Terendak Camp

The camp was constructed to house the 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Group during their relocation from North Malaysia in 1959–1960. The newly built Sungai Udang Camp, which serves as the garrison for the Federation Regiment, was chosen as the location for the camp, dividing the Sungai Udang Camp in two.[1] Construction began in 1957 and was partially funded by the governments of the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The camp was originally known as Fort George before being renamed Terendak Garrison to correspond with the name of the hill on which the camp is located, Terendak Hill.[2]

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-1960s the camp was fully occupied.

The Garrison consisted of:[3]

• A Military Hospital
• A Transport Unit
• A Supply Depot (Foodstuffs, Fuel, Oil and Lubricants)
• A Education Centre
• A Civil Labour Unit
• A Hygiene and Malaria Control Unit
• Army Depot Police Detachment
• Barracks Services
• Commonwealth Brigade Units were accommodated in the following barrack areas:
  • Brigade Headquarters – Martang-San Lines
  • British Infantry Battalion – Imjin Lines
  • Australian Infantry Battalion – Canberra Lines
  • New Zealand Infantry Battalion – Wellington Lines
  • Artillery Regiment – Solma-Ri Lines
  • Field Engineer Squadron – Kohima Lines
  • Ordnance and Workshops – Arakan Lines
  • Field Ambulance and Hospital – Mandalay Lines

Terendak was handed over to the Malaysian army by the 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade on 28 March 1970, and has been occupied by the 1st Infantry Brigade ever since. The Terendak Camp later housed the 3rd Infantry Division, 10th Strategic Brigade (today known as the 10th Parachute Brigade), 32nd Regiment, Royal Artillery and the 94 Armed Forces Hospital.[4]

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.[7]

Between 1960 and August 2018, 18 New Zealanders who had died in Malaysia or South Vietnam were interred in the Terendak Garrison Cemetery.[8] As the Terendak Garrison Cemetery is not a recognised Commonwealth Cemetery and the care and future of the New Zealand graves could not be guaranteed, there was a wish by New Zealand veterans groups and some families to have the remains repatriated to New Zealand for reburial.[9] After considerable consultation and much resistance from the New Zealand Government, in 2017 an offer was finally made to the families of service personnel interred at Terendak to repatriate them at public expense as part of Project Te Auraki (The Return). Project Te Auraki is a New Zealand Government initiative to repatriate the 34 New Zealand service personnel interred in non-Commonwealth War Grave Commission-administrated cemeteries around the world. On 21 August 2018, the 18 New Zealand servicemen interred at Terendak were repatriated to New Zealand, along with the 9 other service personnel and one child interred in various cemeteries in Malaysia and Singapore.[10]