Wreckage of a bus burnt out during an attack by communist terrorists.
Image credit: British official photographer / Imperial War Museum
Co-curated with Imagined Malaysia, these images reflect aspects of
social life for communities affected by the Malayan Emergency.
Image credit: Pixabay
Wreckage of a bus burnt out during an attack by communist terrorists.
Image credit: British official photographer / Imperial War Museum
A man whose dwelling was burnt to the ground by bandits following his refusal to cooperate with bandits.
Image credit: Lt.Col(R) Mohd Azzam Mohd Hanif
A woman of Simpang Tiga searches the burned earth where her home once stood for salvage after a communist attack on her village.
Image credit: Malayan official photographer / Imperial War Museum
A small group of women and children viewing the destruction in the town of Simpang Tiga Sitiawan area in Perak on February 1950 following an attack by Chinese bandits.
Image credit: Federation of Malaya official photographer / Imperial War Museum
A child with an injured leg lies in hospital after being wounded during an attack by Chinese communists on the village of Kepong, eight miles from Kuala Lumpur on 7 March 1950. The gang sprayed bullets into a canvas tent where a film was being shown. Five people were killed and eleven wounded.
Image credit: Malayan official photographer / Imperial War Museum
An anti-Communist demonstration in a Malayan town. General Sir Gerald Templer, High Commissioner and Director of Operations, Federation of Malaya, seized the political initiative soon after taking office in 1952 by promising early elections to the legislature with independence to follow. These measures were put into effect in 1957.
Image credit: Imperial War Museum
An anti -communist posession, organised by the Banting Good Citizen's Committee and attended by 2300 people from Banting town and district in Salangor State
Image credit: Imperial War Museum
Squatter resettlement under the Briggs Plan, c 1950. A bird's-eye view of a typical resettlement village from the sentry tower. Every space available in the village is being cultivated.
Image credit: Federation of Malaya official photographer / Imperial War Museum
Aerial view of a newly completed government funded resettlement village in Malaya.
Image credit: British official photographer / Imperial War Museum
Ayer Kring, Malaya, c. 1956-07. Opening ceremony for the Ayer Kring section of the Kemayan to Ayer Hitam (Itam) road. Shown are the flags of Malaya, England, the Malayan states of Pahang and Negeri Sembilan as well as the 11th Independent Field Squadron Royal Engineers (re), 51st Field Engineer Regiment, 410 independent plant troops and an unidentified Gurkha unit.
Image credit: Contributor: J. Profitt / Australian War Memorial
One of a series of Kodachrome transparencies relating to the service of 335074 Major Leonard David Johnson, 3rd Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) in Malaya c 1957. "Black" area warning sign in four local languages listing curfew times and conditions of travel.
Image credit: Leonard David Johnson / Australian War Memorial
The new settlement at Petaling Jaya, 30 August 1957. Photograph, Malayan Emergency (1948-1960), 1957. In an effort to split the Communist insurgents from their passive supporters, Chinese jungle 'squatters' were rehoused in purpose built new villages. Clean water, proper housing, education and medical care were provided. By the end of 1951 over 400,000 people had been resettled in 500 new villages. The guerrillas were frequently arrested or killed as they approached them in search of food.
From album of 60 photographs presented to Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer by Mrs Andrina Tan on behalf of the Petaling Jaya Authority and staff on the occasion of his visit to Petaling Jaya, 1957.
Image credit: Andrina Tan / National Army Museum
Squatter resettlement under the Briggs Plan, 1950. The inaugural meeting of a co-operative society formed by Chinese civilians who had been resettled on new land. With them are officials from the Federal Department of Co-operative Societies, welfare workers and police officers.
Image credit: Malayan Department of Information official photographer / Imperial War Museum
General Templer poses with the lady fighters and some of the men of Manjor.
Image credit: Imperial War Museum
Lt -Gen Sir Geoffrey Bourne (Director of Operations, Federation of Malaya) talking to Home Guards at Banggol Guchil new village in the State of Kelantan.
