Iban Trackers & Sarawak Rangers --- The Memoir

[autgoc]

Exciting days ahead Apai Tuai George :-)
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to you last night. Thank you Alice for being the lovely person you are giving this total stranger a chance to speak to your man hmmm :-)
Wild horses will not be able to keep me away from meeting both of you next month. I suspect (not taken as a threat I hope) that there will be several more telephonic conversations prior to our pub-meet! For I do know of a few really nice ones down your neck of the woods wink wink.

However I am not entirely sure I understand, Apai Tuai George, what you meant by "lets leave the moderators think about this news..."?
I'll just trust you on this one.

Chat soon!


indu Sarawak Magdelene

[george.theshed197]

Good evening Magdelene,
Your first statement says it all.
Alice thoroughly enjoyed chatting with you which confirmed my own "gut reaction" immediately, hence the ease I felt in speaking to you and answering your questions speaks volumes. As you say there are definitely exciting days ahead and I am looking forward to them.
Take care and continue the good work.
Apai Tuaia George.

[george.theshed197]

Morning Magdelene,
My original idea is not working out, I have lost about half a page of A4 by accident three time and will have to think of something else. My typing skills are not as proficient as I thought. Maybe I will  have to consider recording them on tapes or something and sending them to you than way.
Sorry and all that - it is so frustrating.
Take care, I will sit and think a bit more.
Apai Tuai George.

[autgoc]

Good afternoon Apai Tuai George,

Greetings from my jam making kitchen!
I understand the pain of not being able to have what one desires but I cannot imagine and won't even begin to speculate the level of frustration you must experience at this stage. I get a soupcon of this whenever I am around my dear father in law who is 98 and has only recently given up driving due to a mild stroke.

Yes it is a good idea to sit and have a think for a great many of our problems will be surmountable if only we made a habit of this little practice of enlightment :-). And before I forget please know that I am deeply grateful for whatever you are able to impart; efforts on your part my dear Apai Tuai George is invaluable. Thank you.


indu Sarawak Magdelene

btw, do you both enjoy homemade jams? hehehe :-)

[george.theshed197]

Most certainly Magdelene,
And whilst I am at it, I have started to buildup some answers to your questions in the last PM, this is what I was working on when I gave up after loosing three quarters of A4 not once but three times this morning. However I am now trying to do something similar so that I can give you ALL of the  information that is still available in my memory so that it will be in my form of hand written notes which hopefully I will then be able to tell you verbally all the details you are asking for.
I am building this up and using the photographs which are already on the Borneo Headhunters Section on Malaya so that It will hopefully make sense.
There is a very stubbourne individual sitting here believe you me.
Take care and don't burn the jam !
Apai Tuai George,.

[autgoc]

They didn't burn perhaps I can multi-task after all ☺
Fruits from my garden.

All done with jams and preserves.
Now that the brain has rested it is reeling with ideas for my following chapters.

Dear Apai Tuai George, would you be interested in a few pages I've written on the social & cultural anthropology of the  Ibans?


indu Sarawak Magdelene

[george.theshed197]

  Now that I have finished salivating -Yes please to the pages.
Apai Tuai George.

[autgoc]

hehehehe... nice to know products of my efforts are enticing!
I shall go over my work and pick out of the mess of a manuscript pile and get something over to you in the next few days :-)


indu Sarawak Magdelene

[autgoc]

Dear Apai Tuai George,

Hope you and Alice are well.
Here please find attached a couple of collages of Gundah ak Adar. I'm pretty sure he's one of your men 😊😊
He's one of the Sarawak Rangers I was fortunate enough to meet this Summer gone.


Best regards,
indu Sarawak Magdelene

[george.theshed197]

Very fine morning indeed to you Magdelene,
After reading your message I immediately removed the photograph of The Sarawak Rangers Platoon from my dining room wall  and examined it closely with the aid of a magnifying glass and YES !! -  I think there are THREE potential's  (?) .

1) On the SECOND ROW - THIRD from the right ( next but one to Cpl. Changghai ) ( see page 98 of Jungle Bashers where He received the COC's Commendation for Bravery at Butterworth).

2) Or possibly the 2nd or 3rd from the Right on Row 3

3) Or again - Fifth from the Right on Row 4.
Remember it is some 53 years and good as my memory may well be - it is a struggle.!!.

Now to the Records of Service for 900305 for Gundali (?) anak Ardar, from  Penghulu, Ningkar, Lubok Punta.

Service from 25.3.53 (53?)
Discharged   28.3.6(?)5.

Kuching, Sarawak. 30th April 1965.

Fantastic !!! He appears to be looking better than myself health wise and aging very well; yes that would be his GSM but the last photo has me foxed !! I will re-look later and enlarge it again.

