From Allen Misselbrook to Richard Rose

MISSING CHAPTER – History of Tamparuli Bridge (Low level floodable bridge)

"We can't undo or change the past, it can only be accepted. People may change, but the sunshine will shine forever."

While information about the bridge can be easily found on Wikipedia, I wanted to compile a more personal and comprehensive account in my blog. This isn't about re-quoting or rewriting history, but about sharing it, especially for today's young children and future generations. The truth is important.

After years of searching for information about the history of the Tamparuli Bridge (low-level floodable bridge in North Borneo), I was fortunate to find valuable details through the Yapton local history in the UK. The stories were fascinating. I read about the person who I believe built and designed the bridge many years ago. The most significant find was a photo of the Tamparuli low-level bridge in North Borneo, dated 1938. Many people might not be aware of this, and most of these photos have never been seen by the world or even Google. Local people often say the bridge was built by the British in the 1930s, which seems like a good estimate.

I reached out to Yapton local history and asked if someone could help me contact Richard Rose, who I believe is the great-grandchild of Ernest Reg Baker, the person who built and designed the Tamparuli bridge.

I have contacted Yapton local history and requested information about Richard Rose to facilitate my communication with him regarding the history of the construction of the Tamparuli Bridge - Date 2020-11-28 18:05

 

A few days after I received an email from the person in charge the Chairman of the Yapton & Ford Local History Group, they forwarded it to Richard Rose.

Ref:  The Chairman of the Yapton & Ford Local History Group

• This original text was received from Richard Rose via Allen email on Dec 01 2020, at 05:12.

Memorial at Tamparuli 1961

 

In 1960, two soldiers from the Royal British Army's Service and Medical Corps tragically drowned when they were swept away by strong currents while attempting to cross the lower Tamparuli Bridge. The soldiers who perished were Pte Hall and Cooper. The image above is a clipping from a 1962 book, and a monument was erected in 1961 to commemorate this tragedy.

The Tamparuli Memorial, erected in 1961, commemorates a tragic event that occurred on May 18, 1960. On that day, two British soldiers, Pte Hall and Cooper, from the Royal Army Service Corps and the Royal Army Medical Corps, were transporting a severely injured Dusun woman from Sayap village to the hospital in Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu). As they reached the Tamparuli Bridge, they found that the river had flooded the main route to the hospital.

Despite the dangerous conditions, the soldiers attempted to cross the bridge in a military Land Rover. Tragically, the strong currents swept the vehicle away, and all three passengers drowned. This heartbreaking incident claimed the lives of two British soldiers and a local woman.

The monument, built on September 6, 1961, still stands strong and is well-maintained by the authorities. It serves as a reminder of the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers involved in the incident.

Sources: COLONY OF NORTH BORNEO ANNUAL REPORT, 1960

• Tragic Incident by Mr Anthony Catherall: It recounts a tragic incident where two Army personnel and a native woman lost their lives while attempting to cross a flooded river at Tamparuli.
• Memorial: A public subscription was raised to commemorate the bravery of the soldiers involved in the incident

Tragedy at Tamparuli Bridge in 1960

All these photographs are copyrighted, but permission has been granted for Muhammad Suhaily to use them for a video or blog – Anthony Catherall, Ex 11 Independent Squadron RE.

The tragedy at Tamparuli Bridge in 1960 is a poignant and memorable event in the history of North Borneo (now Sabah, Malaysia). On May 18, 1960, two British soldiers, Pte Hall and Cooper, from the Royal Army Service Corps and the Royal Army Medical Corps, were assisting and transporting a severely injured Dusun woman from Sayap village to the hospital in Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu). As they reached the Tamparuli Bridge, they found that the river had flooded the main route to the hospital.

Despite the dangerous conditions, the soldiers attempted to cross the bridge in a military Land Rover. Tragically, the strong currents swept the vehicle away, and all three passengers drowned. This heartbreaking incident claimed the lives of two British soldiers and a local woman.

A monument was erected on September 6, 1961, to commemorate the bravery of the soldiers involved in the incident. The monument still stands strong and is well-maintained by the authorities. This tragedy remains a significant part of the local history and is remembered for the soldiers' courage and sacrifice.

Tamparuli Low Level Bridge

Jambatan Tamparuli (Low Level Bridge) Built circa 1932

Gambar asli Jambatan Tamparuli tahun 1938. Anak saudara kepada salah seorang jurutera jambatan tamparuli 30-an telah memberikan kepada Admin sebagai rujukan dan sumber kajian bersama.

Gambar diatas tahun 1938 dimana pembinaan bermula pada tahun 1932. Jika dilihat hari ini jambatan ini masih kekal kukuh dengan bahan buatan yang berkualiti dan kaedah pembinaan yang sangat teliti dan keadaan persekitaran dengan pandangan jauh ke hadapan.

 

Tahun 1954 hujung jambatan (menghala ke KK/Kiulu) dibina semula apabila beberapa kali rosak akibat banjir dan pembinaannya hampir sama dengan yang asal oleh jurutera British dan tempatan.

Sejauh mana jambatan ini masih bertahan?

Telah terbukti sehingga ke hari ini jambatan tamparuli masih kukuh dan kekal dengan reka bentuknya. Adakah semua ini benar mengikut kepercayaan turun temurun bahawasanya TOMBUAKAR yang menjaga jambatan sejak sekian lama? 

Apa yang jelas, pembinaan jurutera dan pakar tempatan tidak boleh diambil ringan. Dengan segala kemahiran, kepakaran teknikal dan bahan buatan memainkan peranan sehingga terbinanya jambatan yang kini hampir 100 tahun.

Beberapa pertanyaan telah diajukan kepada jurutera binaan seperti jalanraya, jambatan dan landasan. Maka dapat disimpulkan bahawa beberapa perkara wajib dititikberat seperti: 

a. Bahan binaan

b. Kelajuan/kederasan dan ketinggian air apabila berlakunya banjir.

c. Muatan banjir.

d. Kedalaman tiang konkrit.

e. Kemahiran jurutera dan pekerja.

1. Isi padu air

Semuanya memainkan peranan penting dari segi pembinaan infrastruktur agar tahan, kukuh dan stabil.

 

Ref:  Original photo & contents by Richard Rose UK. 

11 Independent Squadron Field Royal Engineer RE.

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.