This is an open letter of thanks from a serving British soldier to the Government and People of Malaysia for your assistance in re-locating the crash site of RAF Dakota KN 630 and the operation (GARIS WAKTU) to recover human remains of the crash victims after some 58 years.    

Previous reporting in the media has outlined the background, but the aircraft of 52 Squadron RAF Changi took off on 25th of August 1950 and flew via Kota Bharu for a target marking mission in Kelatan to the west of Gua Musang.  This was the height of the “emergency” and the aim was to assist bombers to locate the sites of terrorist camps.  The aircraft failed to climb out of a valley and crashed with 12 persons on board: 3 Malaysian (including a policeman) and 9 British.  A joint police/army search and rescue patrol reached the site at 1800 hours on the 3rd of September 1950 and, due to the severe terrain and prevailing threat, reported burying the dead across the river from the crash site.  A number of inquiries were made over the years but the almost inaccessible terrain and ongoing security threat until 1989 prevented any attempts to recover the bodies.  Subsequently, Mr Dennis Carpenter, brother of the navigator of the Dakota, contacted Col Tajri, the Defence Adviser at the Malaysian High Commission in London and Chief of Army Malaysia tasked 8 Infantry Brigade to search with Orang Asli assistance.  They successfully re-located the crash site and planning commenced between the Malaysian and British Ministries of Defence.  

The operation, which began on 02 November involved some 150 people from the army, local police, police forensics & CSI, archaeologists and forensics experts from Penang, KL and Kota Bharu.  The first leg by landrovers from Gua Musang Police Station along a logging trail was expected to take just 5 hours, but actually took over 9 hours due to the wet conditions and falling rain later in the day.  We arrived in the area of the Kampung Penchong Orang Asli settlement just after last light in the rain, exhausted from the efforts to recover bogged in vehicles.  The Police base camp had been established by an advance party and there we slept on shelves built for logging camp workers.  The route into the site was planned to take best advantage of the extent of the logging trail and landrovers managed to get us another 3 kms before marching some some 4 kms in challenging terrain via an intermediate army check point to a forward army base camp.  The real challenge was then climbing some 800 metres through slippery mud, often pulling ourselves up on vines to finally contour around and descend to the site.  On arrival, we were exhilarated to find the rear section of the fuselage and the starboard wing perched on rock and held by trees on the opposite side of a river.  We confirmed the aircraft as KN 630.

The army engineers and archaeologists dug and dug through mud, sometimes hitting rock and sometimes water. Saturday 08 November proved a difficult day, as the rain became more persistent causing the river to flood and threatened to engulf the digging operation.  Eventually we agreed to a phased withdrawal from the site with a backstop of 11 November in order to ensure a target date for completion of digging and the safe recovery of personnel.

On Sunday 09 November, we paused digging long enough to conduct a small ceremony  to remember those who died. I recount here the words I said from notes made at the time because they had relevance to a multi-ethnic/national gathering of exhausted but dedicated servicemen, police and civilians.  “Bullets do not discriminate by race or religion and these brave men of both nationalities died trying to ensure that Malaya was free to develop into the successful Malaysia we know today.  We have one important thing in common, we are all members of the human race and we join today in order to remember them”.  Later that day, the army found some human remains and we await detailed forensic examination to tell us how many and whom.  Patience will be needed whilst the experts conduct detailed tests over a number of weeks.  

During all of the planning and the arduous nature of the execution, I found a genuine willingness by all to help and to succeed.  I also found a cheerful determination on the part of everyone, despite the extreme terrain made worse by the early onset of the rains.  Many people have heard of the hospitality of Malaysians, but much of what I had seen to date had been at the formal level.  Living in such conditions with the police and the army, I was exposed to what I would call “the tactical level of hospitality”.  I and the RAF Sergeant and Corporal who deployed with me, were constantly offered food and comforts.  Rather than humping our personal kit and 5 days rations, we could have survived with nothing but reliance on this marvellous generosity.  I am sure anyone would have shared their last grains of rice with us and this will always be remembered with grateful thanks by the British team.  Malaysia deserves to be proud.        

I particularly wish to thank the Chief of Army, Gen Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail bin Hj Jamaluddin for his personnel involvement and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa bin Dato’ Hj Hassan for his support and provision of police elements.  Commander 8 Infantry Brigade for the operational and logistic support of his troops including 16 Royal Malay Regiment.  Also those who deployed alongside us including Senior Assistant Commissioner 2 Dato’ Abdul Malek bin Hj Harun, Chief of Police Forensics and Ahmad Termizi B. Hj Abd Haq, Supt of Gua Musang District.  The Director of the Army Museum at Port Dickson and Maj Izam and Capt Zuriaman who co-ordinated the operation and of course the civilian teams including Dr Zafarina Zainuddin of the University of Science Malaysia, Dr Mohd Shah Mahmood of the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, Dr Nuriliza Abdullah, Forensic Pathologist, Hospital Kuala Lumpur and Prof. Madya Dr Stephen Chia of the Centre for Archaeological Research Malaysia.  Last but not least, my thanks to the Orang Asli who played such a key part in the search and recovery.

No doubt, British ministers and senior officers will also write their official thanks.  But for now, a British serviceman’s thanks to the Government of Malaysia for all the efforts and assistance in locating these remains, both Malaysian and British, which will bring comfort to their relatives and enable us to re-bury them with the honour they deserve.

Colonel Paul Edwards MBE
Defence Adviser

20 November 2008