KUCHING: A group of Australian army veterans from South Australia recently came here specifically to meet and to renew friendship with the group of former Royal Malaysian Rangers soldiers/Iban Trackers 50 years after having fought together in the defence of Malaysia during the Indonesian Confrontation from 1962 to 1965.
Selby (standing) addressing Lieutenant Colonel Monday Juhid (fourth left) and the Sarawak Rangers veterans.
The group comprises members of the Malaya Borneo Veteran Association (YBVA) South Australia based in Adelaide. They were led by its president, Brian Selby, vice president, Don Cameron, and committee member, Clive Dubois.
The trip is also to remember the history of the soldiers from Malaysia, Australia, New
Zealand, and the United Kingdom who had been comrades in arms during their joint military operation during the Indonesian Confrontation.
The Australian soldiers had served in Bau, Stass, Gumbang and Serikin in the state as well as in Bukit Kanckle, Malacca, Butterworth, Grik and Sik in Pennisular Malaysia.
They served under the third Battalion Royal Australian Regiment and 111 Battery Royal Australian Army (RAA).
They were happy to have a lunch meeting and exchanged mementos with their Sarawak counterparts here.