Description
General Service Medal 1962, bar Borneo, 15221 Corporal P. Chapman, Royal Marines. a Commando who served in the Borneo Jungles.
Officially Impressed: “R.M. 15221 P. Chapman. Cpl. R.M.”
Confirmed on the medal roll.
Corporal Chapman would have seen service in Borneo as a Royal Marine Commando with either 40 or 42 Commando and his entitlement to the clasp is show on the available roll of these 2 units combined.
The Royal Marine Commandos were deployed to Borneo between 1962 and 1966 during the “Indonesian Confrontation”.
The most famous of their operations was the “Raid on Limbang” where 1 Company of the L Company, 42 Commando under command of Captain, later Major General Sir John Jeremy Moore KCB OBE MC & Bar, where following a stealthy amphibious assault took on a force of upwards of 300 soldiers rescuing the hostages being held by the TNKU.
RoyalMarinesHistory.com has a number of interesting articles regarding the services of the Royal Marines during the war in Borneo.
https://www.royalmarineshistory.com/dits-royal-marines-history-blog/categories/borneo
They note the following services:
40 Commando Royal Marines served in:
December 1962 – 5th Division of Sarawak
December 1962 – January 1963 – 1st Division Sarawak
March 1963 to July 1963 – 1st Division Sarawak
October 1963 to February 1964 – 1st Division Sarawak
July 1964 to December 1964 – Sabah North Borneo
July 1965 to November 1965 – 1st Division Sarawak
May 1966 to September 1966 – 2nd Division Sarawak
42 Commando Royal Marines served in:
December 1962 – April 1963 – 5th Division of Sarawak
July 1963 – Oct 1963 – 1st Division of Sarawak
February 1964 – June 1964 – 1st Division of Sarawak
December 1964 – May 1965 – Sabah North Borneo
December 1965 – May 1966 – 1st Division of Sarawak
