Bismillah.
The two soldiers from The Royal Army Service Corps and The Royal Army Medical Corps. The Bodies of Pte’s Hall & Cooper from the River.
On the 18th May 1960, two Army personnel, a driver and a medical assistant, were assisting in transporting a seriously ill native woman from kampung Sayap to hospital in Jesselton from Kota Belud, and on reaching Tamparuli bridge found the river in floods and the water a few feet above the level of the bridge.
The need to take their patient to hospital was very urgent so they attempted to cross the flooded river but their ambulance(LandRover) was swept off the bridge and both the soldiers and the native women lost their lives.
A public subscription is being raised by the people of the villages concerned for the purpose of erecting a memorial to commemorate the bravery of the soldiers.
Norm Jagger is the one who built this very monument after the tragedy. Info from Sapper Anthony, He have discovered that the memorial at the end of the bridge to Hall & Cooper at Tamparuli was officially commemorated on 6 Sept 1961.
Thanks to Sapper Hank Lawerence Ex 11 Independent Field Squadron RE on his Website. The Bodies of Pte’s Hall & Cooper from the River of TUARAN (Tragedy of Tamparuli on May 18th 1960), Their name are written on the wall.
Location: National Memorial Arboretum Alrewas Staffordshire – Anthony Catherall.
Hall dived in to see if he could save anyone. Sadly, they were all drowned.
I have been to the National Memorial Arboretum several times and seen this memorial, it is a truly wonderful place to visit set in 135 acres in Staffordshire. In April 2017 I was asked to officiate at the ceremony when the 11 Indep Fld Sqn RE plaque was placed in the Far East section of the Aboretum – Ex Sapper Anthony
Photo copyrighted by Ex Sapper Hank Lawerence.
