THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 1947.
SILENT KILLERS
KILLERS OF THE Time To
BORNEO JUNGLE
by
TOM
HARRISSO N
Tom Horicon, soldier and explorer, was
into parachuted with seven others
Borneo in March 1945 to raise a guerilla army and harass, the
had occupied the island. Japanese who Operating from Barco, they swiftly collected hundreds of men whose chief weapon
was the
B
deadly blow-pipe.
hit.
כזו!
Y May 1945, from our At 100 yards a man-sized target headquarters up in the was never hit by anyone or any-
Even thing.
30 rich Shangri-La tableland Rest soldier seldom manged to the yards of interior Borneo, our tentacles regler
'this reached far out in every diree unexpected turn ut events. How tion, softly creeping around the uld we send such men into any unsuspecting Japanese on
organized action? the coasts.
But they refused to go back to their blow-pipes, The was by now infra dig.
second-line
Pioneer Corp!
For
a
Yet
cl
We had several hundred or ganised blow-pipers, and whole nation ready to operate when · required. the Japs remained peacefully unaware of it.
When at last arms began to vome in by plane three or four times n week, the full tribes became almost overwhelmed with 301 ristes, Brens, Owens and Austens, carbines, two- inch mortars,
silent- pistols and killer welds, renades and phoo phorus bombas.
Natives quick to learn
OUR guerilla
2nd
Tel
the
As we armed more and jnore natives, over a larger and larger, area, leadership became correspon- dingly more important,
Ench group of guerillos became personally attached to a particular. officer or N.C.O, of our Irregular parachute force, Strange brigadiers
meant nothing in their lives.
Any sensible white inuin can .control sucía tribes provided he does not shout at them or throw his weight about and is honest and straightforward.
The idea that a white mins among antive peuples must always show his superiority is out of date and absurd.
One day in June 1945, the Austro- Hans landed at Brunel, Weston, and Beaufort on the west coast, and at Labuan Inland, Just off the west coast,
Simultaneously, our guerilla forces struck from the rear. We, took the laps completely by surprise. Ausste Lieutenant Pinkerton bagged at his breakfast a notorious Japanese leer who had tortured many of his troop's own tribesmen.
Tighten Up Road Rules
by "CANDIDUS”
THE over-increasing toll of
deaths and injuries in the Colony resulting from road accidents-reckless driving is probably the more appropriate termi-is nothing short of appalling. in ratio to the number of yehicles on the streets, I would hazard the guess that it is the highest in the world. There are but few thousand vehicles runing, and yet we know Our success was almost
cabar-that within the short since of a year rassing. Especially to the Australian there have been approximately one Regular Forces.
hundred. lllled and many hundreda Injured. Another disquieting aspect
For example, Lawas was a key is that proceedings against drivers point in the centre of Brunei Bay. seem to be few and far between, and In due course a large Australian Re-Inquesta are the exception rather galar Force, accompanied by two than the rule, gumbouts, came up river to take Lawas.
If the menace to fé is ever to be checked, the fullest publicity musi be Kiven. Dealing departmentally either with these Involved In acci- dents or guilty of bronchies of trafle regulations can never be calculated to have the same effect as publicly.
Some of the chops that were paraciulted into my command start- ed off with this anogant point of view. They very saon changed IL They found a wild, unshaven car- poral of mine, surrounded by even I have
spent lot of
my Bfe wilder and nearly naked hili gueri- ang native peoples in Bornen las, living in state off the relics of the blow-pipe and ather parts of the world. Japanese occupation in the Residency. a weapon
As Л result I'm sure the best Australian patrols cautiously ad-THERE no doubt whatever that way to get on anywhere is to behave vaneing from the coast would meet the present deplorable state of up with one of our chips leading an affairs is largely due to Service irregular force, who might well be vehicles. As I remarked some time singing and perhaps currying a couple nge, they appear to be a law unto of fresh Jap heads.
themselves, and this is should be. I would be interesUng to know the number of accidents in which Service vehicles have been involved.
Unless
get right down to pertinent facts, the rim harvest of death and injury will continue unabaled.
So I took a chance and one anxious day sen
sent the first team to
an experimental ambush. These strange sensible people did not fet un down. First Ume they opened fire they shot true and dead 100 per cent success,
Ax
they
apologetically plainer-ner they
tx-
read live doss
sights there was no questem of missing theie mark.
