Tiger Attack

New Zealand's contribution In the 1950s the Far Eastern Land Force defence programme was aligned with the South East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) and New Zealand's contribution to the Far Eastern Land Forces (FARELF) defence programme began initially with the formation of 1st Battalion New Zealand Regiment at Waiouru in August, 1957. The Battalion's strength comprised just over 700 men, including Regular Force, volunteers and veterans from other wars. These were: 105 ex-K-Force, 46 ex-World War II and five men with previous service in Malaya(1). At the conclusion of basic training at various military camps (Papakura, Linton, Trentham and Burnham) situated around the countryside, the men finally united at Waiouru Military Camp. This area was the antithesis for jungle training, unless one considers, sleet, icy winds and even snow to be ideal!

Weapon training skills and the like, took some five months, after which the 1st Battalion was ready to deploy overseas. On the 28th November, 1957, the battalion paraded in a farewell march through the streets of Wellington, saturated by continuous, heavy rain. The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel W.R.K. (Kim) Morrison headed the street march amid the cheering enthusiasm of the crowds. After a farewell speech on the wharf the battalion then embarked on the s.s. Captain Cook. This ship saw service as a hospital ship during World War II and was now very close to its use by date.

Until March 1958 the battalion trained in Malaya at the Jungle Warfare School at Kota Tinggi and on the 4th March the battalion relieved the 1st Battalion The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment on operations in the State of Perak. Alpha and Charlie Companies were at Sungei Kuang, Bravo Company at Tanjon Rambutan, Delta Company at Tanah Hitim, with HQ Company and Battalion HQ stationed at Sobraon Camp, Taiping.

1st Battalion initially served in Malaya during the final phase of this conflict - one that was full of diverse complexities. Amid this turmoil, emerged one vital strategy that proved most successful - deep jungle patrolling. For it was in this role that the 1st Battalion attained the highest jungle operational success rate of any unit within the 28th Commonwealth Brigade and the Federation of Malaya.

The Malayan Government built twelve jungle forts, not only as a refuge for terrorist-harassed Malayan aborigines, but also as bases from where Security Forces began deep jungle patrols. The names of these forts were Brooke, Chabai, Dixon, Iskandar, Kemar, Langkap, Lebau, Legap, Selim, Shean, Tapong and Telanok. Within these regions, were many different ethnic tribes of aboriginals all scattered and interspersed throughout. Many of the aborigines remained strongly unsympathetic to the Security Forces' cause, as even though many thousands of aborigines had been won over, there were those who had no qualms altering their allegiance back to the terrorists. The strategy for supremacy of the jungle at that stage was not only to flush the CTs out of hiding, but also was pinned on winning the hearts and minds of both CTs and the various tribes still living in the jungles.

The aborigines were, by comparison with the Security Forces, relatively unarmed; nevertheless, they were still capable of defending themselves within their own environment with their own fire-hardened tipped spears and blowpipe darts - all dipped into specially prepared poisonous concoctions known to have fatal results. For example, two terrorists suffered fatal wounds sustained by these darts. The first victim was hit by several darts, one of which punctured a vein. The other terrorist received only one flesh wound in the shoulder. Both bodies were sent to Kuala Lipis Hospital(2) for a post mortem on the cause of death. With the report received, it revealed cause of death was paralysis of the heart muscles.

One of these poisons derives from the root sap of the Upas tree. This tree is also known as the ipoh tree, which is found in only two regions of the world - Africa and Malaya. It is from the Urticaceae family, the genus being Antiaris and the species recorded as Antiaris toxicaria.

(1) National Archives, Wellington, N.Z. 1 NZ Regiment. War Diary. WA-M. Series 1.
(2) "Noone of the Ulu". Heinemann, 1958. Reprinted, 1984, by Oxford University Press.
D.Holman. Ch. 20, p179. ISBN 019 582610 8.

BACK TO INDEX