The Real "UP TOP"

 The Navies of the British Commonwealth that operated in the BCFESR gathered together a force of ships, which at one point totalled 87, of similar classes, to operate during the Indonesian Confrontation of the Federated States of Malaysia, including a large number of Ton class minesweeper from four navies. HMAS Curlew and 5 other ships from the RAN were Ton class minesweepers of the 16th. MCM Squadron, RAN, and all took part in several tours of duty during this emergency. Royal Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, and Royal Malaysian Navy ships based in Singapore and Hong Kong made up and were part of the 6^th. and 11^th. Minesweeper squadrons. The minesweepers and other small vessels were backed up by frigates, destroyers and an aircraft carrier of the FESR, including warships from the RAN.

In Malaysian waters the Indons mounted infiltration and sabotage operations usually at night using small numbers of men. Indonesia concentrated on sabotage, directed towards Singapore (from the west Johore area) and central Malaya near Port Dickson from bases on Palau Rupat and further north at Palau Medang.

 From UP TOP, page 60: "Patrolling against Indonesian infiltration parties was characterized by long periods of tedious routine punctuated by moments of high activity and occasional hazard".

On page 61, Lt. Gus M, CO of HMAS Teal wrote of patrolling in Singapore Strait: "by far the most interesting and demanding patrol area in Malaysia. The attention required to keep the darkened ship clear of heavy merchant traffic is both challenging and tiring. The area abounds with unlit contacts, most of which are innocent fishermen (albeit breaking the curfew) or floating bamboo stakes (which give a surprisingly solid radar echo). Median line navigation, patrolling Indonesian Navy ships, and infiltrators add to the general requirement of unremitting attention to detail"

The intensity of the operations, with sleep deprivation, caused stress to be felt in all members of the Curlew crew in some form or another, living in such a confined area as a small ship with nowhere to go for a break is in itself stressful. Minor personality clashes add to the stress. When at sea one cannot go for a walk as is possible in the other two armed services. Of course in 1965 there were no Grief/Stress Councilors! Regardless of the conditions & stress, official punishment returns (included in the ROPs) for the period were "nil". Reflection suggests that efficiency, harmony and camaraderie involving all ranks was a large part of Curlew having a happy crew.

During patrol all contacts on the radar were investigated, some were called in from a Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft (LRMP) flying the area on a 24 hour basis. A Continuous Air Patrol (CAP) of fighters also flew on a 24 hour basis during times of high alert.

Continuous patrols were flown by LRMPs, RAF Shackletons flew from Changi and RAAF Neptunes (photo) from Butterworth. They would often direct patrolling ships to suspect targets. During a flip in a Shackleton when the ship was in self maintenance I was amazed to see as many as 200 contacts on the radar screen at one time. Our ship radar was also cluttered with as many as 20 or more contacts at any one time. Merchant ships were easily recognizable however small boats traveling slowly were not so easy to identify and it was known that they also stopped when there was an approaching patrol vessel in an attempt to escape detection. The great majority of the radar contacts were floating pieces of bamboo that we believed were some times deliberately thrown in by the Indons. Bamboo floating vertically in the water returned a very good strong radar echo and all contacts had to investigated.

CAP was flown from Changi by land based aircraft ( Photo: Simitar at Changi during afternoon storm) off loaded from HMS Ark Royal (R09). An RN aircraft carrier, the size of Ark Royal with 48 aircraft on board was indeed a threat to Indonesia. However such a carrier was a most useless tool against infiltrators but the ships jet aircraft were an instant air force and they were used from ground bases in Singapore and Malaysia to fly CAP. RAAF sabres (Photo below), Canberra bombers and then Mirages were used from Butterworth. There was only two occasions when Curlew called a CAP aircraft down and both were in Malacca while trying to discourage drift net fishermen from leaving port to fish.

Although LRMPs and CAP aircraft flew round the clock we never heard them or were aware of them overflying. Occasionally one would be seen landing or taking off from Changi.

The process of investigation was called Approach Stations and involved the watch plus certain key persons. Many approach stations were carried out during a typical night patrol in Singapore or Malacca Strait.

