Up until 1980, the Batu Gajah cemetery had been badly neglected and vandalised and if it had not been for the Officer Commanding Police District (OCPD), Superintendent R. Thambipillay, who took it upon himself to do something about the situation that prevailed at that time, all would have been lost. His efforts, along with the Perak Planters' Association, (PPA) have resulted in the maintenance of the graves since then along with an annual remembrance service each year

This year the service will be held at 7.30 a.m. on the 16th June 2002. A very poignant time, as the Malayan Emergency commenced some 53 years ago with the killing of manager Mr. E. A. Walker, from Edinburgh, on the Elphill rubber estate near Sungei Siput at approx 8.00 am on that date by the CTs (Communist Terrorists). During 1989 a large cross was erected by there by PPA and last year a 'Roll of Honour' was added to 'God's Little Acre' made of granite stone with the names of all who those were buried there engraved in gold colour.

The same situation does not prevail further north of Ipoh where 7 policemen are buried in the Kamunting Road Christian Cemetery in Taiping, Perak, where their graves are in a poor condition. See the details attached from the Australian Malaya & Borneo Veterans Association.

I understand through the media that the UK Government intend to erect a monument in London to the armed services who died during the British small wars, however, at the moment I am trying to obtain details of this. With this situation that can prevail throughout the world where Commonwealth and UK servicemen's graves are not cared for two questions can be asked: -

Should there not be a Commonwealth or National Register or 'Roll of Honour' for all who died in the wars or conflicts, 1945 and onwards?

Should not their graves be included in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to ensure they are looked after?

I can only comment for Malaya, where I served from 1948-51, but I am sure many veterans of the many campaigns will have the same thoughts as I. Your comments and suggestions as to what we can do about this would be greatly appreciated.

George Tullis

Last year's visit to Batu Gajah, Perak, West Malaysia for the annual commemorative service June 2000 was attended by many from around the world so I have included extracts from the Australian Malaya & Borneo Association and also the UK, NMBVA Southern Source Magazine personally sent to me by Angus Fraser.

We thank the Queensland State President, David Kent, for the following report.

The ceremony held at Batu Gajah was superbly organized and attended by approximately 300 people. The wreath laying proved an emotional moment for many of those attending. The Royal Malaysian Police provided the guard of honour, which was duly inspected by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, representing the Chief of Police Perak State, Tuan ACP Ismail bin Md Hussin. After prayers, the last post was played followed by one minute's silence, and then Tuan Ismail laid the symbolic wreath, while the lament was played by the Ghurkha Pipers from Brunei.

The wreath laying then commenced, with the assistance of cadets from the Royal Malaysian Police. The Australian High Commission was represented by H.E. Mr. Peter Varghese and also representatives from the British, New Zealand, Canadian and Indian High Commissions. Many British Regiments were present comprising the: - Royal Ranger Regiment, Coldstream Guards Assoc., 8th Ghurkha Rifles Regt. Assoc. (UK), 4th Queens Own Hussars, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, Royal Marines 42 Commando, Worcester Regt., and the Royal Regt. of Artillery.

David Kent carried out the Australian NMBVA wreath laying, Tom Turnbull, on behalf of Colleagues of the Federation of Malaya Police Force, Paddy Bacskai on behalf of the Western Australia Branch, and Tom Turnbull also laid a wreath on behalf of the Royal Malaysian Police former Officers Assoc. of U.K in the absence of their representative, Paddy Giles. Mr. Angus Fraser and Fred Simpson of the Sunshine Coast Sub-Branch, who gave us full support throughout these proceedings, represented the U.K NMBVA.

Without the effort, imagination and research of our 'sister' organisation The Malaysian Veterans Assoc., the ceremonies held at Batu Gajah would most likely never have eventuated. The current chairman, Mr. Tambipillay (Pillay) spent years of his time involving himself in this project, with strong support from Dato John Bishorek, to a point it has now reached today.

In addition, the Perak Planters' Association have given full backing and co-operation to make this annual function the great success it undoubtedly is by providing the 'hub' and contact for the administrative activities that are required to be carried out.

Full marks and thank you to this association. David Kent

Extract from the Southern Source Magazine of the U.K. NMBVA

Every year a commemorative service is held at 'God's Little Acre', Batu Gajah, in West Malaysia. Comrades from all regiments and many countries rest in peace here, but the site does not qualify for maintenance by the War Graves Commission, as it is mainly a cemetery for the civilians killed during the emergency. The Perak Planters' Association is responsible for the upkeep and administration of the memorial gardens including the organisation of the annual service.

his year the service took place on the 17th June 2000 and included in the official wreath-laying party was Angus Fraser, 4th Queens Own Hussars, who laid a wreath on behalf of the National Malaya & Borneo Veteran's Association (U.K.) This was particularly poignant for Angus as eight comrades of the 4th Hussars are buried here. They arrived in August 1948 and were killed in an ambush on the last day of the same year.

