Rifle Company Butterworth 1970-2020: Origins, Role and Future Possibilities
Abstract
In November 2020, Rifle Company Butterworth (RCB) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first infantry company deployment to Royal Malaysian Air Force Base Butterworth. This longstanding deployment has contributed to the training and development of nearly 25,000 soldiers who have gained the essential skills required to operate in complex jungle environments. While RCB’s 50th anniversary is a conspicuous achievement, it is part of a larger story of the Army’s involvement in Malaya and then Malaysia over the past 80 years. This commitment has enhanced Army’s capacity to operate in our primary operating environment, built enduring relationships with the Malaysian Army, supported the establishment of a sovereign and prosperous nation and contributed to a stable region.
RCB deployments continue to provide Army with excellent opportunities for international engagement. Through participation in major exercises with Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei, soldiers from RCB gain a deeper understanding of the region and improve the level of interoperability with many key partners. There is no doubt that over the past 50 years, RCB deployments have achieved excellent results, yet perhaps there are new opportunities for Army’s presence at Butterworth to enhance training and regional engagement. As the headquarters for RCB deployments, 2/30 Training Group is responsible for planning and coordinating all rotations to Butterworth. Just as 2/30 Training Group was a step-up from earlier liaison sections supporting RCB deployments, consideration could be given to enhancing the role of 2/30 Training Group to optimise Army’s international engagement opportunities.
Introduction
On 10 November 1970, the advance elements of C Company, 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) arrived at Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base Butterworth.1 Having travelled from their barracks in Singapore, these soldiers arrived in northern Malaysia, an area familiar to the Australian Army from its earlier deployments during the Malayan Emergency.2 Adjacent to the historic trading centre of Penang Island, Butterworth has hosted nearly 25,000 Australian soldiers, who have generally deployed for three-month tours of duty, over the past 50 years. Focused on section, platoon and company training, these soldiers have developed essential skills while training in the tropical jungles of Malaysia. These rotations have also improved cultural understanding and interoperability with our key partners in Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand and Singapore.
The history of the Australian Army’s presence in Malaysia is extensive, and dates back to the 8th Division’s operations against the Japanese during the Second World War. Following the Japanese defeat in 1945, the Malayan Communist Party fought to gain independence from the British through violent attacks designed to paralyse the economy. Tin mines, rubber plantations and public transport were all targets of the communist terrorists.3 In 1948 the British declared a state of emergency and two years later the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) deployed transport and bomber aircraft, followed by Army’s deployment of an infantry battalion in 1955.4 Successive battalions deployed to Malaysia for the next two decades, gaining immense knowledge of the culture, terrain and tactics for operating in jungle environments. From these battalion deployments, the first infantry company was established at RMAF Butterworth in 1970, a deployment that has now endured for five decades.
Just as it is today, the strategic context leading to the establishment of RCB in 1970 was complex and uncertain. Yet just as in 1970, the benefits of an enduring Australian presence in South-East Asia, providing mutual benefit to Australia and Malaysia, are clear today. As November 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Australian infantry company deployment to Butterworth, it is important to understand the historical factors that led to the establishment of RCB, the purpose of these rotations and the potential options for future training and engagement.
The Beginning
The first rifle company deployment to Butterworth was limited to a single month with the soldiers of C Company 1 RAR travelling to Butterworth from their barracks in Singapore.5 At the time, 1 RAR was assigned to the 28th Commonwealth Brigade which in turn was part of the British Commonwealth Far East Strategic Reserve. This multinational force consisted of navy, army and air force elements from Britain, New Zealand and Australia designed to protect Malaya from internal and external communist threats.6 In his initial directive, Commander 28th Commonwealth Brigade tasked the first Butterworth Company to ‘assist in enhancing ANZ [Australian and New Zealand] political and diplomatic influence in the area and to assist in the development of Malaysia’s military forces’.7 The focus on building influence through training alongside the Malaysian Army was the priority in 1970 and this remains the case 50 years later.
Not long after the 28th Commonwealth Brigade commenced sending infantry companies to Butterworth, the brigade was integrated within ANZUK (Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom) Force based in Singapore.8 For the next two years, infantry companies from ANZUK Force were detached to serve at Butterworth.9 However, unlike modern RCB rotations, these tours were not continuous. In January 1971, floods in Malaysia delayed the arrival of the infantry company while three breaks of one month each were factored into that year’s schedule to accommodate the needs of parent units.10 Moreover, during the period March 1971 to July 1973, ‘NZ contributed a company on rotation as part of the ANZUK rotation plan’ and on at least one occasion the British Army contributed soldiers to form a composite Australian/British company.11 These dynamic arrangements continued until September 1973, when ANZUK Force was disbanded with British, New Zealand and Australian army elements returning to home locations. Hence company rotations to Butterworth during the first three years were much shorter, were often interrupted and consisted of a combination of Australian, New Zealand and British troops.
