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Auction: 19002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 195

Pair: Lieutenant J. E. K. Lane, Royal Marines, who served in Borneo with 42 Commando during the clandestine offensive known as 'Operation Claret'

Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Brunei (2nd Lt., R.M.); General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Borneo (Lieut., R.M.) mounted as worn, good very fine (2)

J. E. K. Lane was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Marines on 9 May 1961 and appointed Acting Lieutenant on 24 September 1963). He was promoted Lieutenant on 2 October 1964 and served with 'K' Company, 42 Commando in Brunei and Borneo. The unit served in Borneo as part of Operation "Claret", a highly classified campaign intended to roll back President Sukarno of Indonesia's guerrilla forces. With Soviet arms and advisers, Sukarno aimed to create a unified Borneo by bringing Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah (formerly British North Borneo) under his control. He resented Britain's continued hold over the region and watched with envy as Brunei's oil fields brought the sultanate untold prosperity, serving to highlight his own poor economic performance (he rejected capitalism). Sukarno's guerrillas made frequent incursions into Sarawak, crossing the Kalimantan border. It was in January 1966 that 42 Commando operated across the border with a company of 2/10th Gurkhas in response to a large party of enemy raiders who had infiltrated almost to Serian. Indeed, despite the operations remaining classified, it is known over the weeks that having been found, they were 'gradually eliminated.' It was not until 1974 that Operation "Claret" was publicly disclosed by Britain.

Lane was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 14 January 1969; sold with a copied portrait, group photograph and copied research.

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Sold for
£480