Return to Brunei

David 'Syd' Morris
By David `Syd' Morris
Tactical Operator (Signalman) HMS Dartington 1962 - 1964

They say you should never go back, but there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to go back to Borneo. Serving on HMS Dartington from 1962 - 1964 aged 19 and 20, meant that I spent much of my impressionable and formative early years in North Borneo. On anti-piracy patrol in late 1962 we visited Tawau, Sandakan, Jesselton, Kuching and probably a couple more places I now can't remember. This was before the `troubles' started, before the Brunei Rebellion which escalated into the `confrontation'. This was the days of the sun setting on the British Raj in the Far East and the Brits we met were kind, generous and hospitable.

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I don't recall where the ship was when the Brunei Rebellion broke out. The British response of military support initially through The Royal Marines and Gurkhas was quickly followed by the despatch of the two available coastal minesweepers from the Sixth Minesweeping Squadron based in Singapore. These ships were HMS Fiskerton and HMS Chawton, and they arrived in Brunei as 42 Commando were preparing to rescue the hostages at Limbang. The ships were able to provide essential support which contributed to a successful mission but not without loss and casualties.

I don't recall where the ship was when the Brunei Rebellion broke out. The British response of military support initially through the Royal Marines and Gurkhas was quickly followed by the despatch of the two available coastal minesweepers from the Sixth Minesweeping Squadron based in Singapore. These ships were HMS Fiskerton and HMS Chawton, and they arrived in Brunei as 42 Commando were preparing to rescue the hostages at Limbang. The ships were able to provide essential support which contributed to a successful mission but not without loss and casualties.

Soon after the Limbang Raid, Dartington, accompanied by HMS Houghton, arrived in Brunei to relieve Chawton and Fiskerton. I can't remember the exact date of our arrival, in fact much of the early days are still a blur but some small details stand out still. I don't know how long Fiskerton and Chawton remained after our arrival but I do remember that it was a very busy period with members of our ships' companies crewing anything that would float to support military operations in the continuing search for rebels in the surrounding jungle. We had no extra personnel just our usual crew of 32 officers and ratings, and the communications department of two, Leading Radio Operator Mo Sumner and myself, were particularly busy. As well as having to keep watch on extra radio circuits we were cryptographic guard for a Gurkha unit based in a school in Brunei town. At the same time we had to carry out our usual whole ship duties.

Curfew was 6 pm and when ashore we had to carry weapons, although I don't think they were loaded. Even after pooling the pistols and rifles from the two ships there weren't many to go round, so when we ran out we were given an escort from the army personnel billeted in the customs building situated on the jetty opposite our berth. But during the day we walked ashore in sports kit, walked up Jalan Roberts to the padang, played a game of football and walked back, stopping for a drink in one the small bars on the way - unarmed and unescorted. As one of the ship's cinema operators, in the evening I showed films to a large audience on the ground floor of the customs house. I suffered with a digestive infection in Brunei and as our medical facilities were limited, I was despatched to the local hospital where the British military had taken over a wing. I didn't last long there, just a couple of days, and got back to the ship as soon as I could. I felt something of a fraud lying in bed surrounded by real casualties. It was an unusual period, much operational activity punctuated with social occasions - a day trip to the oil fields at Miri, and a day sailing at the Brunei Yacht Club ,which due to a lack of wind turned into an all day drinking session, generously hosted by the European members.

Once the rebellion escalated to confrontation our operations centre for patrols moved to Kuching the capital of Sarawak and I never returned to Brunei. I of course served in the Far East a few more times in my naval career but never got close to Borneo. In 1992 my wife Mary and I did a Far East tour and whilst in Singapore and Malaya saw television coverage of the Malaysian games which were held in Kuching which was by then a modern city. How things had changed.

In 2005 Mary and I undertook our second trip to Australia to visit family and friends and decided to stop over on the way out and back. I managed to persuade Mary that we should stop at Brunei on the way out but she was a little apprehensive. However she was aware of the story of the Limbang Raid and had joined me at the reunion held at Salford Quays, so the trip was to include a trip up river to Limbang. Choosing to fly with Royal Brunei also influenced our choice of stopover.

We arrived at Brunei airport at 1035 am on Friday 18th February and the first culture shock - the new international airport was not in the same place as the small airport had been in 1962. The mini-bus ride to the hotel on the outskirts of town was not reassuring as I noted the new road system of freeways. However things got better every moment of the stay.

Being not far from the town centre we walked a lot which allowed us to take everything in at slow pace. There had been some development around the town centre and waterfront in the way of shopping centres and bus station but much of it was essentially unchanged from what I remembered.