We were all working in a state of high alert and even though not every member of the crew was involved in approach stations, the very recognizable changes in ship behavior during any maneuver was enough to awaken everyone. A lot of the off duty personnel would sneak down the darkened starboard side of the ship to the sweep deck to see what was happening on the port side which was the processing side of the ship and so we were generally deprived of any good sleep. Some times a night patrol was followed by carrying out a check sweep, or a day patrol, with some boats going to anchor and 1 or 2 covering all the patrol lines of the previous night aided by good visibility during the daylight, then returning to a shorter line that night. This procedure was often used in Malacca Strait near Port Dickson opposite known Indonesian infiltration bases on Palau Rupat.

Greys research was flawed in that from UP TOP page 56: "At no stage, however do the Indonesians appear to have targeted naval ships in these attacks, although the coastal minesweepers were wooden hulled vessels and might have proved more venerable than the frigates and destroyers".

Contrary to this Official History Record, an RN Minesweeper, the HMS Woolaston was blown up and badly damaged in June 1965 with the loss of one Midshipman (Finch) and 11 sailors wounded some seriously.

Part of the operational duties for the ships, involved enforcing a night curfew on all small vessel operations in the waters of the Federated States of Malaysia. During one such operation just prior to Curlew arriving in Singapore in 1965, a Royal Navy minesweeper the HMS Woolaston, intercepted an outboard powered sampan and brought it alongside the port side of the ship, which was the accepted procedure at the time. According to official records the crew of the sampan jumped over the side and swam off into the darkness. A midshipman (Finch) and another rating went on board to search the captured vessel. It exploded and as we were told, only a shoe identified as belonging to the midshipman was recovered with his foot still in it. The explosion ripped a very large hole in the side of the minesweeper, penetrating and severely damaging the generator space.

(Photo: Ark Royal and Gold Ranger in the background, Woolaston was painted in experimental camouflage but the idea was later abandoned and she was repainted grey. Note the blast shadow from the jumping ladder.)

The real reason for the explosion would not have been officially recorded although was common knowledge in naval circles in Singapore. The British as is there custom of being the typical "colonial types" in an outpost of the British Commonwealth, had a number of bondwood ski boats built at the Singapore Naval Dockyard. Several of these were operating at the NAAFI ski club in Johore Strait next to the submarine base, two were at the yacht club in Labuan and a couple of RN minesweepers carried them on deck. To get outboard motors for the ski boats the British Navy took them from intercepted Indon boats whilst on patrol. The Indons were smart enough to booby-trap this outboard motor. The Mid. had been told to attach a rope to the motor and was undoing the clamps when the sampan blew up. The large number wounded (11) may be as a result of crew gathering on deck to help secure their outboard motor. The search of a small sampan which did not find any explosives is incredible given that the ships side was 3 inch thick timber and that the damage to Woolaston included penetration of the hull, the charge would have been quite large. Very sloppy procedures!

 Following this disaster, the procedure for dealing with apprehended vessels was changed so they were never brought alongside. The suspect vessel was made to stop and the crew was forced, by threat of being shot, to jump in the water and swim to the port side of the minesweeper, where a jumping ladder was rigged.

(The following is an outline of prisoner handling in HMAS Curlew in 1965 and 66 and is not dissimilar to that used in Abu Ghraib, IRAQ today [2004] which has the free world horrified and crying foul! Perhaps we too did breach part of the Geneva Convention)

One by one the prisoners in the water were called to climb the ladder & on the assumption that a prisoner could be carrying a hand grenade between the cheeks of his backside, the first action by the prisoner reception party was to grasp the person by the back of the head as he reached deck level and bang his face into the deck. If he was carrying a hand grenade it was hoped that it would be dropped into the water at this point. Next the prisoner was grasped by the arm from each aide and thrown at the closed door to the generator space opposite (Open in the photo above). Legs were kicked backwards so the prisoner was off balance and the body searched usually by an interpreter. Following the search the prisoner had any clothing cut away, was handcuffed and dropped to the deck on his face before the feet were tied tightly to the handcuffs by a piece of cod line spliced to the handcuffs. A green sandbag with drawstring (preserved with tar and very smelly) was then placed over the head of the prisoner, a number was put on his back and he was then dragged aft or carried to the sweep deck. A smack under the ear or kick in the guts at this point was just an enforcement of the fact that the prisoner was in a serious situation. Sometimes our dog Elvis would be sicked on to prisoners and she would bite them. The procedure was repeated until all the persons in the water were processed.

