A ‘SMALL WAR’
The Malayan Emergency was also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War, which lasted for 12 years between 1948 and 1960. It was a guerrilla war fought in British Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and the military forces of Britain and the Commonwealth. The communists fought to win independence for Malaya from the British Empire and to establish a socialist economy, while the Commonwealth forces fought to combat communism and protect British economic and colonial interests. The conflict was called the Anti–British National Liberation War by the MNLA and an ‘Emergency’ by the British because Londonbased insurers would not have paid out in instances of civil wars.
On June 17, 1948, following attacks on plantations and after the MNLA had established a series of jungle bases and began raiding British colonial police and military installations Britain declared a state of ‘Emergency’ in Malaya.
The MNLA’s terrorist activity reached a peak in 1951 with the ambush and killing of the British high commissioner to Malaya, Sir Henry Gurney. However, his successor, General Sir Gerald Templer, developed a close relationship of co-operation between the civil and military powers, which began to challenge the terrorist threat.
In 1956 the King’s Dragoon Guards, with whom Gary’s dad served, were sent on active service to Malaya and were stationed at Ipoh. During this time they took part in counter-insurgency operations in both mounted operations (armoured car) and on foot in the dense jungles. In 1960 when the Emergency ended, the remnants of the MNLA were driven to take refuge over the border in Thailand.
The Malayan Emergency was one of the few successful counter-insurgency operations undertaken by Western powers during the Cold War. It saw British and Commonwealth forces defeat a communist revolt, which lasted 12 years. The campaign cost the lives of more than 500 soldiers and 1300 members of the Malayan Police, not such a ‘small war’ after all.