End of the road DPR/TV/1208

Accession Number F04407
Collection type Film
Measurement 13 min 6 sec
Object type Actuality footage, Television news footage
Physical description 16mm/b&w/silent
Maker Cunneen, William James
Place made Malaya
Date made 2 December 1969
Access Open
Conflict Period 1960-1969
Copyright Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial
Creative Commons License This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
Description

A 12-month military aid project to a civilian community in Malaysia by British and Australian engineers will end this month when the Australian Second Field Troop in Malaysia returns to Terendak Garrison in Malacca shortly before Christmas to prepare for its move to Singapore. At present the troop is engaged in a joint military-civilian development programme in the Bukit Mendai area of Pahang State. So far 27,000 acres of jungle have been cleared and cultivated with oil palms, a greater part of the village has been built and more than five and a half miles of road constructed. Australian troops have played a major part in the development. When the Second Field Troop first started on the project in January this year, the main tasks were the continuation of a laterite road to the area, construction of pre-fabricated huts to form a village and the setting up of pilings for a 120-foot pre-stressed concrete bridge. They have also completed the last one and a quarter miles of road through the palm oil estate. Aimed at supporting five villages and 2,000 families, Bukit Mendai now has 400 families and is expected to start producing oil from the 200,000 oil palms in 1971 at a rate of 35 tons an hour. The oil is mainly used in the manufacture of soap and cosmetics, as a vegetable oil and lubricant, and in tanning processes. Another recent Civic Action project by the Second Field Troop was the construction of a 63-foot timber bridge near Labis in Johore State. Constructed during a tactical exercise, the single-lane bridge helped open up northern areas of the Labis district, which were previously impenetrable to vehicle traffic. Also identified: Spr Trevor Young of Grovely, Brisbane, Qld; Cpl Bruce Mackenzie of Gymea, Sydney, NSW; L/ Cpl Barry Shaw of Bundaberg, Qld; Spr Pat Murphy of Acacia Ridge, Brisbane, Qld (wearing coolie hat); Spr Blue Henderson of Wavell Heights, Brisbane, Qld (opening scoop); Spr Brian Williams of Gladesville, Sydney, NSW (hairy chest); Spr Merv Dodds of Wynnum, Qld (working cement with shovel); 3789611 Spr Allan Francis Rantall of Alexandra Vic; Spr Bill McCrea of Doonside, Sydney, NSW; Capt Col Brown of Ashburton, Melbourne, Vic, OC of 2 Fd Tp; Spr Peter Galland of Newtown, NSW (working cut); Spr Rod Alexandr of Subiaco, WA.

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