Phantom GMC

In the early 1950s'the Communist organisation in the Kajang area of Selangor was headed by Liew Kon Kim, Commander of the 4th.Independent Company of the MRLA. Liew was a very able leader who had achieved some success against the security forces and was well known for the full beard he effected,unusual amongst Chinese who seldom grow much facial hair(Liew was killed in 1952 in an attack on his camp by the Suffolk Regt.).By virtue of his victories he was held in high regard or fear,as the case was,by the civilians of the Kajang area and surrounding districts so that when he proclaimed a nightly curfew not ending until the sun was well up it was extensively observed. Apart from this being an affront to the Government authorities it had serious implications for the rubber plantations of which there were many in this area,to obtain maximum production of rubber latex the tappers had to be in position to start tree tapping as soon as it was light enough to see;the longer the start was delayed the less latex produced.To break the curfew and reassure the civilian population the rubber industry asked for Police vehicle patrols throughout the District during the night hours,not only on main roads but into the rubber estates as well.Since the start of the Emergency in 1948 the Communists had achieved considerable success with road ambushes but,in spite of this, the Police had few armoured vehicles (just the odd Lynx Scoutcar kept at some Circle H.Qs.for V.I.P.escort)so the request from the rubber industry could not be met as it would have been suicide to patrol in the available unarmoured Police vehicles,Landrover,Austin A40s and Chevrolet personnel carriers,on a regular basis.It was finally agreed that if the rubber industry could supply a suitable armoured vehicle the Police would man it on regular patrol during the night hours.Accordingly a GMC armoured personnel carrier was purchased from a war surplus dealer in Singapore and secretly garaged on a rubber estate in the Klang District.A Jungle Squad led by a P/Lt.was allocated to man it and every evening just after dark it started the patrol,returning before first light to be locked away from sight until the following evening.In addition to the APC the patrol included a Landrover with a Brengun centrally mounted following the APC without lights some 50 yards to the rear,the APC carried eight personnel armed with rifles,stenguns and an EY Rifle(Grenade Launcher). Whilst awaiting my first permanent posting I spent ten days on this patrol just after it had started and we had two contacts and one kill but my most enduring memory is of the amount of Optrex eye lotion used to try to soothe eyes that had just spent ten hours trying to see in the dark!


	Phantom GMC* In the early 1950s'the Communist organisation in the Kajang area of Selangor was headed by Liew Kon Kim, Commander of the 4th.Independent Company of the MRLA. Liew was a very able leader who had achieved some success against the security forces and was well known for the full beard he effected,unusual amongst Chinese who seldom grow much facial hair(Liew was killed in 1952 in an attack on his camp by the Suffolk Regt.).By virtue of his victories he was held in high regard or fear,as the case was,by the civilians of the Kajang area and surrounding districts so that when he proclaimed a nightly curfew not ending until the sun was well up it was extensively observed. Apart from this being an affront to the Government authorities it had serious implications for the rubber plantations of which there were many in this area,to obtain maximum production of rubber latex the tappers had to be in position to start tree tapping as soon as it was light enough to see;the longer the start was delayed the less latex produced.To break the curfew and reassure the civilian population the rubber industry asked for Police vehicle patrols throughout the District during the night hours,not only on main roads but into the rubber estates as well.Since the start of the Emergency in 1948 the Communists had achieved considerable success with road ambushes but,in spite of this, the Police had few armoured vehicles (just the odd Lynx Scoutcar kept at some Circle H.Qs.for V.I.P.escort)so the request from the rubber industry could not be met as it would have been suicide to patrol in the available unarmoured Police vehicles,Landrover,Austin A40s and Chevrolet personnel carriers,on a regular basis.It was finally agreed that if the rubber industry could supply a suitable armoured vehicle the Police would man it on regular patrol during the night hours.Accordingly a GMC armoured personnel carrier was purchased from a war surplus dealer in Singapore and secretly garaged on a rubber estate in the Klang District.A Jungle Squad led by a P/Lt.was allocated to man it and every evening just after dark it started the patrol,returning before first light to be locked away from sight until the following evening.In addition to the APC the patrol included a Landrover with a Brengun centrally mounted following the APC without lights some 50 yards to the rear,the APC carried eight personnel armed with rifles,stenguns and an EY Rifle(Grenade Launcher). Whilst awaiting my first permanent posting I spent ten days on this patrol just after it had started and we had two contacts and one kill but my most enduring memory is of the amount of Optrex eye lotion used to try to soothe eyes that had just spent ten hours trying to see in the dark! *GMC =Common reference to Armoured Personnel Carrier(CT15A,see Photo page) ,later to become the main armoured vehicle of the Malayan Police. BACK / HOME