Brigadier James Graham Ochiltree OBE (Rtd) as Commanding Officer 2nd Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment, Malaya 1955-1957, interviewed by Ian McNeill

Ochiltree speaks of his childhood and education; his early army training; 2 RAR prior to leaving for Malaya in December 1955; the Jungle Training Centre, Canungra; travel to Malaya; 2 RAR's dual roles as part of the Strategic Reserve and as an operational unit, fighting communist terrorists (CTs) in the Malayan Emergency; weapons and armoured vehicles; the use of helicopters and other aircraft; aerial bombing by Lincolns; casualties and accidental weapon discharges; trackers, both Australian and Malayan; aspects of Operations Concorde, Deuce, Eagle Swoop, Rubber Legs and Shark North; frustrations during Amnesty; CT organisation and tactics; local support for CTs and resettlement; the organisation of anti-terrorist forces in Malaya and significant personnel; relations with various Commonwealth units involved in the Strategic Reserve and the Malayan Emergency; comparisons between the Malaya Emergency and Vietnam; problems with married quarters, both in Australia and Malaya and the solutions; Minden Barracks, Penang and difficulties in deploying 2 RAR to the mainland; troop rotations from Minden Barracks to operational areas; limited training facilities on Penang Island; differences between British and Australian administrative practices and ration packs; relations with the press; control of health risks, including VD; the many official visitors to 2 RAR; families' welfare including natal matters; the importance of sport within the Commonwealth forces; the extent of his command responsibilities in Southeast Asia; 2 RAR officers and the imbalance in ages; the return of 2 RAR to Australia; the hand over to 3 RAR; various photographs; the pentropic division; the application of Malayan experiences to his future postings as Director of Infantry and Commandant of the Officer Cadet School, Portsea, and the RAR tie. Mrs Ochiltree speaks of 2 RAR family matters and welfare.