A VETERAN has been honoured almost 50 years after his service in a forgotten war. Ian Mather of Castle Douglas spoke of his pride this week at being awarded the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal for his duty in the conflict in Malaysia in the 1960s. Royal Navy veteran Ian, 65, was presented with the medal by Lord Lieutenant Sir Malcolm Ross at a ceremony on Monday. He was stationed in Malaysia between December 1963 and December 1964, directly in the heart of the second uprising of the rebel forces during the battle for independence in the country. The Malaysian government approached the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2005 seeking approval for its plans to present the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal to all who took part in the operation to bring stability to the country. After being awarded the honour, Ian recalls one of the most difficult periods of his naval life. “The fact is, you never knew when you were safe,” he told the News. “It was not a very nice period of service. “Thinking back 40-odd years, I remember all the good times very well and just tend to block out some of the bad things. “But some of the things that you saw, such as the destruction being caused at the time and the slaying of innocent woman and children, is not something you forget easily. “There were some horrible atrocities being committed at the time and we were just there to try and bring stability back to the place. “In the jungle it was so much more frightening because you are not just up against the enemy. “You are invading their natural territory as well as being faced with everything from snakes to tigers. “It was not just in the jungle though – it was going on throughout the towns and villages as well. “We would get posted on the main gates at the dock with a small pick-axe and a tiny wicker basket shield and told to guard the place. “These people had guns and machetes and we were meant to fend them off!” Ian joined the Royal Navy in July 1962 and travelled the world on numerous occasions, shoring in at various conflicts and, and as he explained, having the time of his life. “When I was younger I had heard lots of stories of adventure and excitement from my great uncle who was in the Royal Navy. “I thought it would just be fantastic to be able to travel the world without having to pay for it! “If you totalled it all up then within 10 years I probably went on a circumnavigation of the globe about four times. “I managed to travel the world and see some wonderful sites. “With the good came the bad, but I had some fantastic times and got to see a lot of relations from abroad that I would otherwise not have been able to see.” Ian, a marine engineer during his service, was awarded the Naval General Service Medal in 1969 and he revealed one of his most significant memories from his service. He explained: “One of the most notable things from my time in the Royal Navy was being on the first British warship to dock in at the site of the Hiroshima bomb a few years after it happened. “It was a horrible thing to happen to so many innocent civilians and you can imagine the type of reception we received.” Ian, originally from Wigan, moved to Dumfries and Galloway in 1988 and has never looked back. “I had always wanted to live up here because I love everything about this place,” he said. “When my mother died, who was my last living relative here, a lot of the family thought I might move back down south. But why would I do that? “They asked me about moving back home, but this is my home and I love it here.” | 
