The Success of The Special Air Service in Malaya
by The Special Air Service was supposed have been cut back at the end of the Second World War. At that point Malaya was still a British colony yet it had strong insurgent communist forces that intended to establish an independent Marxist state.
The British government did not intend for that to happen and decided to fight the communist insurgents. However the regular British Army units found it difficult to do this. Therefore units of the SAS were called into fight the communist forces in the jungle from 1948 onwards.
Before the SAS arrived in Malaya a local militia unit known as Ferret Force had some limited success in destroying communist bases. Its involvement there led to an increase in its operational strength. Accordingly new recruits were raised from British forces already in the Far East including Hong Kong, and those later involved in the Korean War.
The SAS had to learn how to fight in extreme jungle conditions. They were helped by the operational use of helicopters, and the astute tactic of gaining the support of the local population. All in all it took over a decade to restore order and defeat the communists, an achievement that could not be matched by the Americans and the French in Vietnam.
Bibliography
Kemp A (2004) Special forces, Teach Yourself Books
Liked it
