General Service Medal---Pingat Jasa Malaysia*
COMMONWEALTH
FORCES
General
Service Medal---Pingat Jasa
Malaysia*
At the start of the Malayan Emergency British
forces numbered some ten infantry battalions plus the 26th.Field
Regt,Royal Artillery which was converted to infantry,most were
under strength and under equipped. The Royal Air Force* also had a presence in both
Malaya and Singapore but, again , was deficient in equipment and
personnel. Reinforcements were despatched from Britain and
British garrisons in the Middle East and Hong Kong,later on units
from various Commonwealth countries also arrived.Due to lack of
armoured vehicles casualties from road ambushes were very high
and this situation did not change much until late 1949 when
suitable armour started to arrive. However the build up of men
and materials continued until,at the height of the
conflict,British forces numbered some seventeen battalions of
infantry,armour and artillery plus the 22SAS Regt. Putting down
the Brunei revolt in 1962 meant that when the Confrontation
started the bare bones of a command structure was already in
place in Borneo making response quicker than it might have been.
Build up of men and materials proceeded quickly and peaked at
approx:
Malayan
Police Field Force.............2 Battalions
Infantry................................................13
"
Artillery..................................................2
Regiments
Engineers.............................................2
"
Special
Forces....................................1 Battalion
Indigenous
Border Scouts..................1500
plus Naval and Air support including 120 aircraft,fixed wing and
helicopter.
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* 31st. Jan.2006 HM Govt. approved British Sevice
Personnel applying for this Medal. To read full Ministerial
statement go HERE
*To view Helicopter Memorial go HERE