Following the disestablishment of ANZUK Force in 1973, the Australian Government remained committed to an ongoing Army presence at Butterworth. Accordingly, the Australian Chiefs of Staff prepared a plan to ensure future deployments would continue, albeit from Australia.12 Plan ASBESTOS, the joint service plan for ongoing RCB deployments, made clear that the United Kingdom, New Zealand and ANZUK Force would not be involved in future rotations. RCB was to become a bilateral arrangement, deployments were to be continuous three-month rotations and the company was to be deployed from Australia.13
Origins of Rifle Company Butterworth
While RCB will celebrate its 50th anniversary in November 2020, the Australian Army presence in Northern Malaysia has had a much longer history. Beginning in the Second World War, the 8th Division undertook operations against the Japanese in Malaya. Not long after the Japanese defeat in 1945, all three services returned to Malaya in support of British operations as part of the Malayan Emergency throughout the 1950s.14 The RAAF were the first to deploy, with Dakotas from 38 Squadron and Lincoln Bombers from 1 Squadron despatched to Singapore in 1950.15 Five years later, 2 RAR deployed to Northern Malaysia and established its initial barracks on Penang Island. In 1957, the Federation of Malaya gained independence from the United Kingdom, yet despite this momentous change continued to welcome significant Commonwealth support.16 For instance, in 1958, the Royal Air Force handed control of the Butterworth air base to Australia, facilitating the RAAF’s long-term presence in Northern Malaysia. This also created the initial connection between the Australian Army and Air Force elements, with Australia’s infantry battalion based on Penang Island and RAAF squadrons only 5 km away at Butterworth.
With the subsequent deployment of Sabre fighters, the RAAF conducted missions from Butterworth ‘against communist terrorists in their jungle camps’ while Australian battalions patrolled local villages and surrounding jungle along the Malaysian–Thai border.17 For several years, the RAAF and Army undertook security operations from their bases in Northern Malaysia in support of British efforts to defeat the communist insurgency. While not deployed as a joint task force, the Army and Air Force nonetheless operated from the same part of Malaya against a common threat to strengthen Malayan government control.
With the state of emergency drawing to a close on 31 July 1960, the Australian Government did not wish to lose the security gains made in the preceding decade. Combined with a policy of ‘forward defence’, Australia committed to retaining forces in South-East Asia to deter the spread of communism.18 For this reason, the RAAF remained at Butterworth and 1 RAR continued security operations along the Malayan border with Thailand until being replaced by 2 RAR (for its second tour of Malaya) in 1961.19 However, from 1961, Australian battalions were relocated to their parent formation, 28th Commonwealth Brigade, and were based at Terendak near Malacca. Despite the official conclusion of the state of emergency, security operations continued, and in 1961, 2 RAR was allocated under the command of the 1st Malayan Infantry Brigade. A significant moment, this was the first time Australian forces had been placed under the command of an Asian commander.20
In 1963 the Federation of Malaya was renamed Malaysia and, just as the lingering threats from communist terrorists in Northern Malaysia began to wane, new challenges from an assertive Indonesia started to emerge.21 Following a request from the Malaysian Government, 3 RAR in 1965 and then 4 RAR in 1966, along with supporting combat engineers, deployed to Borneo.22 Referred to as the Indonesian Confrontation, these Army elements contributed to British-led operations to deter Indonesian aggression into East Malaysia.23 With ongoing concerns over external and internal threats to Malaysia, the Australian Government resolved to maintain an infantry battalion presence in the region. In 1967, 8 RAR deployed for its two-year tour of duty prior to the arrival of 1 RAR in April 1969 and then 6 RAR in July 1971.24 The latter two battalion rotations were based in Singapore until December 1973, at which point 6 RAR returned to Australia. This capped off 18 years of service by Australian infantry battalions in Malaysia and Singapore. During this time, the threat from communist insurgency was defeated, an independent Malaysia created and the threat of Indonesian expansionism deterred.
Thus, by the time the first Australian rifle company arrived in Butterworth in November 1970, Australia had already supported 15 years of battalion rotations to Malaysia. There is no doubt that RCB’s 50th Anniversary is a conspicuous achievement. Yet the enduring contribution of Army support to Malaysia from 1955, and the mutual benefit this commitment provided to Australia, Malaysia and the broader region, is equally noteworthy. While the roles of the battalion rotations and RCB deployments were very different, collectively they contributed to the establishment of a sovereign and prosperous Malaysia, improved regional security and built enduring cooperation between our two nations.
