Malayan Veterans Branch Opens

WAIROA, Gisborne and East Coast Navy, Army and Air force veterans have formed a New Zealand Malayan Veterans Branch, Turanganui-a-Kiwa-East Coast, based in Gisborne.
The organisation is primarily for veterans of the Malayan Emergency, and those who served in deep jungle patrols on the Malaya-Thailand border, in Malaysia and Borneo, and in Singapore-Malaysia until 1989.
The branch ex-service people, and widows and families of deceased ex-service persons.
Navy, Army, Air force personnel and Malay police officers served in the Malayan Emergency from 1948 to 1960. An army regular force battalion stationed in Taiping, then Malacca and Singapore continued until 1989. The RNZAF maintained aircraft in Singapore throughout the emergency and confrontation. RNZN ships are still regularly deployed to Singapore. Far East deployments from 1948 to 1989 amounted to upwards of 38,000 New Zealand Service personnel.
Twelve Kiwis died in action, while a further 55 drowned or died of disease or in accidents while on deployment. Inquiries should be made to the Branch Secretary Colin Moana, colbev@xtra.co.nz