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PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE ARCHIVE -
13 PLATOON, 3RD GREEN JACKETS (RIFLE BRIGADE) BORNEO
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This photograph shows members of 13 Platoon, 3rd Green
Jackets (The Rifle Brigade), at Balai Ringin in the
First Division of Sarawak (Borneo) in 1965. The platoon,
formed entirely of buglers, storemen and other personnel
from Headquarters Company, had just returned from an
operation in the forward area. The platoon commander,
2nd Lieutenant Robert Pasley-Taylor, is third from the
left without a jungle hat, and the platoon sergeant,
Sergeant Fisher, is third from the right. The platoon
was armed with American automatic .223 Armalite rifles.
Background
3rd Green Jackets (The Rifle Brigade), commanded by
Lieutenant-Colonel Mark Bond, was despatched from UK on
a 12-month unaccompanied tour to the Far East in January
1965. After 6 months’ preparatory training in Hong Kong
and at the Jungle Warfare School at Kota Tinggi in
Johore, West Malaysia, the Battalion deployed to the
First Division of Sarawak (Borneo) in East Malaysia in
July 1965. Here it was engaged in operations against
Indonesia in a conflict known as ‘Indonesian
Confrontation’.
The Battalion formed a part of West Brigade (formerly 99
Gurkha Infantry Brigade). Battalion Headquarters was at
Balai Ringin, 60 miles by road east of Kuching, the
capital of Sarawak. A and B Companies occupied forward
bases at Nibong and Gunan Gajak respectively, through
which the platoons of all companies rotated on patrol
operations.
After a name change to 3rd Battalion, The Royal Green
Jackets (The Rifle Brigade), on 1 January 1966, the
Battalion was relieved by the 1st Battalion, The Durham
Light Infantry, on 2 January, returning to UK, via a
stop-over in Singapore, two weeks later.
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