Terendak Camp

Terendak Camp is a military camp of the Malaysian Armed Forces, is situated on the coast of the Malacca Straits about 14 miles (23 km) to the north of the state capital of Malacca.

History

The camp was built to house the 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Group on their move from North Malaysia in 1959 - 1960. Construction was started in 1957 and funded by Governments of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand on a percentage basis.

Construction of Terendak was started in June 1957 and was completed by 1964. Terendak covered an area of close to 1,500 acres with an additional training area of 3,500 acres.

28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade occupancy started in late 1959 and by the mid 1960's the camp was fully occupied.

Within Terendak Camp the following facility's were available:^[1]

• Four churches, including
  • St John's Protestant
  • Corpus Christie Roman Catholic
• Four swimming pools
• 900 married quarters
• Clubs and Messes
• Shopping arcades,
• Schools and kindergartens, including
  • Slim High School
  • Mountbatten Primary School

28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade vacated Terandak by the end of 1970, when it was handed over to the Malaysian army, and remains occupied by a Malaysian Infantry Brigade.

Terendak Garrison Cemetery

28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade were actively engaged in the confrontation with Indonesia from 1963 until 1966 and some casualties from this campaign are buried in the Terendak Garrison Cemetery, additionally some Australian and New Zealand casualties from the Vietnam war are also interred at Terendak. Dependents who died of natural causes and the remains of personnel from earlier conflicts are also interned in the Terandak Garrison Cemetery.

There are now 323 Non World War servicemen and dependent burials in the Terendak Garrison Cemetery.^[2]

Repatriation of Australian war dead

On 2 June 2016, the remains of 32 persons interred at Terendak including several family members, plus one Vietnam War soldier interred at Kranji War Cemetery in Singapore, were repatriated to Australia, landing at RAAF Base Richmond on two Royal Australian Air Force C-17s. They had been dis-interred following agreement between the governments.^[3]

New Zealanders interred at Terendak

There is currently 18 New Zealanders interred in the Terendak Garrison Cemetery.^[4] As the Terendak Military Cemetery is not a recognised Commonwealth Cemetery and the care and future of the New Zealand Graves cannot be guaranteed, there is a growing movement amongst New Zealand veterans groups to have the remains there returned to New Zealand for reburial.^[5]

References