After the wreath-laying ceremony, Angus was guest for lunch hosted by the Perak Planters' Association at the Royal Ipoh Club. During the lunch gathering, Angus presented the chairman of 'God's Little Acre' sub committee with a cheque for £200 donated towards the cost of the plaque by NMBVA.UK. Angus said this was an emotional and memorable trip, but also enjoyable.
 

On the morning of the 11th day in November 1950, NCOs and other ranks from the workshop section and "A" Pltn. of No. 3 Company (General Transport) Royal Army Service Corps from Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands went on a visit to Batu Gajah.

This had been organized so that they could pay their respects, lay flowers and take photographs of the graves of their fellow soldiers who had been killed in a road ambush by the CTs (Communist Terrorists) just beyond the small village of Brinchang in the Cameron Highlands on the 2nd March 1950. For many of the men this would be their last opportunity to visit the graves before they were due to complete their National Service and return to the U.K.

The graves that we visited were that of: -
 

The crosses on the graves had to be made by the Regiments or Corps they belonged to, but at sometime they were replaced by a standard headstone showing the Name, Rank, Service No., Date of Death, and Regiment or Corps. Cpl. F. Hand died of wounds on the 5th March 1950 and was buried in the Roman Catholic part of the cemetery.

At the time of our visit all the graves of the RASC, 4th Queens Own Hussars, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, Coldstream Guards and many others all appeared to be well looked after. During 1994 I was sent a copy of the 'Register of Graves' of the servicemen buried at Batu Gajah and was surprised to find to find that 2^nd Lt. Richards and Driver Jones not on it. I queried this with the sender who put my mind at rest saying that he would have the error corrected.

However, a few years later I was listening to BBC Radio 2 program of the Charlie Chester show that had been recorded during a Royal British Legion pilgrimage to Malaysia. This again got me concerned about the graves, for during the broadcast Charlie Chester interviewed Thambipillay who was telling him, as OCPD Tapah, how he had found the Batu Gajah cemetery neglected and vandalised and how his policemen had set about to clean it up.

During the early part of 1998 an old comrade (Vic Priest) who had taken Cpl. Hand's coffin on his truck to Batu Gajah, went on a private visit to the cemetery and he could not find the graves of 2nd Lt. Richards or Dvr. Jones. Though he knew from photographs taken in 1950 that 2nd Lt. Richards was buried to the left of Sgt. Ritter and that Dvr. Jones was buried to the right of L/Cpl. Hoggett.

This obvious omission caused great concern and I was advised to write to the address given below with as much information as possible.
 

They replied to me very promptly with several nice informative letters telling me that 2nd Lt. Richards and Driver Jones' remains had been exhumed and cremated at the Sek Ken Crematorium, Kuala Lumpur, on the 15th September 1969 and that their ashes were returned to the undertakers in their home towns of Chester in England and Tonypandy in Wales.

So ends the saga of the missing graves, however, it did not quite finish there for after looking at the web page of the Australian Malayan & Borneo Veterans 1948-66 and their section on 'God's Little Acre' in which there was Thambipillays address I decided to write to him requesting a copy of his book and that the names of 2nd Lt. Richards and Dvr. Jones be added to the Roll of Honour. I had a very nice reply from him to which I duly replied, but I was sorry to tell him that Charlie Chester had died in 1997.

Copy of Pillay's letter,
 

There are seven policemen buried in Kumunting Road Christian Cemetery, Taiping, Perak, West Malaysia, and all were killed during the Emergency

Their graves are not well looked after. In particular, the headstone of police Lt. M. R. Livingstone (killed in Grik, Perak, Dec 1950) has fallen over whilst the graves of European Sgts. K. Webb and L. Wernham, killed in ambush July 1950, have suffered damage. Neither the Malaysian nor U.K. Governments will accept responsibility for the upkeep.

So the Australian Branch of the National Malaya & Borneo Veterans Association is calling for subscriptions to renovate these graves and mount a police roll of honour in the church portal. This proposal has been agreed by the church authorities in Malaysia who will oversee the work on receipt of the funds. Donations can be sent by cheque made out to "KRRC Appeal" crossed 'Not Negotiable' and sent to: -
 

Queensland State President (Mr David Kent) NMBVA PO Box 36 Buderim Queensland 4556 Australia

Since having this article published some three years ago I am pleased to tell you that Policemen's graves have been refurbished and a updated article is now attached.

All police graves throughout Malaysia are now being looked after by the Military Section of the British High Commission in K.L.