 The photo of a captured prisoner on the deck outside the accommodation is from the book  "Hands to Boarding Stations!"-J Foster-AMHP-Sydney-2000. and shows how prisoners were treated on that ship. In the text of the book the impression is portrayed that the Australian sailor is holding and aiming an Owen gun at the prisoner underfoot.

On board HMAS Curlew the procedure was similar however the prisoners were naked after their clothing had been cut away and a number written on their back. This practice of stripping prisoners was to humiliate and embarrass them and sometimes they were bound for hours waiting for a police launch to arrive so they suffered muscle cramps in particular to the stomach muscles.

 (Photo: Prisoners on deck) The ship then radioed for a customs/water police launch to come and take the prisoners ashore and also tow the captured vessel to port. The procedure may have been slightly different on other ships however that is how we, on Curlew, handled our prisoners.

This photo  from the book "Up Top" is supposed to represent the handling of prisoners during the Confrontation, the captives are said to be blindfolded, however close inspection reveals that they are wearing bandannas or head sweat bands to represent infiltrators. The ship is not HMAS Curlew and just as well, because if any of Curlew sailors behaved as is shown here, I would be handing out some serious blasts. There are just so many risks being taken in this situation by the Australian sailors, not withstanding that this event is a complete fabrication and not a real live situation as depicted, a study of this photo reveals:

The ships side is outboard of the port sea boat, which is visible, so I cannot fathom out how the prisoners were brought on board at this part of the ship. The main deck of this destroyer is approx. 12 feet from the water while a minesweepers main deck is only 6 feet above the water. There is no boat on the port side of a sweeper and there is a door in the bulwark – that is why we brought our prisoners onboard there.
 

1. The Aussie sailors are dressed in full No. 8s with boots, webbing belt and gaiters but none are wearing bulletproof vests as per operational orders. Curlew carried neither webbing belts nor gaiters.
    
2. The sailor with his back to the camera has a bayonet for a .303 rifle in an open scabbard on his belt that could be snatched by a prisoner fighting to escape and likely used on one of the sailors.
    
3. The same sailor is carrying a Thompson submachine gun not an Owen gun however his bayonet would not fit either his gun or an Owen.
    
4. The sailor at the forward end of the area is looking at the prisoners however his weapon appears to be pointing towards the other side of the ship.
    
5. There are 3 prisoners on board being searched at the same time instead of only one as was laid down in operating procedures.

 Now for the really stupid part:

The forward prisoner is being searched by a sailor looking down, unaware and completely unsighted (He should be squatting looking up at the prisoner) and the next prisoner has a bloody great knife in a pouch on his hip which he could use. This knife and any other visible weapons including any belts, should have been taken first up, before any body search.
 

Astonishingly of all is the abandoned .303 rifle on top of the rope locker in the foreground because if this were a genuine incident that .303 would be fully loaded, cocked with safety catch on and not placed in easy reach of any prisoner that after all could be a highly trained Indonesian Infiltrator. We do not know the state of the Tommy guns however in a real situation they would be cocked, safety off and finger on the trigger. This situation is supposed to represent a real one.
 

If anything did happen and the prisoners fought, the sailor doing the searching could easily be shot by his mates as he is in a position to receive crossfire and the other two sailors could well have shot each other, providing the bloke at the forward end did not shot over the starboard side. It must be borne in mind that incidents can happen in a split second. This exercise in prisoner handling is just a joke!! I am so pleased that the crew on Curlew were better trained in prisoner handling, searching and trussing than this ship of the RAN!

Suspects in the water were threatened with a bren gun from the port wing of the bridge and another bren gun mounted aft on the cap of the bulwark outboard of the engine room hatch. (Photo: aft bren and another sailor towards the stern with an Owen) Members of the reception party wore brightly coloured Chocee pyjamas pants or shorts (Chinese pyjamas), steel helmets, bullet proof (?) vests and carried Owen sub machine guns. The two sailors who grabbed the prisoners as they came over the side were not armed. The bullet-proof vests weighed 36 lbs. and had a toggle that when pulled released the front from the back at the shoulder and was to be used if one fell into the water. (American "Flak Jackets" were only seen in movies)

 The very real threat from the operation of stopping and processing vessels and prisoners during the curfew was always present.