In contrast to the improving situation in Malaysia, security assessments in Vietnam continued to deteriorate throughout the 1960s. Confronted by an aggressive Communist North Vietnam, the Australian Government commenced deploying forces to South Vietnam in 1962.25 By 1968, the Australian commitment had grown substantially, with the 1st Australian Task Force based in Nui Dat consisting of three infantry battalions and supporting arms numbering over 8,000 soldiers.26 Adding to these security challenges were British and American policy announcements that changed the region’s security framework. Firstly, British Prime Minister Wilson’s 1968 announcement of the intention to withdraw forces from ‘East of Suez’ resulted in the closure of a vast network of British bases, including the eventual withdrawal of most British forces from South-East Asia.27 A year later, President Nixon’s 1969 announcement that:
… as far as the problems of military defence, except for the threat of a major power involving nuclear weapons … the United States is going to encourage and has a right to expect that this problem will be handled by, and responsibility taken by, the Asian nations themselves.28
With this statement, known as the Guam doctrine, President Nixon made clear his expectation that Asian nations, and by extension Australia, were to take greater responsibility for their own security arrangements.29
By the end of the 1960s the British, who had led the successful Malayan Emergency had announced their withdrawal from the region; the US had made clear their expectation of improved sovereign security capacity throughout Asia; communist terrorist threats (while declining) remained in Northern Malaysia and across the border in Southern Thailand; the threat of future Indonesian aggression remained a possibility; and the ADF was increasing its commitment to counter the communist threat in South Vietnam.30 Given these challenges and uncertainties, it was important to ensure the achievements of the preceding two decades were not lost with a premature retirement of the entire Australian Army presence from Malaysia. An enduring presence of both RAAF and Army elements in Northern Malaysia was seen as a critical contribution to ongoing stability.
Hence in December 1971 a meeting of officials from Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Britain and Australia was held in Kuala Lumpur. The five powers met to formalise arrangements for the ongoing provision of security and to confirm an undertaking that in ‘the event of any form of armed attack … or threat of such an attack against Malaysia or Singapore, their Governments would immediately consult together …’31 At the conclusion of the December 1971 meeting, official notes were exchanged, which became known as the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA). This included approval for the ongoing Australian presence in Butterworth of ‘two squadrons of fighter aircraft … and from time to time an infantry company’.32 The agreement also dealt with the use of local facilities, training, taxation and criminal jurisdiction.33 Rather than being the catalyst for the ADF deployment to Malaysia, the FPDA served to authorise the continued presence of RAAF squadrons that had been based at Butterworth since 1958 and rifle company rotations that had been in place for over 12 months.
Rifle Company Butterworth Role
With the disestablishment of both the 28th Commonwealth Brigade in 1971 and its successor, ANZUK Force, in 1973, a new plan for an enduring rifle company presence was required. This was achieved through Australian Joint Service Plan No. 1/1973—Plan ASBESTOS.34 Approved in August 1973 by Admiral Smith, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, Plan ASBESTOS directed the infantry company at Butterworth to ‘conduct training and participate in exercises … with units of the Malaysian Armed Forces’ and ‘be available if needs be, to assist in the protection of Australian assets, property and personnel’.35 In a similar fashion to Commander 28th Brigade’s initial directive, the Chiefs of Staff focus for RCB was to undertake company training and to exercise with the Malaysian Army.
