A Short Tour of Duty

Dear Mrs.Albright, I am writing on behalf of all of us here to express our sorrow......"Message from the OCPD sir"...thanks Mat..."Two P/Lts. arriving ex Singapore Friday a.m.train. I will be attending conference KL Thursday till Tuesday.am leaving instructions for them to be sent to you until I return and arrange permanent postings for them.Phone me on receipt of this.........OCPD....at the tragic death of Bill........Dyson here Sir....you got my message?....yes....any problems....no there is a spare room with two beds but they will need sheets and mosquito nets....OK I will arrange that,what about food.....no problem cookie can cope....these are new chaps straight off the plane so try and fit in some pistol and stengun practice for them..........Sir,I sent you a message two days ago.........yes I know just do the best you can I'll try and get them off your hands by next Thursday at the latest.........OK... so soon after his arrival here.Bill and Jerry,another new Police Lieutenant who had travelled with Bill from England, arrived at my H.Q.direct from Singapore on Friday Nov.6th.....Hello I'm Dyson welcome to SBOI which is short for Straits Bulk Oil Installation of which this is the Managers house,the Manager being long gone to safer regions.Did they give you sheets and mosquito nets at Kuala Daun ? O.K.,theres a room upstairs with two beds in it get organised and then we'll have a chat. Make sure you do a good job with the nets,we are on the edge of a mangrove swamp and the mosquitos are in their millions.......to stay with me as a temporary measure until their permanent postings were arranged. Both Bill and Jerry were very enthusiastic and looking forward to getting on with the job.....everything Ok,no problem with the nets ?Good. the set up here is that I have a Sgt.,Cpl. and 22 special constables in the squad,I live upstairs and,as you can see the boys live down here and in what was the servants quarters at the back,we do routine patrols,attend incidents and act on any information we might receive,two chaps are on guard duty at all times from a HQ guard of eight that never leave the premises,apart from personal arms the HQ boys have a bren and the Squad has two more,every body stands to at dusk and dawn for 20 minutes,whilst you are here your place will be upstairs, when you hear the order take your pistol and keep watch from the verandah but don't expose yourself,during the evening stay away from open windows if the room light is on.Shops ? nothing around here.Towels,soap,toothpaste.....not a chance. No, it's not your fault,you should have been told local conditions before leaving Kuala Daun..........We had a good chat that Friday night,Bill and Jerry wanted to know everything about the job and I did my best to tell them everything I could. They had not realised that my place was so far away from any shops and they needed to stock up on soap,toothpaste and stuff like that so on the Saturday morning.....right,the best thing I can think of is that you go into town tomorrow morning with some of my chaps who are taking weekend leave and come back with them Sunday afternoon.You will have to stay in one of the Chinese hotels overnight but they are clean and inexpensive so you should be OK,my Sgt.is going and he will tell you where and when he will pick you up on Sunday. Whilst you are in town pop in to the Police stores and see if you can get a back pack and some junglegreen clothing,they won't have jungle boots,I suggest you buy hockey boots from one of the shops.....they went into town with some of my chaps who were on weekend leave and returned with them on Sunday afternoon. In the meantime I had received a message.............Arriving your location 1000 Monday in Ferret to visit Estates north of you,please arrange small one vehicle escort for day. Have cleared with OCPD and know your commitments - O.S.P.C......requiring me to provide a vehicle escort for a visiting Senior Officer on Monday,unfortunately I was engaged elsewhere on that day.........welcome back,no problems,good. Whilst you were away I have had a message from the OSPC thats Officer Supervising Police Circle who is the top dog around here that I have to provide a vehicle and escort for him on Monday morning,I have made all the arrangements but I have to leave here at 0400 tomorrow on an operation thats been in the pipeline for a time and can't be canceled so you two will have to greet him,I will be back Tuesday afternoon if things go as planned. Go with the escort ? Well it would give you a chance to see a bit of the country but you only have those silly bloody pistols and I haven't any spare stenguns and in any case you don't know how to use them. Of course the Ferret is an armoured car with a bren which the OSPC mans himself and we haven't had any reports of CT activity in the area he is visiting for a long time.Tell you what,ask the OSPC and see what he says,remember though that my Sgt.,who I can't really spare, is in charge;if anything does happen do what he says.........Bill and Jerry were very keen to go on this escort to see a bit of the country rather than just sit around, I didn't have the authority to say yes or no so it was left that they would make their request to the Officer when he arrived. He must have agreed because they were both in the escort vehicle when it was attacked..........down the corridor Room 5.......thanks Nurse.....not more than 15 minutes.........OK........hello Jerry how are you feeling.....not bad,can't move and drugged up but lucky to be here I suppose......I lost my Sgt.and the other chaps can you tell me what happened..........well I've thought about it a lot but there is not much to tell,we were about a mile in on the Estate road Bill and your Sgt.were in the front seat alongside the driver and I was in the back with the rest of the escort,I was looking forward through the windscreen watching the Lynx when the OSPC who was standing up in the turret suddenly jerked both his arms up in the air,I suppose that was when he was hit,at almost the same moment our windscreen shattered and we came