Every patrol usually meant a different interpreter, they were from Malay Rangers, Water Police, Customs, Intelligence or any of the Services. They were a mixed lot from gentle people to just plain bastards and some delighted in beating up any prisoners we took and this went against our training however the call was always "they (Indons) should not be here" so lets get the job done.

 (Photo: A sailor holding a prisoner being questioned by an interpreter and a water police person (in cap). The prisoner has turned his head and buried his face in the sailors chest to escape being further punched in the face.)

A couple stand out as particularly brutal, there was one tall fellow who carried a koch which he used in the kidney region and another used a rifle butt on trussed prisoners. On an occasion when a prisoner refused to answer questions the interpreter lit a cigarette and placed it between the cheeks of his backside so that as it burned down it would eventually cause more and more pain and I witnessed this torture more than once. In our civilised world, beastly behavior towards captured prisoners was clearly against our training and morals; however this was their war so we had to turn a blind eye to any beatings. Some severe beatings were given to the crew of a junk, the SIN MOH.

Then there was the interpreter who was a magician, he was Chinese and he would sit with us on the forecastle when it was beer time and perform all sorts of magic. We were entertained for hours by him and regretted that he never returned to Curlew for another patrol period.

 (Photo: another incident with 4 prisoners, 2 are in stretchers so they must be hurt [no hand cuffs] and 2 are sitting up handcuffed). The bulwark door is open and from the position that the photo is taken suggests that the ship is alongside somewhere awaiting police. One of the crew is guarding them with an Owen gun.

(Note the closed door to the generator space that prisoners were hurled against, one w/t clip is on and another seven are off. The lockers are detonator storage lockers.)

When the ship went to Tawau in Borneo the interpreter assigned to us was a Malay Ranger. He was so proud of his job and wore freshly ironed jungle greens every day and always carried or had his .303 jungle carbine close at hand. My problem was that his hob nailed boots marked our beautifully scrubbed wooden decks, so we had a few words. I told him not to wear his boots but that did not go down well and he continued to wear them. The next afternoon just on dark I was doing rounds of the sweep deck and here was my friend, as there was no one else around, I grabbed him by the throat and told him if he ever wore his boots again on my decks I would take his .303 off him and ram it so far up his arse that he could lick the sights before throwing him overboard. That did the trick and he never wore his boots again whilst on Curlew but used to follow me round all the time like a puppy trying to be friendly, actually he turned out to be an all right fellow once he took his boots off and an asset when searching vessels, so much so that we took him fishing in Davel Bay.

Curlew was assigned to patrol duties in Singapore and Malacca Strait during periods of high alert. There was a night curfew in force for all small vessels. Soon after arrival the ship was assigned to the Malacca Strait area near Port Dickson where the Dutch owned Shell Oil Company had a refinery. The first patrol for HMAS Curlew during our tour was in Singapore Strait on 7^th. November 1965: "commenced patrol 1745, patrol line 110 degrees, 290 degrees with Sultan Shoal Lt. abeam at 1.7 miles. Line 3 miles long."

There was an all night curfew on small barter boats and fishermen in all areas however the fishermen of Malacca Strait were not resigned to any curfew and refused to remain in port. On our first patrol to Malacca in the Port Dickson area the CO was determined to enforce the curfew and as small fishing sampans (about 20) began to leave for their fishing grounds, Curlew steamed across their track firing the Vickers machine guns into the water ahead of them. The fishermen just turned their backs to the ship and pretended that it was not there. When the Vickers failed to dissuade them, a CAP aircraft (Scimitar) was called down and it strafed the water ahead of the fishing boats but to no avail. In the end we just gave up. These fishermen set drift nets for mackerel (or minesweepers) and were a continuous problem. During the night no deviation from patrol was carried out so by morning ships had to stop or go to anchor for a propeller/rudder/stabilizer clean to remove entangled ropes and nets.

Some of the ship divers (CABA) but not necessarily all, were in the water on 7 separate occasions clearing the propellers and rudders as is shown in the table:

The next evening we tried harder to stop the fishermen, using the Vickers and an RN buccaneer aircraft from the CAP (Photo) but they simply turned their backs to us,  nothing would stop these fishermen going out to fish, so we gave up again and further discouragement was not attempted. If a sampan was seen during the night in the moonlight the ships course was altered so as to pass within a hair of the fisherman in the hope that a near miss might persuade him to stay home the next night. I doubt that this ever worked, as they were used to large merchant ships passing through Malacca Strait in droves.

