21 Ogos, 2010

Jungle Squad

The Batang Berjuntai Jungle Squad of the Kuala Selangor Police District,Selangor in the early 1950s with Police Lt.Vincent Hancock O/C 4th.from left. This picture perfectly illustrates the grab bag of weapons and uniforms with which these Squads were equipped in the early days of the Emergency.

Members No.3 Police Field Force waiting to embark for Bahau, the nearest roadhead. Westland 'Dragonfly' Helicopter .

CT15A, 4x4, Armoured Truck 
The CT15A(in Police jargon"GMC") was the main armoured vehicle used by the Federation of Malaya Police from 1951 on for patrol and escort duties,eventually many hundreds were in use. Due to the short wheel base it was extremely manouverable but difficult to reverse for lack of vision. The vehicle was built by General Motors,Canada for WW 2,production commenced in 1943 and by the time it ceased in 1946 some 3,960 units had been produced.

1section,7Platoon,C Coy, 1 RAR ( L to R:T.Dillon,B.Havers,B Treloar,W.Grey,A.Foxley,G.Garvin,P.Bacskai) (Malay/Thai Border) 

Fort Iskandar Entrance 

Body manufactured at 40 Base W/Shops,Singapore and mounted on Bedford RL chassis,carrying capacity 20 persons

Weapons 
Browning 9mm. Automatic

Webley .455 Revolver
Sidearm for Police Officers(Browning)and Army personnel(Webley)

Lee Enfield .303 Rifle No.4 Mk.1 
First adopted by the British Army in 1895 it remained,with various modifications,
 the main infantry weapon until  the late 1940s.With it's length, weight of 4.3 kilos and a magazine holding only ten rounds which then had to be reloaded round by round it was not suitable for jungle warfare. Usual weapon for Special Constables guarding Rubber Estates and Tin Mines.

Lee Enfield .303 No.5 Mk.1( jungle carbine ) A shorter and lighter version of the No.4 with a flash eliminator on the barrel. Designed from lessons learnt in the Burma campaign,manufacture started in 1945 .

Winchester M1.30 CarbineAccepted by the U.S.Army in 1941over six million had been manufactured by 1945.  The one shown has the 30 round magazine, in Malaya the smaller 15 round magazine was more common

Bren .303 Light Machine GunA British adaptation of a Czech design, the Bren was adopted as an infantry weapon by the British Army in 1938. The magazine had a 30 round capacity but was usually loaded with 28 to avoid stressing the magazine spring. Could be fired from the lying position using the front legs or ,with the legs folded back, from the hip with a shoulder strap.

Owen 9mm Sub-Machine GunAustralian designed and manufactured, in use by the Australian Army from the early 1940s until 1966.  Much prized for it's reliability under all conditions.

Sten 9mm. Sub Machine GunOn general issue to British and Commonwealth Forces from early 1940s on. Manufactured in various configurations with a 32 round magazine that was liable to jam. It was a cheap and crudely made weapon not much liked by anyone. 

Thompson Sub-Machine Gun .45First manufactured in the USA in 1921, it was in use by the US Army by 1928. At the start of WW2 the British Army had a number of them which were replaced by the Sten when it became available. Some were supplied to the Malayan guerillas who retained a few of them after the Japanese surrender and  used them during the Emergency.

Remington Pump Action Shot GunOn limited issue to some Army units, mainly SAS

25lb. Field HowitzerUsed for shelling suspected jungle camps

Mills Bomb (hand grenade)Armed by inserting fuse (4 or 7second delay) into body under base plug.

EY Rifle (grenade thrower)
Lee Enfield .303 No.4 Rifle  modified by fitting a cup and using a special type of blank cartridge to throw a Mills Bomb fitted with a 7sec. fuse. For a description of the use of this weapon in the Emergency.

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