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A Flight Of 1 Squadron Lincolns Heads Out On Another Bombing Sortie Over The Jungles Of Malaya. The Lincoln Formed The Backbone Of The RAAF's Heavy Bomber Fleet During Most Of The 1950s, Until Replaced By Canberras.
The RAAF in the Malayan Emergency
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The RAAF in the Malayan Emergency, Steve Eather
After the fall of Malaya in February 1942, the British began to support the activities of Malay Chinese Communists who had commenced a guerrilla campaign against the Japanese invaders.
This support, in the form of weapons, supplies and specialist personnel, was continued despite emerging fears that, after the Japanese were defeated, the Communists would be in a position to challenge British control of Malaya. These fears proved well founded when, within weeks of the Japanese surrender in August 1945, the Communists under the leadership of Chin Peng began a campaign to destabilise the governments of the Federated Malay States. On June 16 1948, Communist activities entered a new phase when three English rubber planters were brutally murdered in Northern Malaya. This was the beginning of a concerted terror campaign by the 11,500 strong guerrilla force (soon to be known as Communist Terrorists CTs, or ‘Bandits’ as they were later more commonly known) which was designed to force the British to abandon Malaya. Civilians, military personnel, government officials and police were indiscriminately murdered. Public buildings were burned and rubber plantations and tin factories sabotaged. Riots and strikes in population centres were carefully orchestrated. The local population, despite their poverty, was forced to supply the CTs with their daily requirements of food and supplies. CT activities quickly nullified the effort expended rebuilding the country after the depredations inflicted by the Japanese occupation.
Malaya’s terrain favoured the guerrilla forces. With a humid climate the country consisted of dense jungle punctuated by rubber plantations and tin mining areas. The jungle canopy extended, on average, 45m (150ft) above the ground. A central mountain chain rose to over 2135m (7000ft) and much of the country was undeveloped. Consequently the numerically weaker CT force was able to tie down a considerably larger force and yet strike at will anywhere along the peninsula. A case of classic guerrilla warfare. British and Malay forces went into action against the CTs. These were, however, seriously understrength and additional support from Commonwealth countries was subsequently sought. New Zealand, Fiji and Australia responded to this request and contributed personnel to a British controlled force which would eventually number 200,000 men. The ‘War of the Running Dogs’, as the Emergency was known to the CTs, was to last 12 years and claim more than 12,000 lives.
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