During operations in waters off Raffles Light, which is at the junction of Malacca Strait and Singapore Strait, the HMAS Curlew stopped a wooden boat (junk) about 40 or 50 feet in length (the second for the day) which was operating contrary to the curfew and which had been tracked on the ship radar as coming from Indonesian waters. As was the practice, the crew was forced to jump overboard one at a time and swim to the port side of the ship, where a prisoner reception party from the watch with the First Lieutenant in charge processed them. I was part of that reception party on my watch and on this occasion

 Following the securing of the prisoners (as outlined previously), the Captain called for a customs/ police launch to attend to take the prisoners from us and tow the abandoned vessel to port. No launch was available at the time and so the abandoned vessel, which was drifting in a major shipping lane, was considered a hazard to shipping and would be sunk.

Curlew opened fire with the forward bofors and small arms, but it had no apparent effect, we then rammed the vessel several times in an attempt to break it in half, however this too was unsuccessful and only succeeded in rolling it over. The junk refused to sink and although awash and lying on its aide, did not sink. The Captain called for me to attend the bridge where he directed me to make up a 9 lb. charge, with safety fuse and an igniter, which would be placed in the vessel to blow a hole in the hull. I proceeded below to the magazine and taped 9 x 1 lb. scare charges together. I returned to the deck to access the primer locker and primed the charge then taped a broomstick to it to hold the safety fuse and igniter accessible to me once the charge was placed.

 I went to the aft starboard sweep deck to find the vessel had been grappled alongside however once on the vessel I discovered that there was no where to place the charge so I called for a heavy axe from the sweep store and Rusty W brought it down, we then proceeded to chop a hole in the hull of the vessel. We broke through and made the hole big enough for the charge to be placed inside the hull, which appeared to be filled with charcoal. When all was ready the bridge gave the order to ignite the fuse and after doing so, we climbed back on board. The ship moved ahead but at first the junk was sucked in behind the stern and followed until the bridge increased speed and thankfully it was forced away.

Curlew stopped about 200 yards from the vessel, starboard side to. Most of the crew by this time was on deck to watch the explosion. When the charge went off the explosion was quite large and a blast wave passed over the ship. I realized that the 9 pound charge of TNT that I placed would not have caused such a large explosion. I was horrified at the realization that the upturned vessel could have blow up while I was aboard obviously in great danger. I went round to the port side where the 3 prisoners were lying on the deck bound and sandbagged. I gave each a punching followed by a good kick in the guts and set our Alsatian dog Elvis on them. After I vented my anger on them, I left and the prisoners were all crying and I imagine begging for their lives, however I did not understand the lingo, only the tone. The interpreter talked to them and it transpired that one of their number had hidden on board the junk to escape detection and was still on board when the junk was shot up by the ship and subsequently blown up by me.

Later a water police launch picked up the prisoners and took them to Singapore. The next day there was a shipboard enquiry into the treatment of the prisoners by the prisoner reception party as one of them had died in Singapore as a result of a severe beating. As both the CO as Captain and the Jimmy, as reception party, were involved, the Navigating officer conducted the enquiry. (Note there is no entry in the ship log re inquiry). There was no evidence that any of the crew onboard Curlew seriously mistreated any of the prisoners (excepting as previously detailed) and they were handed over to customs in reasonably good health.

 On 30^th.Nov. at 1802 the ship berthed in SND and after the Captain attended a debriefing on Manxman, we were told that the second vessel we had apprehended and blown up, was filled with high explosive and was proceeding to the oil refinery at St. John Island (Singapore) in an attempt to blow it up and set fire to the oil storages. The action of the Curlew in preventing this operation was significant.

Some log entries from HMAS Curlew for 26^th.November 1965:

            1717 Approach stns close up.

            1725 Arrested crew of captured boat.

            1802 police craft alongside to take 2 Indon prisoners.

            1905 Commenced patrol.

            1940 Approached contact 1.5 miles sth of Raffles Lt.

            2002 illuminated

            2010 captured three Indonesian crew and proceeded to sink craft.

            2140 craft demolished.

            2205 prisoners transferred to police boat.