Two other features of Plan ASBESTOS are noteworthy. Firstly, RCB was required to ‘assist in the protection of Australian assets, property and personnel at Air Base Butterworth’.36 To be clear, base security was the responsibility of a group of over 260 Malaysian Military Police posted to RMAF Butterworth.37 These elements were further supported by RAAF Police Auxiliaries operating near the flight line and RAAF Service Police patrols throughout the married quarters precinct.38 Yet remnants of the Communist Terrorist Organisation remained in safe havens just across the border in southern Thailand.39 Moreover, in an assessment of the security situation in 1971, a group of up to 20 communist terrorists were believed to have been operating in Kulim, 20 km east of Butterworth.40 Although the Joint Intelligence Organisation considered an armed attack unlikely, the threat of an incursion onto Butterworth Air Base remained possible.41 For this reason, RCB was to remain prepared to support security arrangements should the need arise. Secondly, the infantry company was placed under the operational command of the RAAF Commanding Officer at Butterworth.42
This had implications for how the company undertook its training and the time RCB could spend away from Butterworth. Given his concern over possible communist terrorist activities in the area, the RAAF Commanding Officer directed RCB to remain largely ‘within the wire’ at the initial expense of company collective training and exercises with the Malaysian Army.43
This was a source of friction for early deployments, given the high expectations of extensive jungle training and exercising with the Malaysians.44 Yet through the persistence of successive company rotations, and particularly the work of the RAAF defence adviser in Kuala Lumpur, new opportunities for training emerged. In 1974, the defence adviser secured access for the company to train at the Malaysian Army Combat Training Centre (PULADA) at Kota Tingi.45 Unfortunately, with at least a full day of travel from Butterworth to Kota Tingi, the Butterworth Commanding Officer insisted that training be limited to single platoon rotations. Nonetheless, PULADA provided excellent primary jungle for platoons to enhance their skills and capability.46 The 1974 end-of-tour report from C Company 5/7 RAR explained that the deployment was ‘enjoyed by most members … the high point being the field training in PULADA … with commanders at all levels reaping the benefit of getting to know their soldiers better’.47
Over time, Defence staff acquired additional access to training areas in Gurun and Langkawi, along with numerous ranges in the Butterworth area.48 As these training areas were much closer to Butterworth, restrictions on company training were eased, with most of the company increasingly allowed to train ‘outside the wire’. These opportunities were improved further when the first major bilateral exercise with the Malaysian Army, Exercise SCORPION, was introduced in 1977. This allowed A Company 3 RAR to train alongside the 9th Battalion, Royal Malay Regiment, in Mersing, leading to improved interoperability, jungle fighting skills and cultural understanding.
Coinciding with greater training opportunities, the overall security situation in Malaysia continued to improve throughout the 1970s. At the same time, the Australian presence in Vietnam began a period of drawdown, with the final soldiers of the 1st Australian Task Force withdrawn in early 1972.49 As the situation in South-East Asia changed, a new Australian defence strategy began to emerge. In contrast to the earlier ‘forward defence’ approach, the new strategy placed emphasis on a ‘defence of Australia’ posture.50 For these reasons, RAAF squadrons were steadily withdrawn from Butterworth in the 1980s, and a year after the publication of the 1987 Defence White Paper the last Mirages of 79 Squadron returned to Australia.51 From this point on, RCB became the largest Australian military presence at Butterworth, solely focused on training and exercising with the Malaysian Army.52
Moving Ahead
Since its inception 50 years ago, RCB has maintained its focus on jungle training, developing junior leaders and exercising with the Malaysian Army. During these tours, soldiers and officers have gained immensely from opportunities to develop their leadership and professional skills. As the Company Sergeant Major of B Company 3 RAR deployed to RCB in 1997 explained, ‘more is gained by the section and platoon commanders from a three month deployment to Malaysia than they would gain over 12 months in a normal Australian battalion environment’.53 Most infantry companies have had the opportunity to train at PULADA, and since 1977 RCB has participated at least annually with the Malaysian Army in a major bilateral field training activity.54 RCB rotations have also benefited from opportunities to deploy outside of Malaysia to undertake collective training with the Royal Thai Army, the Singaporean Armed Forces and the Royal Brunei Land Forces. During recent periods when the Army has had to turn its focus to distant conflicts, RCB has ensured an ongoing presence in South-East Asia, developed the Army’s capacity to operate in the tropical jungle environment and strengthened ties with several key partners in our near region.
The command, local planning and coordination of RCB’s training and participation in international exercises is undertaken by 2/30 Training Group, also located at RMAF Butterworth.55 This small headquarters element bears the name of the Australian 2/30 Battalion (8th Division) involved in the Gemas ambush against advancing Japanese forces near Johore in Southern Malaya during the Second World War. The 2/30 Training Group replaced the former Land Command Liaison Section (LCLS), which had coordinated activities on behalf of RCB during the period from 1987 to 2007, and 65 Ground Liaison Section before that.56 The evolution from the LCLS to 2/30 Training Group included a small increase in permanent staff, leading to improved capacity for international engagement and collective training. Specifically, this enabled 2/30 Training Group to take a greater role in planning the utilisation of RCB in training exercises with Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand.57
In addition to the routine deployment of infantry companies to Butterworth, rotations occasionally consist of other combat arms and combat support elements. In some instances, the non-infantry sub-units have been supported by the supplementation of a small training team, allowing the achievement of most of the infantry training objectives while gaining the cultural and professional benefits of a deployment to South-East Asia.58 Additionally, the specialist skills of a broader cross-section of the Army enabled new forms of international engagement. As Major Alexandra McDonald, Officer Commanding RCB 127, explained in 2019, ‘the different capabilities added a few new tools to the belt, and can engage new and wider audiences in the region’.59 This included contribution to minor construction projects, offensive support activities and the incorporation of Military Police into training exercises.60
While there have been a variety of company group deployments to Butterworth, RCB rotations have generally remained focused on infantry section, platoon and company level training within a jungle environment. For instance, during the deployment of A Company 7 RAR in 2014, soldiers undertook a progression of training that commenced with the development of individual skills through local range practices near Butterworth, followed by jungle training at Sik and Kulim national parks. Soldiers were exposed to the difficulties of operating in jungle environments, and the challenges that come with operating in dense and mountainous terrain in extremely hot and humid conditions.61 These conditions are not widely available in Australia, and hence the opportunity to develop the essential skills to operate effectively in this environment is invaluable. Having completed this training, the collective skills and capability of the company were then demonstrated during their participation in Exercise Haringaroo, a major international engagement exercise held with the Malaysian 15th Battalion at Negeri Sembilan south of Kuala Lumpur. Later in their deployment, the company undertook collective field firing exercises at PULADA before moving to Singapore to train at the Murai Urban Training Facility.62 This well-structured and challenging training program not only developed the individual skills of each soldier but also allowed the collective sub-unit to achieve specific Army Training Level standards. While relatively inexperienced company groups may deploy to Malaysia, they always return better trained, more cohesive, and certified at a training level that contributes to the broader requirements of their parent unit and brigade.
