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Following the end of the Malayan emergency in 1960 proposals were made to extend the Federation of Malaya to 13 states granted independence in 1957 to include the three British territories in Borneo, Sarawak, Brunei and North Borneo. The concept of the Federation of Malaysia, as it was termed, did not find favour with President Sukarno of Indonesia, who had ambitions for an Indonesian empire. Strong military forces, partly irregular, were maintained in Kalimantan, the eastern half of Borneo under Indonesian rule. Borneo is a land of dense jungle, fast flowing rivers and steep hills and mountains. The border with Kalimantan is 1000 miles long, and to protect this frontier against Indonesian incursion was the task given to Major-General Walter Walker(later, General Sir Walter) when appointed Commander Borneo in 1962. 
In December 1962 a short lived insurrection against the Sultan took place in Brunei, led by an opposition leader named Azahari. Although soon suppressed by the British force flown in to deal with it, this provided a warning signal of more serious problems to come. General Walker established a joint force HQ in Brunei(later moved to Labuan) and soon built up his forces from brigade strength to include additional British, Commonwealth and Gurkha battalions, RAF transport aircraft and helicopters, and Royal Navy coastal craft and helicopters. He established the principle of forward company bases, supplied by air, and made secure, from which aggressive patrols were conducted along the border. By applying tactics learned during the Malayan emergency, and taught at the famous Jungle Warfare School in Malaya, General Walker's men learnt to beat the Indonesian guerrillas at their own game. SAS penetration patrols conducted cross-border operations, and provided timely intelligence.
For the communications personnel also, there were many difficult problems to overcome. Radio links were established from Joint Force HQ to Singapore, Kuching(the main port) and the forward brigades, obliged to carry heavy message traffic with all the problems associated with the HF band in tropical conditions. But the main difficulties were met by the brigade signal squadrons. In order to give their VHF radios the required ranges(far in excess of the designed purpose in conventional war in Europe) it was necessary to place to place relay stations on mountain tops, far above the jungle. The envelope cover illustration depicts the station established by Gurkha Signals on Mount Murud in Sarawak, initially lifted by RN Wessex helicopters after several attempts thwarted by cloud and rain. For the SAS patrols deep in the jungle efficient communications was also essential, a constant challenge to the SAS signallers.
The Federation of Malaysia was formed in September 1963, to include Sarawak and North Borneo(later Sabah), but Brunei elected to remain under British protection. The Confrontation ended officially in August 1966 with the signing of the Peace Accord between Malaysia and Indonesia. The envelope date stamp commemorates this event. The design is based on the cap badge of the Queen's Gurkha Signals. The insignia of the Joint Services HQ Borneo is also shown on the cover.
The helicopter in the illustration is a RAF Whirlwind HC10. |