            (Note that the time spent demolishing the craft was 1.5 hours)

The Sin Moh was a very large sailing junk that regularly came from Indonesia and anchored off Tg. Piai and was suspected of smuggling arms ashore. It was considered to be in International Waters so could not be searched. At night the Curlew would circle the Sin Moh and fire the bridge bren into the ship. On 15^th. January 1966 at 0959 the Curlew anchored beside the Sin Moh and the crew were told to come onboard which they did using a small sampan. There were 8 crew that came over and they were processed and taken to the sweep deck where the interpreter gave them a fierce beating. They were ordered to be released at 1115 and the sweep deck had to be hosed to remove all traces of blood. We already had captured 2 prisoners from a small boat that was thought to be heading for Sin Moh and they had also been processed and beaten. The crew of the Sin Moh were ordered to be released to return to their ship. The other two prisoners were then handed to a police launch and it departed at 1330. (Accounting for the two that disappeared as they had been dropped down into the sweep stores flat although some of our old crew still believe, even today, that these two were killed and dumped over the side, however that was not the case.)

 Two days later at 1315 on 17^th. January 1966 Curlew again investigated Sin Moh before departing at 1352 to RV with RFA Gold Ranger for fuel and water.

(Note:Tanjung Piai is the southern most part of Malaya, Singapore is off to the east separated from Malaya by the Johore Strait. The entrance to the channel into St. John Is. oil refinery and fuel storages is just a few miles to the east of Tg. Piai.)

Later on in the afternoon the CO asked me to swim over to the SIN MOH and have a look under it by duck diving as we could see what looked like heavy ropes hanging over the side. I went with some one else and swam with fins only. This means swimming in a more or less sitting position facing backwards propelled by the fins. When we were about halfway there a shot rang out and we stopped. The CO was on the forecastle near the Vickers and he yelled for us to return to our ship. As I had my back to the SIN MOH I have no idea where the shot landed or even if was aimed at us, but it certainly put the shits up the two of us!!.

Log book entries from HMAS Curlew will verify all but the beatings (naturally).

Saturday 15^th. January 1966.

0700 Secured from night patrol, assumed day patrol.

0805 Stopped to investigate small boat.

0845 Boat in tow.

0845 Proceeded towards Tg. Piai.

0945 Proceeded towards vessel SIN MOH (anchored) 256 Tg Piai 3’.8

0959 Stopped 1 cable off SIN MOH crew ordered to come by boat.

1005 8 crew onboard.

1020 Let go 2 shackles stbd cable in 18 ftms.

1115 SIN MOH crew released.

1315 Police boat secured alongside.

1330 Police boat departed with captured boat and two prisoners.

1730 Weighed and proceeded for patrol.

 It should be pointed out that when a boat was to be towed, one of the ship diving team would swim over to it and place a grappling hook with tow rope attached, over the gunwhale and in this way captured boats could be towed but never brought alongside.

(Photo: Indon prisoners in a police boat.)

Prior to leaving for Sabah, Borneo in December 1965, Curlew took on board an army assault boat, this was a British built 16 foot flat bottomed aluminium boat powered by an army issue outboard motor of 40 hp. which was obviously a Johnson painted green. The idea was to have the capability to pursue infiltrators or smugglers in shallow waters and at high speed. So the boat could be dropped while the ship was at full speed (this had not been thought of by other units at the time) we rigged a slip hook on the starboard minesweeping davit and slung the assault boat over the side and lashed it to the bulwark. Once dropped in the water with a crew of 2 or 3, a boat rope kept it alongside until the outboard was started.

A shipborne made spigot was fitted in the bow of the assault boat so one of the bren guns could be mounted and fired from there. The outboard was extremely unreliable and often refused to start & being towed alongside a minesweeper at 14 knots and being bashed by the ships side while the outboard was started was not much fun and in retrospect, thwart with danger. The assault boat carried no life jackets and no paddles, only the bren, our personnel weapons (Owen guns) extra magazines and a fuel tank.

 A 44 gallon drum of fuel for the outboard was stored on the aft sweepdeck where it created a fire and explosion risk that was not unrealized especially if the ship came under fire.

The assault boat was really good for fishing though and filled that role regularly. One pound TNT scare charges were the preferred fishing lines.