Terimah kaseh,
Apai Tuai George.

[autgoc]

Here you are I've enlarged the bits of your concern regarding the pics.

Years of Embodied Service 1953 -- 1955.
Date of release in Kuching was 30th April 1955.

Sama sama Apai Tuai George.
(My pleasure Apai Tuai George.)


indu Sarawak Magdelene

[george.theshed197]

Indu Sarawak Magdelene,

First question I must start asking - WHY could't Rizal have found these Records earlier ? They must have been available way back ? Maybe once again the mechanecations (?) that does'n't seems right -Hey Ho?) of the Military/Polotico set-up which he found himself in - I did advise him to be careful, once governments step in Chaos automatical develops - therefore NO further Comments from Me on that score.

Terimah kasek  on the enlargements, I had never considered that was the edge of the GSM showing his number and name, I spotted the fingers but couldn't make out the GSM Rim.
Apai Tuai George

[autgoc]

Dear Apai Tuai George (Alice)
I am not in the position to cast any sort of opinion with regards to Robert Rizal. His was one of the books I pulled off the library shelf when I began my research. I will now leave it at that. ;-)
What I am about to say next I hope you or anybody else who reads this post will not think me pompous! If I come across as such an individual I can only beg for your pardon as I assure you it is not my personal disposition.

About 8 or so months into my research, I became rather consumed with this subject and decided that I would take on this challenge which is a field whereby I'm totally ignorant. I knew from research experiences that what one digs up in the archives never beats face to face, upclose and personal experiences with one's subject matter. I requested from the GOC a meet up and interview session with these veterans; he agreed to my idea and said he would arrange for such session with the ones who are currently based in Kuching. Later I was advised that there are a few Trackers & Sarawak Rangers registered with the SRVA Baru  in Lubok Antu and that Capt Johari would take me there should I so wish to visit such a remote area.
I could not believe what was being offered to me! I immediately agreed to it and when I was in Kuching I met up with Capt Johari. We planned our trip. Whilst we were there I met and interviewed 6 of them and including papers of deceased SR Kiai ak Inyang made 7.

On our journey back to Kuching, Capt Johari and I were silent mulling over all that we have seen and stories we have heard. Unbeknownst to us both then, we were actually contemplating our next move which is to cater for the welfare of these esteemed veterans. However, Capt Johari did post me a question, "Magdelene, how did you manage to get them to speak to you the way they did? They were so forthcoming with so much details and shared so much. I thought I knew them, but the truth is I don't. I am ashamed. Thank you for all you've achieved this time round."

So now we come to the obvious answer to your question as to why Robert Rizal never had these. I didn't dig this up in any Government Archives nor did I with my "well-placed contacts" gained access to Military Archives. This pictures and information alongside them that I have posted so far are all mine. I sourced them myself from my ground zero trip to Lubok Antu.

 I don't know what it is Apai Tuai George, I have no answer to the satisfy Capt Johari's query. But one thing for sure and that is I am genuine and possess no ulterior motives except I have only their best interest at heart. I don't want their sacrifices to go unnoticed, buried under the sands of time now that I am made fully aware of them.

I want them and those who fought alongside them immortalised.



indu Sarawak Magdelene
 

[george.theshed197]

Indu Sarawak Magdelene,

Like yourself I also came to contact Rizal purely via his blog and my association with Bob. I was very disappointed with him in particularly the manner in which he just dropped off the Forum and has not responded to any of my numerous E-mails - he gained what he wanted, all of the details from me -hence so be it.

Possibly this was maybe my prime reason why I was very hesitant with your initial questions and proposals. Thankfully all of this has now been resolved I am very pleased to say after our very first conversation over the telephone.

I am looking forward to the call this evening   keeping my fingers that the Severe Storm forecast for tonight and possibly continuing over tonight.

However, lets look on the brighter side. You possibly understand my difficulty in making notes and answers to your questions ALL IS RESOLVED. Followingt a discusion I have held with my son Sean he has informed my that Because I am now on MS 10 - he after investingating my PC has found the answer and has shown me how to record any notes or comments I make can be recorded and be sent to you via E-mail.  .

More about all that this evening, Meanwhile Alice has just  advised me that my evening meal will be along very soon so until then - T.T.F.N.

Apai Tuai George.
 

[autgoc]

How blessed am I dear Apai Tuai George that I am able to speak to you over the telephone and each time have my soul eased with your wonderful recollection of your Malayan days. Thank you for yet another interesting evening.
My conversations with you makes me terribly homesick for my "boys" the Trackers & Sarawak Rangers veterans back home. I so wish to speak to them and hear their voices live! Alas I can only be content with the video recordings I have of them during our interview sessions.

patience... patience...



indu Sarawak Magdelene