But with cardard dummy there just wasn't any incutive,
ران
The irregular troops became ex- tremely effective with 303 rites. but never with sub-machine
bec.ruse they were fascinatert by the thrill
krisger that squeezing the fred off the whole magazine in unie
!!#+14
troops, naturally, no knowledge of such triggery things. Apart from a few shotgams owned by the rich upper einssen the machlues of Western civi. lisation avo
by Central Borneo and left no trace
But the speed with which these people acquainted themselves with modern weapons was extraordin-
jn tant
an hour
an illiterate Kelabit, knowing nothing of miu- chanics, could learn how to strip and assemble a Bren gun. It took me how when 1
Their
superb skill ITL jungle movement, shadowing stalking. playing silent tip-and-run, gave them every advantage. pasken
24
fortnight to learn
was a private!
To master little thing like sub- machine-gun and pistola was for them often a matter of minutes.
внесуть
us the nativer do.
ftespect their manners and observe their customs. If you do sensibly you automatically have prestige and con- rol, because they regard the white
man as richer, stronger tmd more clever than themselves,
Mythical Figures. They Were
You actually gain respect if at the same time you can fraternise-tearn te dunce their dances, sing their songs, COME of my fellows, like W. O. trink their chiefs under the bamboo MacPherson, became
table.
The basic law of Borneo society is this: The best man is the last one to PASS DU!!
'Aussies' are fine
soldiers
HAD) never had much to do with Australians before. Like any good Tommy-as the Aussies call us I had been brought up to think that the Tominy was the finest soldier in the world.
almost
mythical gures in Australian Army
cyes,
But the brass-hats found it rather humillating when an NC.O, taking als commands by wireless from an unseen
The
we
not ns it
new Ordinance, cited as the "Vehicle and Road Trame Ordinance, 1947" promises to stiffen penalties for various offences, and the sooner its provisions are carried into effect publicly, the better.
in
ven Englishnin 100 miles uwny It surprising, however, that it in the unknown hinterland. Was does not include a clause compelling found gently asleep in solitary oc- third-party insurance to be taken cupation of the target area, for which out by all owners or transport com- Divisional p. 9. had cleared up or panties. The amount stipulated fantry company with several support
Ordinance three hundred groups.
dollars which may be awarded to We always felt sorry for Regular person suffering Injury (death is
patrols, infantry
with not slogging hobnall boots and full equipment In any case, it has apparently been
not mentioned) is
is totally inadequate, long the swelterlag jungle trails, overlooked that many drivers wou
would through the
river not be able to furnish even such a crossbigs and mud wallows,
modest sum as that, and the fact made it a rule that no white of that in default of the payment of any rank was ever to carry his own such sum the person would be called equipment, except minimuin upon to serve 1 term of imprison- emergency kit. He could wear whatment would be but poor consolation he liked.
to the woman whose breadwinner
certuin victim.
They could travel for daya in the jungle, barefoot, in a loincloth, camying a few pounds of rice, or
Interminable im wild sago, Jungle fruit,
Jame
Once In alt attack on Jap po, an elderly native soldier was slightly wounded and list touch with the main force. After a week he was Kiven up as last.
Ridiculous Jap
Mistakes
There are no finer soldiers than the Australians. Their greatest quality is initiative. More difficult to discipline than the Tommy, this makes them all the better for leading others.
When things got really hectic, I used to have Australians dropped to me by parachute.
Sone, like Corporal Sterelny, had never dropped by parachute before, and volunteered for the job without
training.
After only an hour's briefing I would send each one of them on, with a bunch of native troops, to o remote pass, or to contain a Jup post 100 miles away over the mountains,
And
the trouble they took น their Weapons clean! The THE inland people celebrate death, danger always was that a man in fact everything, with marathon would clenn and pollsh his rifle drinking parties. They
consume hold o to preven
Derana of rice wine. Before D-Day in June we staged, On this occasion the old chap several special raids to collect Jap
arrived
home and found, to his auxiliaries for Intelligence, but we indignation, all his in-laws glorious- avoided any regular Jap pat, only drunk, feasting on the last of his anything that would make ie Japs ples and fowls. suspicious of what was going on.
During the whole eight days he had had no proper food, and had to cut his way right across the great Junkie
They hardly ever failed to make a job of it.
On my side, I always knew that I had done a decent jub by a Digger if he ended up by calling me "Sir." Bosses aren't offelally recognised in Australia, Any Aussie offlor can take it as a compliment it he is called "Sir." For an Englishman, it is a
ringes, One ridd gave great, pleasure to
Net three days kater, having our own forces and caused terrible fruation
the dar drowned his troubles in pork and positive bouquet, Among
wine, Ive was back on service.
-slit-thront,-or- sniping unnerved
them
we captured a party of top-line The ambush, the dancing girl going to a Japanese jungle-shadow banquet for R Very Important
the
Japs most. visiting officer.
