Ferguson, Richard Gerald (Oral history)

British officer served with Y Troop, 42 Commando, Royal Marines in Malaya, 1950-1951; commanded HMS Albion's Royal Marine contingent at Suez, Egypt, 10/1956; served with 45 Commando, Royal Marines in Aden Protectorate, 1960; served with 42 Commando, Royal Marines in Borneo, 1965-1966

REEL 1 Background in Richmond, Yorks, 1927-1945: family and education; employment. Enlistment in Royal Marines, 1945. Recollections of operations with Y Troop, 42 Royal Marine Commando, Malaya, 1950-1951: arrival in Malaya; basing of Y Troop in Tanjong Rambitan Camp, Perak; first patrol to retrieve cache of cigarettes left behind in jungle by SAS; reaction to first night in jungle; use of Iban trackers; types of vegetation encountered on patrol; nature of insurgent's objectives; encounter with insurgent who fired and disappeared into secondary jungle; conditions operating in lalang grass; discovery of abandoned insurgent camp in lalang grass; complaint by planter after Marines burnt lalang grass area; operation in area of 'gunongs', limestone pinnacles in which Ferguson shot at and missed insurgent; hearts and minds patrol in which unit bumped into insurgents holding meeting with local people; deep penetration patrols; shooting of insurgent carrying a 2" Inch mortar. REEL 2 Continues: frustration of marine who fired on insurgent; amount of equipment carried by marines on patrol; reaction to excessive force used by marine in killing insurgent; attitude to going on operational patrols; role of junior Chinese liaison officers attached to Y Troop; difference between Iban and Dyak trackers; role of jungle squads of Chinese recruits led by police officers and Fergusson's criticism of their tough attitude; attitude towards civilians; pressure put on civilians by presence of insurgents; level of intelligence held on insurgents; unsuitability of Bren gun for jungle warfare; opinion of US M1 Carbine; large insurgent abandoned camps discovered by marines. REEL 3 Continues: fitness and state of morale of marines; evening leave in Ipoh; attitude of marines going on jungle patrols; Marine Gibson who enjoyed jungle patrols; view of jungle fauna; medical casualties including incidence of VD; supply airdrops which included sheep's tongue; rations eaten in jungle; quality of maps and navigation in jungle; incident where mortar fire was misdirected onto Y Troop. Period as officer commanding Royal Marines aboard aircraft carrier HMS Albion during Suez crisis, 1956. Operations with 45 Royal Marine Commando, Aden, 1960: role in Da'ala on Yemeni border; patrols on border and occasional shots fired at them; opinion that local civilians were firing shots in order to keep 45 Cdo there. Recollections of period with 42 Royal Marine Commando, Borneo, 1965-1966: patrolling Kalimantan-British North Borneo border; lack of contact with Indonesian troops; nature of jungle.