under intense fire before I could turn to get out of the vehicle I was hit in the shoulder and knocked to the floor and then felt another bullet hit me in the thigh,I think that they must have had a couple of automatic weapons because the fire was really intense.I think a couple of our chaps managed to get out the back but they were immediately shot down,I don't think we got off a single shot,it was all over very quickly,the vehicle ended up at an angle in the ditch and I was wedged under the side seat. After a short I silence I heard movement and voices close by,somebody opened the front door on the passengers side and then somebody climbed in the back,they were taking the weapons. When the chap in the back discovered I was alive he called out and started to pull me out,by this time the pain was starting and I screamed as my leg got caught up but he pulled me straight out so I dropped on the bodies of the two constables laying on the road. Then one of them started to ask me questions,he spoke very good English,the leader I think,Special Branch asked for a description but I was lying on my back,shit scared,with sweat and the sun in my eyes so I couldn't help them, I told him,the leader,that I had only been in Malaya a couple of days and was just doing a job,he asked if I knew what the fighting was about and I said no,he then said that if I promised to leave and never come back to Malaya he wouldn't kill me,so I agreed. They dragged me to the side of the road,torched both vehicles and left. I passed out shortly after and really don't remember much more.The Doc tells me that the shot in the leg smashed the bone and I will be limping for the rest of my life so I couldn't carry on here even if I wanted to. Even so,do you think I did right in making that promise to the CT leader ?...................as to that I can't say all I know is that I would have done exactly the same........on a road in a rubber Estate some twenty miles from here at about 11.30 am. Security Forces from the Estate were soon on the scene but the terrorists had already fled but I have every confidence that we will catch up with them soon. I have visited Jerry,Bill's friend and the only survivor, in Hospital,he was badly wounded and will not be fit enough to carry on here so will return home when he is able to travel.From what Jerry tells me it was all over very quickly and ,if it is any consolation,Bill died doing his duty. ..........Dyson ?........Yes sir.....I want you to write to Albright's mother,I'll get her address for you........for Christs sake why me I hardly knew him.....that is the point,you are the only one of us who did know him,even if only slightly,and Dyson.....Sir......be diplomatic no comments on his degree of preparedness,know what I mean...........yes Sir.....I have packed up Bill's belongings and they will be forwarded to you soon,amongst his things was a half finished letter to you which I am enclosing. Once again,on behalf of all of us here, our sincerest sympathy in your loss


	A Short Tour of Duty by R. Cole (some names have been changed) Dear Mrs.Albright, I am writing on behalf of all of us here to express our sorrow......"Message from the OCPD sir"...thanks Mat..."Two P/Lts. arriving ex Singapore Friday a.m.train. I will be attending conference KL Thursday till Tuesday.am leaving instructions for them to be sent to you until I return and arrange permanent postings for them.Phone me on receipt of this.........OCPD....at the tragic death of Bill........Dyson here Sir....you got my message?....yes....any problems....no there is a spare room with two beds but they will need sheets and mosquito nets....OK I will arrange that,what about food.....no problem cookie can cope....these are new chaps straight off the plane so try and fit in some pistol and stengun practice for them..........Sir,I sent you a message two days ago.........yes I know just do the best you can I'll try and get them off your hands by next Thursday at the latest.........OK... so soon after his arrival here.Bill and Jerry,another new Police Lieutenant who had travelled with Bill from England, arrived at my H.Q.direct from Singapore on Friday Nov.6th.....Hello I'm Dyson welcome to SBOI which is short for Straits Bulk Oil Installation of which this is the Managers house,the Manager being long gone to safer regions.Did they give you sheets and mosquito nets at Kuala Daun ? O.K.,theres a room upstairs with two beds in it get organised and then we'll have a chat. Make sure you do a good job with the nets,we are on the edge of a mangrove swamp and the mosquitos are in their millions.......to stay with me as a temporary measure until their permanent postings were arranged. Both Bill and Jerry were very enthusiastic and looking forward to getting on with the job.....everything Ok,no problem with the nets ?Good. the set up here is that I have a Sgt.,Cpl. and 22 special constables in the squad,I live upstairs and,as you can see the boys live down here and in what was the servants quarters at the back,we do routine patrols,attend incidents and act on any information we might receive,two chaps are on guard duty at all times from a HQ guard of eight that never leave the premises,apart from personal arms the HQ boys have a bren and the Squad has two more,every body stands to at dusk and dawn for 20 minutes,whilst you are here your place will be upstairs, when you hear the order take your pistol and keep watch from the verandah but don't expose yourself,during the evening stay away from open windows if the room light is on.Shops ? nothing around here.Towels,soap,toothpaste.....not a chance. No, it's not your fault,you should have been told local conditions before leaving Kuala Daun..........We had a good chat that Friday night,Bill and Jerry wanted to know everything about the job and I did my best to tell them everything I could. They had not realised that my place was so far away from any shops and they needed to stock up on soap,toothpaste and stuff like that so on the Saturday morning.....right,the best thing I can think of is that you go into town tomorrow morning with