Came across your 84 Svy. Sqn. Internet site whilst on a nostalgia trip and felt I must write. I don’t know whether you remember me but I remember you and some of the guys you mention, in particular. I am Keith (known as Jackie or Jack in the Army) Milburn and served in 42 and 84 Svy. Sqns. Was at Chepstow from 8/62 to 8/65 (62C) and then 1 TRRE till January 1966. Posted to Singapore I arrived on 27/1/66 at the ripe old age of 18. Having “Acclimatised” I arrived at Jesselton (Kota Kinabalu) on 16/2/66 and travelled down the railway to Tenom, where No 2 Troop were based. To an uncultured backwoods youth this was headhunter country and very exciting. I remained in Sabah, visiting places such as Labuan, Sepulot, Kalabakan, Tawau and many more, and even more jungle places. I hesitate to call them bases as some were altimeter day stops whilst most were hilltop bases where ‘real’ obs were taken with Tellurometer and Theodolite. I remained in Sabah till 7/67, then Singapore till12/67. I returned to the Far East in December 1969 to assist in the closure of 84, did 3 months in Sarawak, 3 months in Kalimantan and 6 months in Singapore mainly as Orderly Corporal. Around these dates I also worked in Germany, Libya, Orkney, Shetlands, and was based, of course, at Barton Stacey with stints on courses at Newbury. You mention Alf Isherwood and Streak Hobson both big names in my memory (which is sadly not what it was). I attach a photo taken in 1967 and from left to right are -

 I have many more photos, some I will attach but most are still on slides, waiting for me to get round to scanning them. I must get the projector out soon. ‘Streak’ is a particularly important memory, one of the really good guys, and the guy who, based in Kalabakan took my emergency radio call that I was being shelled on my lonesome on my hilltop a few miles from Kalabakan by my own troops. Unfortunately they weren’t actually in Kalabakan but about 5 miles out and getting them to stop shelling my area proved problematic. It was due to reports of Indon. infiltrators on a track around my hill. I will never forget his shock (out of his usual laconic style) and question for me to repeat my message. All turned out well.

You also mentioned Major Busk and as I browse through my ‘Certificate of Discharge’ book, it is signed by Lt. Col. Busk. Others you mention such as Pete Mansell, Chas. Hilder, Steve Fulford and Pete Worsnop all evoke distant memories, as does Kapit and Nanga Gaat.

I left the Army in December 1971 and now approach my 60th birthday in April. 1966/67 in Sabah and Singapore remain as the time of my life. 18/19 years old, first time abroad, exotic places, people and on and on.

All this nostalgia stemmed from planning this years holiday. My wife wants to go to Borneo. So I started to look at options and got really emotional about it and began to wonder whether I would get too upset by the changes (and by my lost youth) as well as bore everyone to death with reminiscences. Surfing the Web looking at holidays led to looking at Borneo towns, then on to 84 Svy Sqn. etc. and ultimately your site.

Hope the photos are of some interest. The last 3 were sent to me by a helicopter pilot who worked with us in Borneo and I met through Friends Reunited. I think ‘Streak’ is the guy with his back to us