RCB rotations have also had a vital role in developing the skills and capability of Army Reserve soldiers. Prior to deploying to Operation ANODE in 2009 (Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands) soldiers from the 5th Brigade deployed as part of RCB rotation 88. These soldiers undertook the routine package of jungle training at PULADA, followed by urban training in Singapore.63 However, they also had the opportunity to adjust the training program to prepare for their subsequent deployment to the Solomon Islands. Communications, military self-defence and junior leadership courses ensured the company was well prepared for their forthcoming mission. In describing the benefits of RCB training, Brigadier Brereton stated that his soldiers had gained an extraordinary range of new skills, and that their experience in Malaysia had encouraged a ‘further dozen Reservists to make the leap to fulltime service in the ARA’.64 Like many earlier rotations, this deployment exceeded expectations. Not only did the soldiers develop their individual and collective jungle warfighting skills; the company built relationships with Malaysian and Singaporean partners and completed essential preparation prior to its operational deployment to the Solomon Islands, and the broader Army gained a dozen highly motivated and well-trained soldiers to serve in the permanent force.
The Australian presence at Butterworth has also been used to support a number of contingency operations. During the evacuation of Australian and approved foreign nationals from Cambodia as part of Operation VISTA in July 1997, ADF elements at RMAF Butterworth were used to support this mission. This included elements from RCB who supported the reception and forward movement of evacuated civilians from Cambodia using the nearby Penang International Airport.65 Butterworth was also used as a staging and logistics hub during Operation SUMATRA ASSIST, the ADF humanitarian mission to Aceh following the 2004 tsunami. In both cases, access to RMAF Butterworth and its Australian staff and facilities enabled a rapid and successful ADF response, and in both cases Australia was the only foreign nation permitted to use Butterworth.66 Moreover, since 1981, the Malaysian government has permitted the use of RMAF Butterworth as a base for RAAF surveillance flights. This allows Australian aircraft to conduct vital surveillance of the North Indian Ocean and South China Sea in contribution to regional security and stability.67 The ongoing access to Butterworth and support provided by the Government of Malaysia demonstrates the value of the partnership between our two nations, and the strategic benefit from Australia’s enduring presence at RMAF Butterworth.
While each RCB rotation has achieved numerous training and international engagement objectives, risk is associated with every deployment. Tragically, on 23 September 1993, five soldiers from 5/7 RAR were killed and a further six injured when the Army truck they were travelling in collided with a bus near PULADA.68 On another occasion, RCB soldiers were tasked to guard the wreckage of a RAAF Mirage that had crashed 5 km north of Butterworth.69 While every effort is made to successfully develop the skills and capability of the soldiers deployed to Butterworth, inherent risks remain when undertaking demanding training. The service of these soldiers will not be forgotten.
Future Possibilities
A cursory glance at the Indo-Pacific geography reveals the ‘deep strategic security and economic interests’ shared between Australia and South-East Asia.70 As such, it is important to identify new opportunities to enhance familiarity with our primary operating environment and develop closer relationships with our regional partners. This is particularly important in a region characterised by increasing strategic competition, growing assertiveness of major powers and accelerated military modernisation.71 Recognising the challenges faced in the Indo-Pacific region, the Government has called for a renewed focus on South-East Asia with the goal of building stronger relationships, influence and cooperation.72
In an increasingly competitive strategic environment, Major General Ellwood, Commander 1st Division, explains that ‘co-operation is the most powerful way to maintain a prosperous region where sovereignty is guaranteed and international rules and norms are protected’.73 With 50 years of continuous training and international engagement experience in South-East Asia, future RCB rotations coordinated by 2/30 Training Group provide a unique platform from which to enhance cooperation.