 In December 1965, Curlew did a tour of duty as part of the Tawau Assault Group (TAG) in Sabah, Borneo, and at one particular time the Curlew was operational near the Indonesian border, in the Nunukan River opposite the Indonesian Island of Nunukan. There was a large Indonesian Army base on the Island with many gun batteries and a Squadron of Russian built Hound assault helicopters. The main sea border was patrolled during the day by 2 customs/water police launches manned by Malay Rangers which anchored on the border in the Nunuken River just off the base with HMAS Curlew (the picket duty) anchored about 3nm. from the border and maintained a cruising watch (one degree below Action Stations). The area was best kept under surveillance using the ship radar, however a continuous armed deck patrol and lookouts were always closed up.

 Late in the afternoon Curlew left the daytime anchorage and moved to anchor on the actual border, using radar ranging, 1.5nm. from Nunukan Island and the 2 launches would then come alongside for the crew to mess, shower and maybe watch a movie below decks as the ship was darkened at night.

On this occasion while moving to anchor on the border, I was standing by the anchor winch ready to let go the starboard anchor on command from the bridge. A shore based battery opened fire on the ship, enveloping it with 3 salvos totalling  30 or 40 tracer shells, some of which I could see falling astern and slightly to the port side. From the sound I thought the battery was probably 40/60 mm or 40/70 mm, which is a common weapon of armed forces from round the world, used mainly for antiaircraft defence and close range action.

 The ship went to action stations, while I secured the starboard anchor by clutching in the warping drum using the hand wheel recessed into the outboard side of the drum, from a position crouching beside/under the anchor winch , where I was trying to hide. Having just seen shot fall astern and heard them buzzing as they passed close by (you are not supposed to hear the one that kills you). I was scared shitless!. The ship was turning to starboard and when the superstructure gave me cover I bolted for the wheelhouse.

Away from Singapore the minesweepers needed replenishment of fuel, victuals, movies and sometimes mail & patrol orders so the task fell to a couple of old RFAs of the British Navy called Gold Ranger and Eddyrock. The Gold Ranger (Photo) or the Eddyrock turned up in every location for a few hours so minesweepers and other boats could come alongside and replenish. They then disappeared only to appear a few days later at another location. Gold Ranger was an old tub with an open bridge and very low main deck that was usually awash in any sort of a sea. The ship was a welcome sight anywhere in Malaysia, especially if she carried mail and movies.

Another replenishment site was Labuan Island off the coast of Sarawak & when the oil wharf was empty the minesweepers would tie up there to take on diesel, however the NAAFI Yacht Club was at the shore end of the jetty and served beer around the clock if there was a ship on the jetty. If we were there during the day some of us arranged to use one of the two ski boats belonging to the club which were powered by outboards taken from dead Indons.

(Photo: M1121 receiving a coston gun line for an underway alongside fuel transfer. Note local trader vessel in background and coston spear just visible above her bow.)

A search of the log books for HMAS Curlew for the months of November & December, 1965 and the months of January, February, March & April 1966 shows that the ship investigated, shot up, sank, apprehended, captured, rescued or towed, illegal boats a total of 63 times. This is without counting the vessel searches carried out while picket ship at Tawau in Borneo which would have averaged 10 to 15 boats per day.

The table is a record of the 63 log entries. The entry on 23^rd. February 1966, was a capture of two boats at the same time so 63 boats should read 64.

Apart from the recorded entries Curlew spent much time at night approaching floating bamboo stakes so no wonder we were all so tired.

Grey in his book seemed to indicate that the minesweepers did little however the number of investigations and an observation of nautical miles steamed by Curlew during my time in her suggests otherwise as we steamed 34,918 nm. and been underway for 2,630 hrs:

When Curlew de-commissioned in 1990 after 37 years of service, the ship had steamed a total of 377,055 nautical miles and been underway for 39,542 hours.

HMAS Melbourne berthed in Singapore dockyard on 12th April carrying the flag of Rear Admiral T.K. Morrison, Flag Officer Commanding the Australian Fleet (FOCAF) and our CO called on him on 13th. April. FOCAF returned the call the next day, 14th. April, arriving alongside in the Admirals Barge at 1121 for a brief 37 minute stay during which we and the crew of HMAS Snipe were given a verbal "well done" for our involvement in the conflict. On 16th. April 1965 part of the crew changed using fly in/fly out. When the QANTAS 707 arrived in Sydney around 0400 we were met by a supply bob (RAN Officer from supply branch) who gave each of us a large brown envelope containing holiday pay, travel documents and in the bottom a small cardboard box containing a medal, the General Service Medal with clasp Borneo (GSM Borneo) and a Returned from Active Service Badge (RAS Badge). I remember he did not stop complaining about having to arise early to meet the plane so no "welcome home job well done" for us, no welcome march, no medal pinning parade and if you can find a mention of our war on a war memorial, including the Australian War Memorial in Canberra (2004), or cenotaph, then it is extremely rare. The Australian Government probably believes that we are still Up Top lost in the jungle.