Image credit: Imperial War Museum
A member of the Malayan Home Guard mans a check point on the edge of a town. Such check points allowed the authorities to search vehicles and intercept food and supplies being smuggled out to the communist terrorists.
Image credit: British official photographer / Imperial War Museum
A car being checked by Tanjong Malim's Home Guards before it leaves the town.
Image credit: British official photographer / Imperial War Museum
At a road side police checkpoint, unidentified soldiers of 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR), have stopped a bus to check the identity papers of the passengers, and to conduct a search for any illegal contraband that would assist Communist terrorists, who are known to be active in the area.
Image credit: Phillip Oliver Hobson / Australian War Memorial
Armed with a 7.62mm L1A1 self-loading rifle (SLR), 1/410499 Private (Pte) Allan P Wigg (left), aged 23, of Bundaberg, Qld, B Company (B Coy), 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), conducting a security check as he inspects the pass of an unidentified Indian employee (right with bicycle) at the main entrance to the B Coy base camp at Sungei Siput, Northern Malaya. Pte Wigg was formerly a forestry worker and has been with 1RAR since October 1959.
Image credit: William James Cunneen / Australian War Memorial
Seen through the barbed wire of a village checkpoint, an unidentified soldier of 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR), and a Malayan Policeman search the baskets and containers strapped to a bicycle for hidden food and weapons. 2RAR is involved in a food denial and control operation which is designed to prevent food supplies from falling into the hands of Communist terrorists, who are known to be active in the area. The vehicle (right) is a GS quarter ton truck (Jeep).
Image credit: Phillip Oliver Hobson / Australian War Memorial
Police talking to an old Malayan who may have had information about the communist bandits in the area.
Image credit: Bret Hardy
Two unidentified soldiers from 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR), and a Malayan Policewoman undertake gate checking duty of a group of people at the entry point to a village in the Kuala Kangsar district of Perak. 2RAR is involved in a food denial and control operation which is conducted to prevent food supplies from falling into the hands of Communist terrorists, who are known to be active in the area. All people entering or leaving the village are searched for contraband. Here, a lighter moment as one soldier says hello to a small Malayan boy sitting on the handlebars of a bicycle.
Image credit: Phillip Oliver Hobson / Australian War Memorial
Three unidentified soldiers from 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR), say goodbye to some local children standing on a bamboo landing on the Sungei (river) Plus in Northern Malaya. 3RAR is preparing to return to Australia after completing a two year tour of operations in their war against Communist terrorists on the Malayan Peninsula.
Image credit: T. Elliot / Australian War Memorial
Chinese employees at the Singapore Special Pack Production Centre weighing and packing the rations which will be air dropped for patrols in the Malayan jungle.
Image credit: British Army official photographer / Imperial War Museum
Chinese employees at the Singapore Special Pack Production Centr sealing tins of food with air-tight covers before they are boxed with other rations and air dropped for patrols in the Malayan jungle.
Image credit: British Army official photographer / Imperial War Museum
Chinese women spread peppers out to dry in the sun at the Semegok Resettlement Camp, 11th Mile, Serian Road, Kuching.
Image credit: John Jochimsen, COI Official Photographer / Imperial War Museum
Farmers use water buffalo to plough the land.
Image credit: John Jochimsen, COI Official Photographer / Imperial War Museum
Residents of Malacca study the map showing their "white area".
Image credit: Imperial War Museum
The Headquarters of the 1st Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders in Malaya. The building in the background is a school. The armoured car in the foreground is used for convoy protection and the mountings for two Brens can be seen behind the soldiers head.
Image credit: British Army official photographer / Imperial War Museum
A watch tower manned by the Malayan Home Guard protects a railway bridge from sabotage by Communist guerrillas.
Image credit: Imperial War Museum
The view from one of the 15 watch towers surrounding the Town of Tanjong Malim.
Image credit: British official photographer / Imperial War Museum
North Perak, Malaya, 1960. Multi-lingual roadside sign warning that the area is restricted. The British authorities divided the region into white (go) and black (no-go) areas. Surveillance and curfews for civilians were carried out as Operation Jaya.
Image credit: Christopher L. Gowing / Australian War Memorial