some of my chaps who are taking weekend leave and come back with them Sunday afternoon.You will have to stay in one of the Chinese hotels overnight but they are clean and inexpensive so you should be OK,my Sgt.is going and he will tell you where and when he will pick you up on Sunday. Whilst you are in town pop in to the Police stores and see if you can get a back pack and some junglegreen clothing,they won't have jungle boots,I suggest you buy hockey boots from one of the shops.....they went into town with some of my chaps who were on weekend leave and returned with them on Sunday afternoon. In the meantime I had received a message.............Arriving your location 1000 Monday in Ferret to visit Estates north of you,please arrange small one vehicle escort for day. Have cleared with OCPD and know your commitments - O.S.P.C......requiring me to provide a vehicle escort for a visiting Senior Officer on Monday,unfortunately I was engaged elsewhere on that day.........welcome back,no problems,good. Whilst you were away I have had a message from the OSPC thats Officer Supervising Police Circle who is the top dog around here that I have to provide a vehicle and escort for him on Monday morning,I have made all the arrangements but I have to leave here at 0400 tomorrow on an operation thats been in the pipeline for a time and can't be canceled so you two will have to greet him,I will be back Tuesday afternoon if things go as planned. Go with the escort ? Well it would give you a chance to see a bit of the country but you only have those silly bloody pistols and I haven't any spare stenguns and in any case you don't know how to use them. Of course the Ferret is an armoured car with a bren which the OSPC mans himself and we haven't had any reports of CT activity in the area he is visiting for a long time.Tell you what,ask the OSPC and see what he says,remember though that my Sgt.,who I can't really spare, is in charge;if anything does happen do what he says.........Bill and Jerry were very keen to go on this escort to see a bit of the country rather than just sit around, I didn't have the authority to say yes or no so it was left that they would make their request to the Officer when he arrived. He must have agreed because they were both in the escort vehicle when it was attacked..........down the corridor Room 5.......thanks Nurse.....not more than 15 minutes.........OK........hello Jerry how are you feeling.....not bad,can't move and drugged up but lucky to be here I suppose......I lost my Sgt.and the other chaps can you tell me what happened..........well I've thought about it a lot but there is not much to tell,we were about a mile in on the Estate road Bill and your Sgt.were in the front seat alongside the driver and I was in the back with the rest of the escort,I was looking forward through the windscreen watching the Lynx when the OSPC who was standing up in the turret suddenly jerked both his arms up in the air,I suppose that was when he was hit,at almost the same moment our windscreen shattered and we came under intense fire before I could turn to get out of the vehicle I was hit in the shoulder and knocked to the floor and then felt another bullet hit me in the thigh,I think that they must have had a couple of automatic weapons because the fire was really intense.I think a couple of our chaps managed to get out the back but they were immediately shot down,I don't think we got off a single shot,it was all over very quickly,the vehicle ended up at an angle in the ditch and I was wedged under the side seat. After a short I silence I heard movement and voices close by,somebody opened the front door on the passengers side and then somebody climbed in the back,they were taking the weapons. When the chap in the back discovered I was alive he called out and started to pull me out,by this time the pain was starting and I screamed as my leg got caught up but he pulled me straight out so I dropped on the bodies of the two constables laying on the road. Then one of them started to ask me questions,he spoke very good English,the leader I think,Special Branch asked for a description but I was lying on my back,shit scared,with sweat and the sun in my eyes so I couldn't help them, I told him,the leader,that I had only been in Malaya a couple of days and was just doing a job,he asked if I knew what the fighting was about and I said no,he then said that if I promised to leave and never come back to Malaya he wouldn't kill me,so I agreed. They dragged me to the side of the road,torched both vehicles and left. I passed out shortly after and really don't remember much more.The Doc tells me that the shot in the leg smashed the bone and I will be limping for the rest of my life so I couldn't carry on here even if I wanted to. Even so,do you think I did right in making that promise to the CT leader ?...................as to that I can't say all I know is that I would have done exactly the same........on a road in a rubber Estate some twenty miles from here at about 11.30 am. Security Forces from the Estate were soon on the scene but the terrorists had already fled but I have every confidence that we will catch up with them soon. I have visited Jerry,Bill's friend and the only survivor, in Hospital,he was badly wounded and will not be fit enough to carry on here so will return home when he is able to travel.From what Jerry tells me it was all over very quickly and ,if it is any consolation,Bill died doing his duty. ..........Dyson ?........Yes sir.....I want you to write to Albright's mother,I'll get her address for you........for Christs sake why me I hardly knew him.....that is the point,you are the only one of us who did know him,even if only slightly,and Dyson.....Sir......be diplomatic no comments on his degree of preparedness,know what I mean...........yes Sir.....I have packed up Bill's belongings and they will be forwarded to you soon,amongst his things was a half finished letter to you which I am enclosing. Once again,on behalf of all of us here, our sincerest sympathy in your loss Sincerely Mrs.Albright never replied BACK / HOME