No Australian Government has ever officially recognised the contribution that Australian troops, airmen and seamen made in the war to protect the freedom of the Federated States of Malaysia during the Indonesian Confrontation.(2005)

As an example of the Australian Governments indifference to servicemen that it had committed to a war, when the minesweepers Curlew and Snipe arrived back in Australia, the two ships entered Sydney Harbour during the silent hours and berthed at HMAS Waterhen at 0200 on 12th. December 1966. There was no one to meet them excepting the duty watch to help with the berthing. The next day all the crew members from both ships proceeded on leave and received their General Service Medal clasp Borneo and RAS badge in the mail. It is no wonder that ex sailors from the "Silent War" feel so badly let down by the uncaring attitude of the Australian Government of the day and successive Australian Governments.

Over 40 years since the Indonesian Confrontation, the Malaysian Government is to award a medal for service of 90 days or more in the declared territories of Malaya (The Malayan Emergency), Malaysia and Singapore (Indonesian Confrontation). This medal, dedicated to those who served defending the freedom of Malaya and Malaysia is highly valued and appreciated by Australian Veterans of both conflicts. Better late than never but will the Australian Government follow suit and strike an Australian medal for the "Silent War"?

BRITAIN, THE DAILY EXPRESS 22/04/05

 At Last.... we honour the heroes of jungle wars

By David Pilditch

The heroes of "forgotten" jungle wars were recognised at last yesterday in an emotional service at St Pauls Cathedral, where the first National Memorial to servicemen who served in action in South-east Asia was unveiled.

It follows a Daily Express campaign demanding the Government end its snub to veterans that fought there.

The Malaysian government wants to award the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal to all Commonwealth servicemen who were based in the region between 1957 and 1966.

Australia and New Zealand have accepted, but Britain has said it does not allow Forces personnel to wear foreign medals. (31st.Jan.2006; HM Govt. has now approved British Service Personnel applying for this medal). The Malaysian High Commissioner was among guests at the ceremony yesterday to see the Duke of Kent unveil a plaque in honour of those who served in Malaya and Borneo.

More than 350 veterans who traveled to London from all over Britain told what the memorial meant to them.  David Neil, President of the National Malaya & Borneo Veterans Association, said, "It is long overdue.  It is a very emotional day".

Forces from Commonwealth Countries including Australia were honoured by the British Government.

The memorial reads "Remember with pride and gratitude all those who fell in the service of the Crown and in the cause of freedom for the peoples of South East Asia."

The 1962-1966 Borneo Indonesian Conflict was a small, undeclared war involving forces from Australia, New Zealand and Britain. Of the 30,000 who fought, about 500 servicemen lost their lives, 23 from Australia.

Will the Australian Government follow suit and issue an Australian medal for the "Silent War" or at least formally recognise those veterans who served therein?

 A plaque to consecrate the service of the 16th. MCM Squadron, Royal Australian Navy during the Indonesian Confrontation was unveiled at the Australian War Memorial. The dedication service took place on Friday, 31st. March, 2006 at 1000hrs. This Plaque was an initiative of a private group and was not instigated by the Australia Government, which is shameful. Veterans attending even have to pay for their own morning tea!!

HMAS Curlew in fighting trim, anchored at Tawau, Sabah, December, 1965. Vickers in the bow, no guard rails round the forecastle, rocket launcher, splinter mats on the bridge, Australian Ensign on the gaff, anchor ball on the yard, jumping ladder, Aussie map on funnel & starboard minesweeping davit swung out to carry the assault boat.

Indonesia - Competing World Views; The Indonesian Confrontation - a US view(1963)

 History of Borneo, Malaya and the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation

Indonesia in 1965 & 1966 , a British Viewpoint.

 Sukano, the Coup of 1965.