387 / 409
APPENDIX II
371
APPENDIX II
For the next 11 training days, the programme concentrated on the technical handling of the
AR-15 and night movement using overlay on tracing paper for navigation. The instructions
on handling the AR-15 rifle captured the full attention of the trainees. In fact, the Israeli
advisors were amazed with the trainees’ quick assimilation of the weapon and their proficiency
in handling the rifle.
Unlike the first two weeks, the trainees were full of enthusiasm and showed their readiness
to use the rifle for live firing exercises. The lessons ended with a highly satisfying shoot
at the 100m range in the SAFTI complex. None of us had ever used a rocket launcher
before and the Israeli maroon coloured rocket launcher provided us with another interesting
week. The four days’ training ended with live firing at the Bajau Hill 205, Pasir Laba and
the trainees with suntan on their faces seemed happy with their performances. The night
movement using tracing paper overlay for navigation provided some fun with humorous
incidents. The planned route was from Joo Lim estate to Sungei Poyan and the trainees
were required to go through vegetable plots, water lily ponds and deserted farms. LTA
Roy Desker, later LTC and CO 3 SIR, was our group leader. The night was pitch-dark and
movement in a single line formation was really slow. From time to time, LTA Desker and
his navigators would raise the overlay against the sky to check our location. Whenever LTA
Desker encountered unexpected developments, he would turn around and would whisper a
message to the person behind him. This would be repeated all the way to the last man in the
formation and acknowledgement or the response would be passed back to the front. Any
action LTA Desker took would be imitated automatically by the rest. During one incident,
he came to a wet laterite track and he mistook it for a stream. He uttered “Stream, jump!”
Everyone who came to this point jumped except for the last man who declared, “It’s a track.”
Someone in the middle gave a loud cry, “Blind!” and this message was transmitted to the
front and rear. In another incident, LTA Desker led us into the entry point of a deserted
fenced enclosure. He tracked along the side of the fence and as he moved to the exit point,
the last man of the formation had just reached the entrance and knocked into him. The
person behind him spoke loudly, “Hell, we are going around the chicken coop.” Immediately,
the atmosphere lightened and everyone started to laugh. One of the Israeli advisors who
was following behind, was getting agitated with the slow pace. He tried to overtake the single
line formation and was not aware that LTA Desker was negotiating a narrow path between
two ponds which were thickly covered with water lily plants. The ponds appeared like solid
ground. He hastily moved forward to the left side of us and dropped into the pond with a
loud splash. LTA Desker turned round and asked, “What happened?” The answer from the
rear came instantly, “He hit the pond.” LTA Desker reacted with a laugh, “Hee Hee” which
was repeated all the way to the last man. There were few more unexpected incidents and the
movement became slower as the men walked with caution. At a debrief near Hill 286, the
instructor who had fallen into the pond was soaking wet. He joked that he felt much cooler
and that the slow march was very enjoyable.