A Brunei operations and Northern Ireland troubles pair to Private A. MacGillivray, Queen’s Own Highlanders who was present during the Brunei operations which lasted from 8th to 23rd December 1962 and later in Northern Ireland during the troubles.
Pair: General Service Medal 1918-1962, 1 Clasp: Brunei; (22835344 PTE. A. MACGILLIVRAY. Q.O.HLDRS.) Campaign Service Medal 1962, 1 Clasp: Northern Ireland; (22835344 PTE. A. MACGILLIVRAY. Q.O.HLDRS.)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Private (No. 22835344) A. MacGillivray, Queen’s Own Highlanders was present during the Brunei operations which lasted from 8th to 23rd December 1962.
Approximately three-quarters of the island of Borneo formed part of the Republic of Indonesia, which had gained its independence from the Dutch in 1949, and the remaining quarter along the northern coast of the island was under British Colonial rule or protection. In the north east was the colony of North Borneo or Sabah, to the west lay the Sultanate of Brunei, and stretching along the remainder of the northern coast was the colony of Sarawak. It was the ambition of President Sokarno of Indonesia to create a Greater Indonesia which would include the whole of British North Borneo and the newly independent Malaya. He was opposed by Tunku Abdul Rahman, Prime Minister of Malaya, who in 1961 attempted to form a federation consisting of Malaya, Singapore, the North Borneo States, and the Sultanate of Brunei. It was in Brunei that Sokarno saw his opportunity to foment trouble, in December 1962. The so-called North Kalimantan National Army rose in revolt against the Sultan of Brunei who immediately requested help from the British Government. A force of British and Gurkha troops was despatched by air and sea from bases in Singapore. Some eight days later, 16th December, British Far Eastern Command stated that all major centres in Brunei were clear of rebel forces though it was not until May 1963 that the last remnants were eliminated.
He would later see service in Northern Ireland during the troubles.