Given 2/30 Training Group’s central role in planning and coordinating Rifle Company Butterworth’s international engagement activities in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Brunei, there is potential for its role to be enhanced to become a regional international engagement training centre. This could include responsibility for planning and coordinating all of Army’s conventional training across South-East Asia. Being located centrally within the region, and with unique access to key exercise planners with our regional partners, 2/30 Training Group is well positioned to enhance its support to Army by taking a greater role in planning conventional training across South-East Asia. Working closely with the defence staff in each partner nation, 2/30 Training Group could support new opportunities to optimise the use of RCB for broader engagement across the region. The implementation of this approach would go a long way to achieving the intent envisaged by the 2016 Defence White Paper. This strategic guidance called for the ADF to ‘participate more regularly in multinational exercises and the overseas presence of Defence personnel [to] gradually increase over time’.74
As a regional international engagement training centre, 2/30 Training Group could also be used to support the preparation of Army elements for their regional training or exercise commitments. Acclimatisation, language and cultural preparation could be undertaken at Butterworth. Army elements preparing for combined exercises, joint teams preparing for multilateral activities or small teams preparing to undertake mobile training team tasks could all benefit from tailored preparation provided by 2/30 Training Group. Additionally, 2/30 Training Group could be utilised to coordinate humanitarian assistance and disaster relief seminars, short- and long-term language courses, and specialist individual training. The export of some courses from Army’s Jungle Training Wing in Tully to Malaysia could also be considered. These initiatives would not only provide significant benefit to preparing Australian elements but also contribute to enhanced cooperation with the Malaysian Army. That is, these activities could be specifically designed in consultation with Malaysia to include soldiers from both nations, enhancing relationships and mutual capability at the same time.
The evolution of 2/30 Training Group could also provide opportunities for Army to enhance future RCB rotations by deploying a broader combination of capabilities. With a desire for greater combined arms training, future RCBs could increasingly reflect a balanced combat team with the possible inclusion of joint fires, engineers, military police and medical staff, amongst others. The 2019 combined arms sub-unit rotation provides a strong case for this approach. Not only did a wider range of Army capabilities gain invaluable experience from their jungle training; the additional capabilities of the combined arms sub-unit facilitated new opportunities to engage with a wider spectrum of the Malaysian Army. Working collaboratively with Army, 2/30 Training Group could be given the scope to suggest changes to the RCB team structure to facilitate enhanced engagement opportunities with the Malaysian Army and our regional partners. Not only would this support improve engagement; it could also allow the testing and development of new force modernisation tactics and procedures. Working in partnership with the Malaysian Army, new capabilities could be trialled and tested in the Malaysian jungle environment, providing further benefit to both forces.
Conclusion
Created to sustain an Australian Army presence in Northern Malaysia, RCB was originally directed to focus on collective training and exercises with the Malaysian Army. This has remained the primary purpose of subsequent RCB rotations, with jungle training undertaken across the Malaysian Peninsula and, from 1977, field training exercises with the Malaysian Army. While 50 years of company deployments is a conspicuous achievement, these rotations are part of a larger story of the Army’s involvement in Malaysia over the past 80 years. In this time the Australian Army has supported Malaya and then Malaysia against the threat of communist insurgency, contributed to the establishment of a prosperous and independent nation, deterred external aggression from Indonesia, developed extensive jungle fighting skills and built deep relationships with the Malaysian Army. During recent periods when the Army’s attention has focused on distant conflicts, our enduring presence in Butterworth has helped maintain a strong understanding of our primary operating environment and key regional partners.
While acknowledging the significant outcomes achieved by Rifle Company Butterworth over the past 50 years, current strategic guidance calls for Defence to do more in South-East Asia. Enhancing the role of 2/30 Training Group could be a way for Army to contribute to this goal by optimising the capacity of an existing deployed organisation. The familiarity of 2/30 Training Group with the region could be harnessed to identify and develop new engagement opportunities while facilitating a more consistent combined arms approach to training. For the past 50 years, RCB rotations have contributed to Army’s capacity to operate in a tropical jungle environment while building essential relationships with Malaysia and our regional partners. With a renewed emphasis on Australia’s primary operating environment, the true opportunities provided by the Army’s ongoing presence at RMAF Butterworth could just be emerging.
Endnotes
1 S Robert, 2014, ‘Background Paper: Parliamentary Petition Dated 3 March 2014—Rifle Company Butterworth 1970–1989’, 873/1341 (Canberra: Parliament of Australia), 9.
