at different locations. Captain Moore visited one location using Mne. Todd and myself as escort, and it was hard keeping up with him. Then we had the monsoon, Banger was flooded, and the biggest danger was snakes trying to find dry land. The memory of Limbang still lingers but nearly 40 years on events and names get a bit patchy. My final memory was from a girl called "Janet" because of the 'dear John letter' I received Christmas Eve.

John [Taff] Coombes

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