Page 53 - CONTENTS

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had to ferry from Jesselton. One party landed at Labuan, still clutching
‘suitable jungle maps', and only knew where they were because a
Gurkha officer (Lt (QGO) Thandraj Pun) had been on Labuan in 1946
rounding up Japanese and now recognised the place again.
Only a part of the first company got into Brunei town in daylight. The
unknown RASC Major was detailed off to stay at the airport and
arrange transport up to the police station. For this the Fire Brigade
provided some open trucks. It later transpired that this Major was a
Requisition Expert carrying a briefcase of money with which to buy the
needs of the force. Arranging a vehicle run was not actually his reason
for coming.
Shortly after one company and Tac HQ had arrived at the police
station, the building and compound were surrounded by ‘rebels’ who
loosed off volleys from whatever they were armed with. The shot gun
pellets did not reach over the padang but the rifle and carbine bullets
did. The company having taken a number of casualties cast aside its
gas masks, banners and bugles and prepared for whatever was to
follow. ‘Disperse or we fire’ techniques were dispensed with as ‘They’
had fired first.
The second company got a little way into the town when they heard
the shooting, and debussed. The situation, as far as it was known, was
explained over the radio, but as neither knew where the other was it
was problematical to know what to do. Brunei town could not be seen
as it was now midnight, nor could it be envisaged with neither maps
nor local knowledge.
In due course the attack subsided and the second company entered the
police station. Tasks were then allocated. It was then thought that now
the attackers realised that soldiers had arrived, the situation could be
quickly restored by the existing force. A message to this effect was
drafted to Singapore but the radio link was inoperative, so the rest of
the Battalion arrived that morning. And so started the ‘Undeclared
War’ of Borneo Confrontation.
Meanwhile the cinemas of Singapore were still proclaiming their
entertainment ‘The Longest Day’. In Brunei town the day had been
both long and real.