Definition

“Dit” is a Royal Navy expression for a tale, story or anecdote.

Sailors tend to  “spin their dits” when feeling relaxed and sociable - often (in times past) after the mid-day issue of grog, or during a make and mend  (a half day free of duties) or, best of all, when putting the world to rights in the bar of the Fleet Canteen . Some dits are tall tales, where accuracy may take second place to sensation. Attempts have been made to verify the dits contained in this selection by comparisons between eye witnesses to the events described.

It should be emphasised that the events described took place some forty years ago. Memories fade and occasionally become distorted. Different witnesses to the same event may have differing recollections, all equally valid from their personal perspectives .

These web pages are a compilation of reminiscences by several members of the crews of HM Ships  Fiskerton, Chawton, Houghton and Dartington of the 6th Minesweeper Squadron who participated in the military operations in December 1962 which marked the start of the period of warfare known as the Confrontation with Indonesia.

The initial action involved the Royal Navy in transporting Lima Company of 42 Commando Royal Marines upriver for a dawn assault on the town of Limbang, where rebels of the Tentera Nasional Kalimantan Utama, TNKU, (North Kalimantan Liberation Army), were holding several Europeans and Americans hostage.

The raid was a classic cutting out expedition, a fast aggressive action. All the hostages were released unharmed but five Royal Marines and some nineteen members of the TNKU were killed in the action. More water-borne combined operations followed with the Royal Navy supporting Royal Marines, Gurkhas and other army units.

As the Confrontation gathered momentum, the Royal Navy patrolled off shore close to the Indonesian border on both the east and west coasts of Borneo and along the river networks of Sarawak. Indonesian incursions by land and sea were resisted in the Sumatra Straits and even in the outer harbour of Singapore.

The materials on these pages have been contributed by the following:

“the Stoker” - Tony Standish, formerly Engineering Mechanic First Class, and Freshwater Tanky, HMS Fiskerton, 

“the Tiff” - Stuart Johnson, formerly Chief Engine Room Artificer, HMS Houghton 

“the Jimmy” - Peter Down, formerly First Lieutenant, HMS Fiskerton
who has also acted as Editor of the materials received to date.

Some of these dits have already appeared in TON Talk - the magazine of the TON Class Association.

An extract from “The Royal Marines 1956-84” by William Fowler published in the Osprey Men at Arms Series ISBN 0-85045-568-5 is included to give an independent view of the close action. 

Amplifying detail from the Force Military Commander is given in “By Sea and By Land by Robin Neillands, FONTANA/Collins ISBN 0-00637259-7.