It often led
to make The only serious defect of the After D-Day we had a "Yellow ridiculous mistakes, largely because Australian soldier is his tin-obsession. Stave" group which specialised in they did not realise that the natives Ever in the midst of plenty he would snatching Japanese women. They were well organised, armed, and rather have tinned pork and beans made good jungle charwomen.
than fresh. Although
The calmest soldier I know, ultra- Gur n.dive
Lang after D-Day they were still troups proved to be brillant at mastering thinking that any regular attack tough
Paratroop Sergeant Nibbs, the handling of our arms, they were from the rear was something purely pure, and only once, to my know- morong when we Marted them local, from fellows who had happen ledge, got into a panic when we were shooting.
in diflcult spot with some Japs. ed to get some werpone.
1cd
After we had sorted out the frantic whirlwind of his neurosis, it turned out he had lost his tin-opener!
MILLSTONE
CERMAN INDUSTRIAL MILL
SITE FOR BUILDING THE
ADVANTAGES O
POTSDA
Гростра
I
WHY should life
Inside the area of my own personal; had been Just another innocent command we recorded as told by a staff officer of Jap head- some 1,200 Japs killed. I Inter was
be valued so quarters that we cut off another 500,
cheaply in Hongkong when who were never heard of again.
compared with other parts of the In addition, we captured more world? It is a reflection against than
400
Japs alive!
British justice that such should be Major Toby Carter and Major Bll the
is this fact, which case. Sochon, Inter supported by Major R. undoubtedly causes some drivers to K. Wilson-a farley-street surgeon Ignore their who gave up his practice in favour of
responsiblities parachute adventure-started later and therefore controlled smaller areas with fewer Japs coming into them.
Lightening-up all round is urgently required, and precious life given the evaluation it rightly war- rants. I do not know anything about taxi or bus companies, but should I become a victim, would my wife and children be protected in Hong- ilghtened
on- I countries?
Can
But between us, on the mainland kong as they would be in of Borneo, we klited many more Japs
only than the fully organised Regular hope so. Army
Where the
IN conclusion, I must refer to the had IN Australians. hundreds of casualties oura were in-
fuet
that our traffle police do significant.
not assist pedestrians. At any of I had no white casualty apart from the busy intersections in the city, Private Gibbs being seriously ill from have you ever seen a policeman on a poison dart scratch. But I lost 14 point duty holding up truffle for a murments in order to allow native troops, of whom two blew few
pedestrians to cress in safety?
Hongkong has reached the stage un expert from the Trafic Branch of any of Britain's big cities is required, so that modum com ordination between the traffic and the pedestrian pablje may be pro- perly developed.
themselves up with hand grenades.
Next Week
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DISADVANTAGES
・
• POTSDAM PACT
WINDOW ON THE WORLD
FLOATING WEATHER BASE noxious residue with the use of
hydrochloric neld," Again the Oslo, Norway is to maintain a plumber expressed his delight that Beating weather station in the Arc- they approved his Idea. Then he tle. Sea between Trondheim and got this letter: "Don't use hydro- Jan Mayen Island. Two corvettes, chloric acid. It eats hell out of the cach with a crow of do, will serve in pipes!"
turn for this purpose., Oceanogra- phical as well as meteorological ob- servations will be undertaken.
1
RAINMAKERS
Sydney, Australian scientists re-
.It cently dropped between 200 and. 300
Is also hoped to be able to supply pounds. of granulated Ice into valuable information in connection massive cumulus of clouds and pro-
with
the movement of flah.
THE PLUMBER'S IDEA
duced rain. Dr E. J. Dowen, Syd- Boy University radio physles expert, New York-A little New York who conducted the experiments plumber, whose name is denied to within 200 miles of Sydney, used a history, has won a_running battle | Liberator plane to make eight ex- over bureaucracy. He wrote to, a pariments on four flights. Ho Washington bureau reporting he dropped dry ice into the clouds had found hydrochloric acid good from 33,000 feet and a quarter for cleaning clogged drains. The an hour later saw rain fall from the bureau replied: "The efflency of cloud. Bowen said that a few hun hydrochloric acid is indisputable, dred pounds of dry ice costing but the corrosive residue is incom could produce from 10 to 100 tons patible with metallle permanence" of rain if dropped on Bultable "Glad you agree with me," answer clouds. Because they did not know ed the plumber. Abolber lotter whether the process was "economic, came from Washington reading: they are tincertain as to the possi "We 'cannot assume responsibility bility of applying the experiments
for, the production of toxic and to relleve drought-areas:
£10