This Day in History: 1965-11-02

A combined force of B and D Companies of the 2nd Battalion under Major Erskine-Tulloch set off to ambush the Sungei Kumba in Operation Red River. It took 5 gruelling days of marching through the jungle to reach the river (Major Erskine-Tulloch estimated in his report that carrying 13 days of rations and ammunition meant that most men’s packs weighed 60lbs and many carried up to 80lbs). On 10th November the ambush was sprung, killing up to 17 Indonesians.