28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Group


The 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Group was a Commonwealth formation of the Far East Strategic Reserve, based in Malaysia from 1955 to 1971 of which elements participated in the Malayan Emergency, Indonesia Confrontation and the Vietnam War.

History

The 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Group was formed in Malaya on 16 September 1955 with a combination of forces from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Its main elements were three infantry battalions from Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand and a British field artillery regiment with an Australian battery. The Brigade's operational role was as the 'Immediate Reaction Force' for the South East Asia Treaty Organisation.
The brigade was initially dispersed to various sites throughout Northern Malaya, including Penang, Ipoh and Taiping. This provided logistical challenges, and after Malaysia Independence in 1957, Bukit Terendak close to Malacca was chosen as the new home for the Brigade. Terendak would house the entire brigade with its infantry battalions and support units, military hospital, airstrip, married quarters areas and shopping precinct. Terendak was of substantial size and covered several square miles with its southwestern border being the Straits of Malacca
Construction and occupation of Terendak was completed by August 1962, with the Brigade in place in its entirety. This brought all units of the Brigade together and under one roof.
During the 1960s elements of the Brigade, either units or components of units would be detached for short periods from 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Group to other commands or formations for operations in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo or South Vietnam.
From 1970 due to the changing winds of politics in London and Canberra the Brigade started to wind down and units were either disbanded or moved to other locations and on 31 October 1971 the Brigade ceased to exist when it relocated to Singapore and was renamed 28 ANZUK Infantry Brigade on 1 November 1971. Terendak was handed over to the Malaysian Army where it remains in use today.

Commanders

Command of the brigade was shared by the three contributing nations, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
CommanderCountryDates
Brigadier P.N.M Moore, DSO, MCUnited KingdomSeptember 1955 to July 1958
Brigadier H.J Mogg, CBE, DSOUnited KingdomJuly 1958 to November 1960
Brigadier F.G Hassett, DSO, MVO, OBEAustraliaNovember 1960 to October 1962
Brigadier R.B Dawson, CB, DSONew ZealandOctober 1962 to October 1964
Brigadier T.D.R McMeekin, OBEUnited KingdomOctober 1964 to January 1967
Brigadier P.L Tancred, OBEAustraliaJanuary 1967 to March 1969
Brigadier R.M Gurr, OBENew ZealandMarch 1969 to March 1971
Brigadier M.J.H Walsh, CB, DSOUnited KingdomMarch 1971 to November 1971

Order of battle