2 Malaysian Army, 1973, ‘Clearance and Training Facilities for Australian Coy’, Directive KP/ RAN5/5019/4/1, 8 October 1973.
3 R Clutterbuck, 1985, Conflict and Violence in Singapore and Malaysia 1945–1983 (Singapore National Printers), 167–170.
4 P Dennis and J Grey, 1996, Emergency and Confrontation: Australian Military Operations in Malaya and Borneo 1950–1966 (Sydney: Allen and Unwin, in association with the Australian War Memorial), 25, 75.
5 28th Commonwealth Brigade, 1970, ‘Interim Directive to Officer Commanding a Rifle Company Detached to Air Base Butterworth’, 564/8/28.
6 Dennis and Grey, 1996, 71.
7 28th Commonwealth Brigade, 1970.
8 Australian High Commission Kuala Lumpur, 2020, ‘History of the Australia–Malaysia Defence Relationship’, at: https://malaysia.highcommission.gov.au/files/klpr/History%20 of%20the%20Australia-Malaysia%20Defence%20Relationship.pdf
9 Malaysian Army, 1973.
10 Royal Australian Air Force, 1971, ‘Ground Defence of Air Base Butterworth’, DGOR, Air Commodore G Newstead, minute, 26 March 1971.
11 Robert, 2014, 2.
12 Department of Defence, 1973, ‘Australian Joint Service Plan No 1/1973, Plan ASBESTOS’, Chiefs of Staff Committee, Canberra, 22 August 1973, 1.
13 Ibid.
14 Dennis and Grey, 1996, Prefatory Note.
15 Ibid., 25. It was not until 9 August 1965 that Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent state.
16 R Cavendish, 2007, ‘Malayan Independence’, History Today 57, no. 8: 3, at: https://www. historytoday.com/archive/malayan-independence
17 Air Power Development Centre, 2005, ‘Butterworth: The RAAF’s Only Overseas Base’, Pathfinder Air Power Development Centre Bulletin 35: 1.
18 N Brangwin, N Church, S Dyer and D. Watt, 2015, ‘Defending Australia: A History of Australia’s Defence White Papers’, Department of Parliamentary Services, Research Paper Series 2015-16 (Canberra: Parliament of Australia), 9.
19 D Horner, 1990, Duty First: The Royal Australian Regiment in War and Peace (Sydney: Allen and Unwin), 149.
20 Horner, 1990, 152.
21 Cavendish, 2007, 4.
22 Horner, 1990, 158–162.
23 Ibid., 173.
24 Ibid., 199–201.
25 I McNeil and A Ekins, 2003, On the Offensive: The Australian Army in the Vietnam War, January 1967–June 1968 (Sydney: Allen and Unwin, in association with the Australian War Memorial), 3.
26 Ibid., 249.
27 Y Zhang, 2019, ‘The Empire Strikes Back: Post Brexit Britain’s Return to East of Suez’, Journal of International Affairs, 8 February 2019, at: https://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/online-articles/empire-strikes-back-post-…
28 H White, 2019, ‘A Very Unreassuring Bombshell: Richard Nixon and the Guam Doctrine’, The Strategist (Australian Strategic Policy Institute), 25 July 2019, at: https://www. aspistrategist.org.au/a-very-unreassuring-bombshell-richard-nixon-and-the-guam-doctrine-july-1969/
29 Ibid.
30 C Thayer, 2007, ‘The Five Power Defence Arrangements: The Quiet Achiever’, Security Challenges 3, no. 1: 81.
31 Communiqué issued at the conclusion of the Five Power Ministerial Meeting on the External Defence of Malaysia and Singapore, London, 15–16 April 1971, reproduced in KW Chin, 1974, The Five Power Defence Arrangements and AMDA: Some Observations on the Nature of an Evolving Partnership, Occasional Paper No. 23 (Singapore: Institute for Southeast Asian Studies), 17–18.
32 Department of Foreign Affairs, 1971, ‘Five Power Defence Arrangements: Exchange of Notes Constituting an Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of Malaysia Regarding External Defence’, Kuala Lumpur, 1 December 1971, 2.
33 Ibid., 2–14.
34 Department of Defence, 1973, ‘Plan ASBESTOS’.
35 Ibid., 2–3.
36 Ibid., 2.
37 Royal Australian Air Force, 1971, ‘Ground Defence of Air Base Butterworth’, 1.
38 Department of Air, 1971, ‘Security of Australian Personnel and Assets Air Base Butterworth’, 564/8/28, 27 April 1971, 2.