The jetty and customs building were still there, as were the small roads leading away from the waterside, but behind them were now large modern buildings. Our normal route up town, Jalan Roberts, appeared not to have changed at all, although now that Brunei was an alcohol free state the small bars we had frequented were now other types of shops. The padang (village green) where we played football was no longer there and in it's place now stands a large and modern, open sports stadium

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Whilst we were there we witnessed displays in this arena which were rehearsals for National Day celebrations later in the month. The participants were mainly service personnel and schoolchildren.

Martin Spirit had provided me with two contacts, one in Brunei and another in Limbang, whom I had e-mailed regarding a trip to Limbang. Unfortunately we were not able to meet up but the information they gave me made things easier.

The fastest way to travel from Brunei to Limbang is up the river by water taxi. We had been informed that the taxi left Brunei at about 8 am and it was first come first served; and once it was full it went. We arrived at the waterfront at 7.30 am but no sign of a `substantial' vessel serving as a water taxi. All we could see were the relatively small wooden speed boats powered by outboard motor. As we watched the aquatic boy racers nipping back and forth Mary and I both agreed - no way!

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The locals around the waterfront were very friendly and helpful, some reminiscing how things were better `when the British were here'. We were pointed in the direction of a shop where we should make enquiries. On doing so we were told that the water taxi was on its way from Limbang and would be here shortly. Unfortunately this was repeated several times over the next couple of hours.

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Whilst we waited for a water taxi we watched the rehearsal for the big parade for the National Day celebrations. Brunei is an interesting society. There is no tax and health care is free to the point of flying the patient and family abroad for treatment if necessary. Everybody seems to work and most of them work for the government and wear some type of uniform. In keeping with many Muslim countries punishment is draconian.

There appear to be many different uniformed services in Brunei and in particular a number of different branches of the police. It was interesting to see the police and army women in a military uniform that included a traditional head covering, but marching with automatic weapons.

Eventually an elderly chap approached us and asked if we wanted a water taxi to Limbang. As he looked a bit more reliable and stable than the young boy racers we said yes. After negotiating a price (about £8 for the two of us, one way) he told us where to wait and said he would go and get his boat. As we had hoped, the boat when it arrived was more substantial than those driven by the boy racers, with a canopy, driver at the front and forward to aft seating on either side.

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As we set off from the Brunei waterfront the driver informed us that he must get fuel. We stopped at a riverside fuelling station, a primitive affair on stilts. The hose was lowered down, the driver filled his tanks and spare fuel containers and a small bucket was lowered down in which he placed the payment. We then proceeded at high speed up the river with jungle on either, with only the odd boat or two going in the opposite direction.

After some time we pulled into a small riverside complex which the driver explained was police and customs border point and we had to complete the necessary forms in order proceed from Brunei to Sarawak which is in Malaysia. The people were very friendly and they insisted on completing Mary's form for her, whilst I had to complete my own. Formalities over we left with our forms for entry and departure.

On approaching Limbang I was surprised to see some rather large vessels, mostly registered in Kuching, tied up at jetties on the riverside. The driver tied up at a central jetty and took us round the building to show us where we had to fill in the paperwork to enter Malaysia. Once again Mary had her forms completed for her. Formalities completed we went for a walk.

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The town was not as modern or as developed as Brunei and along the front; opposite the police station we found the memorial to the policemen and Marines who had lost their lives in the Limbang Raid. There is always a particular sadness in seeing where young men have given their lives for their country a long way from home.

On returning to the jetty we discovered that our boat had gone and there were no more available. We changed some money and hired a taxi to take us to the border. It was about 45 minutes and cost us very little. At the border we completed the paperwork to leave Malaysia at one little kiosk, then walked a few yards to a similar structure to complete the paperwork to enter Brunei. On the other side of the border was a somewhat old bus waiting with a woman shouting and calling us over. She turned out to be the `conductress'. The bus was certainly old and untidy, but clean. The journey back to Brunei town was an interesting tour through the suburbs and although taking over half an hour cost just pennies.

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We managed a couple more walks round the town and in the evening it was particularly beautiful, with everything lit up and all the buildings illuminated. As I tried to spot familiar places and recall events I realised that it was not just that places had changed, but also that my memory of the time wasn't so good. After all, it was nearly 42 years ago, and I was a mere lad of 19.

We departed Brunei on Sunday evening, taking with us some happy memories of a beautiful place with polite, happy and friendly people.. I was glad I had returned and I was pleased we had made it to Limbang to pay our respects to a brave group of lads.

We hope to return to Brunei and Limbang in 2006 and who knows, perhaps this time we might get to Kuching and some other places in North Borneo.

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