Submission in Support of the Award of the Australian Active Service Medal 1945-1975 and 1975 – for Personnel Who Served in Rifle Company Butterworth (RCB) in the Period 1970 to 1989.
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Introduction
My name is 860351 Lieutenant Colonel P. M. Dennis, MBE (Rtd). Contact details are as below. I write this submission based on personal observations and of soldiers who served with me when I was the Second in Command of A Company (A Coy) 3 RAR, at RCB in the period July to November 1977. I am aware of a more detailed technical submission to be made by others, which I support, but I thought some personal experiences and observations would be valuable in support of the submissions generally.
General
A Coy 3 RAR was warned for service in Malaysia as RCB at the beginning of the 1977 training cycle. We were also warned that our deployment would be longer than normal as we were to be the first Australian Army unit to exercise with the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) for many years. It was planned, that we were to be attached to a Royal Malay Regiment Battalion as the fourth company under command of the RFMF Commanding Officer.
Our preparation was extensive as we received intelligence briefings on the Communist Terrorists in Malaysia, conducted the sub unit training course at Land Warfare Centre, Canungra, received combat medical training, full medical and dental checks and were Warned for Whilst On War Service (WOWAS) from a disciplinary point of view.
We were also brought up to full strength with additions from 1 Brigade of a Forward Observation Party, Rear Link Signalers, an Engineer Splinter Team and extra drivers. The full strength of the company was 133 personnel.
From the soldier’s point of view, who on average were aged between 18 and 23 years of age, this was all very real and had very real potential dangers.
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