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The Limbang Raid, Sarawak 1962

After Limbang, December 12 1962. Photograph of Marines wounded during Limbang operations on a lighter at Brunei town jetty. (RMM)

In December 1962 40 and 42 Commando deployed to Brunei in north Borneo in order to quell unrest in the area following plans to unite the territories along the north Borneo coast under the new Malay Federation. 42 Commando and 40 Commando were aboard the Commando Carrier HMS Albion at the time. During the revolt terrorists had seized the British Resident and his wife along with twelve others in the Limbang region of Sarawak. Elements of 42 Commando executed daring raid in order to save them on December 12 1962.

L Company of 42 Commando, led by Captain Jeremy Moore, arrived in the area captured by the rebels only three days earlier and immediately planned for the rescue operation. Moore recognised that the most effective way to surprise the rebels was to be a direct attack on their headquarters. He assessed that it was most likely to be the police station in Limbang. Moore procured two lighters for the journey up the river and into the heart of the rebel territory. Royal Naval personnel from the minesweepers HMS Fiskerton and HMS Chawton prepared and crewed the lighters. During the raid the Marines lost their element of surprise by the noise of the lighters’ engines. The rescuers were met with a barrage of gunfire from the estimated 150 rebels armed with guns raided from the local police station. The raid was highly successful with the Commandos finding all the hostages. Five marines died and eight were wounded in a raid that earned Captain Moore a bar on his Military Cross (where he distinguished himself during the Malayan Emergency) and two Corporals the Military Medal.

Letter to General Cartwright-Taylor from Richard Bavin, page 1. Letter addressing misleading press reports on the activities of 42 Commando in Brunei. Includes an account of the action at Limbang. The second page of the letter can be found using Sea Your History’s Searchable Database. (RMM)

Jungle operations in Borneo continued for another three and a half years in what became known as the Borneo Confrontation.