
This story is told by an 80-year-old former British Royal Engineer who now lives in London, UK. It recounts the journey of a British soldier from London who was sent to Malaya from 1959 to 1962.He and his unit sailed on the HMT ship and arrived in Singapore in 1959. They then took a train to Prai and carried out tasks in various locations such as Butterworth, Gerik, and Camp Terendak in Malacca. They were part of the 11th Independent Squadron Field Royal Engineers.
Their main task was to repair infrastructure like roads and bridges, especially those damaged during the Japanese occupation and attacks in 1945. There was a lot of destruction at that time, and they worked hard to build new roads in rural areas for better land connections. Some units were also sent to assist the Malaysian government forces in clearing Communist insurgents.
The photo on the left shows their temporary camp in Tapong, Perak, where they stayed for six weeks. They upgraded and built new roads, especially in Gerik, to provide alternative routes connecting villages and military jeep tracks.