39 Department of Defence, 1971, ‘Brief to Chief of Air Staff: Malaysia Communist Terrorist activity’, 19 March 1971, 3.
40 Department of Air, 1971, ‘Security of Australian Personnel and Assets Air Base Butterworth’; Department of Air, 1971, ‘Report of Visit by SR(GD) and PM to Headquarters Air Base Butterworth 4th to 12th May 1971’, 564/8/26, 25 May 1971.
41 Joint Intelligence Organisation, 1971, ‘Threat to Butterworth’, 552/2, Department of Defence.
42 Ibid., 5.
43 Australian Army, 1974, ‘CO 5/7 RAR Visit to Airbase Butterworth, 24 Apr–3 May 74’, 5/7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, 502-3-3, 13 May 1974.
44 Ibid.
45 Australian High Commission, 1974, ‘Use of Malaysian Training Facilities 1 June to 31 August 1974’, 207/3/31, Kuala Lumpur, 10 June 1974.
46 Australian Army, 1974, ‘EX Duty First One Post Exercise Report’, 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, R810/1/1, 26 August 1974.
47 Australian Army, 1974, ‘Report on Tour of Duty Butterworth Mar–Jun 74’, 5/7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, 2 July 1974.
48 Australian Army, 1979, ‘General Instructions for the Australian Rifle Company at Air Base Butterworth’, Headquarters Field Force, Staff Instruction No 2/79, 722-K11-17, 6 July 1979.
49 Horner, 1990, 272.
50 Brangwin et al., 2015, 17.
51 Royal Australian Air Force, 2005, ‘The RAAF’s Only Overseas Base’, 2. Note that the formal handover of responsibility for Air Base Butterworth from the RAAF to the RMAF occurred on 31 March 1979.
52 National Malaya and Borneo Veterans Association Australia, 2016, ‘Rifle Company Butterworth—Recognition during the Second Malaysian Emergency’, The Listening Post, Summer Issue 2016, 9.
53 G Mychael, 1997, ‘Interview on Experiences from RCB 38, 8 May – 10 Aug 1997’. Major Gary Mychael served as the Company Sergeant Major of B Company, 3 RAR, deployed to Rifle Company Butterworth in 1997.
54 Australian Army, 2020, 2/30th Training Group Historian, ‘EX SCORPION Overview’, 4 August 2020. Exercise SCORPION was first conducted in Mersing between 1 Coy 3 RAR and 9th Battalion, The Royal Malay Regiment. During the early 1980s a new activity, EX HARINGAROO, was introduced.
55 S Robert, 2014, 12.
56 Ibid. Note that 65 Ground Liaison Section located at RMAF Butterworth provided coordinating support for RCB rotations from 1970 to 1987. In 1987, 65 Ground Liaison Section was replaced by the Land Command Liaison Section, which was subsequently replaced by 2/30 Training Group in 2007.
57 Ibid.
58 Australian Army, 2015, ‘Headquarters 7th Combat Brigade, HQ 7 Combat Brigade Post Activity Report: COMD and RSM visit to RCB Rotation 111 20–22 Oct 2015’, O10813969, 30 October 2015, 3.
59 A McDonald, 2020, ‘Report RCB 127 End of Tour PAR’, email, 5 August 2020.
60 Australian Army, 2019, ‘RCB Rotation 127—End of Tour Report’, 2/30th Training Group, BQ7976719, 19 December 2019, 9.
61 C Bennett, 2015, ‘Rifle Company Butterworth: Alpha Company, 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment’, Australian Infantry Magazine, October 2014 – April 2015, 12.
62 Ibid., 14.
63 Australian Infantry Magazine, 2010, ‘Rifle Company Butterworth: Helping to Prepare Soldiers for Operations in the Solomons’, Australian Infantry Magazine, April–October 2010, 38–39.
64 Ibid., 39.
65 Department of Defence, 1997, ‘Commander Australian Evacuation Force Post Activity Report, Operation VISTA’, OSG/17/13/Air Pt 1, 28 July 1997, 1–13.
66 Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, 2007, Australia’s Relationship with Malaysia (Canberra: Parliament of Australia), 23.
67 Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal, 2013, Report on the Inquiry into Recognition of Service with Operation GATEWAY (Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia), 7.
68 United Press International, 1993, ‘Five Australian Soldiers Killed in Collision’, UPI website, 25 September 1993, at: https://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/09/25/Five-Australian-solders-killed-…
69 Australian Army, 1974, ‘Report on Tour of Duty’, 1.
70 Department of Defence, 2016, Defence White Paper 2016 (Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia), 56.
71 Department of Defence, 2020, 2020 Defence Strategic Update (Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia), 11–13.
72 Ibid., 21.
73 Ibid.
74 Department of Defence, 2016, Defence White Paper 2016, 22.
