No1 Guards Parachute Company Association

Below - Pics from Borneo 1964/65

Above a patrol getting ready for insertion into the Jungle

Ginger Refuelling A Wessex

TUTONG CAMP (Near Brunei)

Paddy's Day On The Sungai Tutong

Pics from Kenya

Company members on Sam Small's Farm in Kenya in 1967

looking ragged after the survival exercise

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Pic of Long Moh as it is today (2014)

Long Moh

Ulu Baram is a remote area of Sarawak on the Island of Borneo

This is where Call/Sign 93 lived in1965. Just one of the Special Forces "Four Man Patrols" of The Guards Parachute Company during the Borneo Confrontation with Indonesia, who's President wished to introduce communism by force into Malaya, Singapore and Borneo.This threatened Britain's interest in the Far East.

A Longhouse settlement situated on a tributary of the Baram River in Sarawak, 589.6 kilometres or 345 miles east north east of Kuching the State Capital.

Only 1/2 Mile from the Border of Indonesia. --------- Long Moh was this Patrol’s main base.

But only visited infrequently because of the threat of ambush. Before entering the village the patrol had to scout around and watch the village to make sure it was safe to enter.

All of The Guards Para 4 man patrols stayed in their designated areas for months on end, carrying out Hearts and Minds operations to the villages, whilst also keeping a watchful eye on the border trading tracks between Borneo and Indonesia.

The patrol was re-supplied every two weeks (weather permitting) by helicopters from The RAF or The Royal Navy. The RAF using Westland “Whirlwind’’ helicopters. The Royal Navy flying Westland “Wessex’’ helicopters. The Royal Navy helicopters were from The Aircraft Carrier Ark Royal, and subsequently from the Carrier “Bulwark” All the helicopters were based for Jungle operations at the forward airstrip at Bareo. For smaller Border DZ insertions the Army Air Corps were on hand to ferry the patrols in with the small but fast Westland “Scout’’ helicopter.

Ulu Baram belongs to the traditional area of the Orang Ulu (Upriver People), a collective name that includes the Penan people (about 10,000 overall), Kayan, Kenyah, Saban, Punan Iban and Kelabit tribes.

The patrol working this area, were many miles southwest of the two forward airbases' of Bareo and Long Banga, working along the reaches of the Sungi (river) Moh an offshoot of the main River Baram. The patrol kept in touch with their HQ in Brunei daily via a small morse radio set.

These remote villages were reached firstly by flying from the Base HQ in Brunei to ''Bareo'' via a Twin Pioneer aircraft of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (Bareo was the first forward airbase) Part two of the journey was again by helicopter to ''Long Banga'' (the second forward airbase) Finally Part Three, again by helicopter, was to a front line DZ, which in this patrol’s case, was close to the Village of Long Moh.

In 1965 these two Main forward Airbases (mentioned above) were manned and protected by Gurkhas Troops.

From their main Base at Long Moh settlement, which was half a mile from the border with Kalimantan (Indonesia) The four man patrol mostly travelled by boat, which was made from a dug out tree trunk (tree boat) with a outboard motor attached. This boat had to be carried over parts of the river, which were too dangerous for the boat to travel over, due to large rocks below the surface of the many rapids along the river.

A local boatman from the village travelled with the patrol as a river pilot, solely because of his local knowledge. He knew the river and the rapids well. Before the confrontation these local village people traded between other villages not only along this river, but also with their cousins over the border into Indonesia, but trading was now too dangerous as Indonesian soldiers were indiscriminately attacking villages along the length of the Kalimantan border,so the four man patrol had to be always vigilant.

Below are distances travelled to the villages by the patrol. Each village usually had a visit at least once every 7- 10 days. Sometimes the patrol stayed overnight in the furthest away villages, as some were not easy to get to. One village in particular was only accessible by climbing a mountain, which took most of the day—after the horrendous journey by boat over many rapids. Darkness fell at 6.00pm sharp (it was pitch black by five past six) making it too dangerous to attempt a return journey until the next day.

Mileages covered by river and by foot to the villages by C/Sign 93 :

• Long Peluuan 7.4 kilometres (4.6 mi) north

• Long Metapa 9.4 kilometres (5.8 mi) west

• Long Baleh 9.8 kilometres (6.1 mi) northeast

• Lio Matoh 17.1 kilometres (10.6 mi) west

• Lepu Wei 17.9 kilometres (11.1 mi) northeast

• Long Salt 24.8 kilometres (15.4 mi) northwest

• Long Tegan 25.2 kilometres (15.7 mi) west

• Long Selaan 35.8 kilometres (22.2 mi) west

Long Tikan. Reached only by river, then trekking over a mountain before a 2 hour trek through the jungle to reach the Punan Village.

Pics of Borneo --- Long Moh Village (Below Acker at Long Moh)

This deep interior ''Punan'' family had never seen white men before! It took c/s 93 1 day by boat and two days walking to find them (with a local guide)

He was the only man that they trusted!

(Skins sitting amongst them)

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