42960 Signalman John Darrell TASSELL (1944-1966) Royal Australian Corps of Signals

To acknowledge his sacrifice during Confrontation, in a special ceremony held on 6 April 2019 the Graywood Medal was presented to Ms Vicki Crannaford, the sister of Signalman John Darrell Tassell who died on active service in northern Malaysia on 4 April 1966, aged 21. John and Vicki’s sisters Bev Tassell and Dianne Sampson, and other family members, were also in attendance.

The Graywood Medal acknowledges those killed or wounded in action in the service of Australia, or who have suffered a permanent disability as a result of their military service. The Graywood Medal is awarded with gratitude and honour by the Graywood Medal Association, through the Korean War Veterans Association. It was created and donated in 2010 by the late Mr Bruce Horgan, a Korean War veteran and Life Member of the Korean War Veterans Association. The name ‘Graywood’ is taken from four Australian deceased personnel from the Korean conflict.

John Darrell Tassell (1944-1966)

Each year the SA/NT Branch of the National Malaya & Borneo Veterans’ Association of Australia holds a Service of Commemoration in Adelaide on the Saturday in August nearest to Malaya & Borneo Veterans’ Day on 31 August. Among the fallen from Confrontation honoured each year is Signalman John Tassell.

John Tassell was born on 19 September 1944, the son of Bryce Arnold Tassell (1921-1980), who had served as a member of the 2/43rd Infantry Battalion AIF during World War 2, and saw action in North Africa, one of the ‘Rats of Tobruk’. John was a grandson of Clifford Harry Tassell (1886-1944) of Thebarton West and later South Payneham, SA, and Blanche Stewart (née Keightley, 1885-1963). John’s mother was Shirley Joyce Tassell (1920-2018).

John joined the Australian Regular Army in 1965, and was assigned to the Royal Australian Corps of Signals. He was given the number ‘42960’, the ‘4’ prefix indicating an enlistment in South Australia, the army’s 4th Military District (the oblique stroke used in post-war Regular Army numbers had been abolished in 1960).

During the Indonesian Confrontation with Malaysia, John was a Signalman attached to a British Army unit – the 208th Signals Squadron (Commonwealth), an element of the 28th Commonwealth Independent Infantry Brigade Group of the British Commonwealth Far East Strategic Reserve, based at Terendak Camp in the Malay state of Malacca.

Australia’s post-war commitment in the region began with the Malayan Emergency. Australia’s deployments fell within the context of our membership of the British Commonwealth Far East

Strategic Reserve (BCFESR). The Commonwealth battalions and other ground elements saw operational service in Malaya under the command of Headquarters Far East Land Forces (FARELF). The Commonwealth contribution included Malayan and British units, including Gurkhas and Royal Marines. Other Commonwealth troop contributing nations included Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Nyasaland, Northern Rhodesia and Southern Rhodesia.

The 28th Commonwealth Independent Infantry Brigade Group was a formation of the BCFESR, created in Malaya on 16 September 1955. The brigade comprised forces from Australia, New Zealand and the UK – primarily three infantry battalions (Australia contributing a rotating battalion group), and a British field artillery regiment with an Australian field artillery battery.

When it was formed in response to the Malayan Emergency, Headquarters 28th Commonwealth Brigade and the infantry battalions were stationed at Minden Barracks on Penang Island in North Malaysia (although from 1959 they began relocating to Terendak Camp in Malacca).

Indonesian Confrontation with Malaysia

For Confrontation, ground elements again operated as part of the 28th Commonwealth Independent Infantry Brigade Group of the Far East Strategic Reserve, under the command of Headquarters Far East Land Forces (FARELF).

Bukit Terendak in the Malay state of Malacca was later chosen to be 28 COMWEL Brigade’s new base, located on the west coast, about 23 km north of the state capital of Malacca. The camp was built by the British, Australian and New Zealand governments from June 1957. The first units moved from Penang Island to Terendak Camp in late 1959, and the camp was fully occupied by mid-1960. Occupation of the camp was effectively completed by August 1962. Some building continued until 1964 when the hospital was completed, and ‘Slim Secondary School’ was opened in 1965.

The signals unit deployed in support of Headquarters 28 COMWEL Brigade and its assigned elements was the 208th Signals Squadron (Commonwealth).

On 4 April 1966, Signalman John Tassell was travelling in a military vehicle with two British signallers (Lance-Corporal Jim Hardy and Signalman Brian Leigh, Royal Corps of Signals) to Kuala Dungun during a 28th Commonwealth Brigade redeployment exercise, codenamed Exercise ‘Lion’s Roar’. The three soldiers died near Terengganu in northeastern peninsular Malaysia in a night-time single vehicle roll-over. John was aged 21.

The 28 (COMWEL) Squadron newsletter ‘The Wire’ for June-July 1966 recorded the following obituary:

We recently lost L/Cpl. Jim Hardy, Sig. Brian Leigh and Sig. Darrell Tassell as a result of a motor accident whilst on exercise. Our deep sympathy go out to families and friends of the deceased.

Signalman Tassell was buried in the Terendak War Cemetery in Malacca, Malaysia with full military honours. His name was not included in official Australian casualty rolls however, because he was attached to a British unit.

He was not originally listed on the Australian War Memorial Rolls of Honour – but due to 18 years of perseverance by his family his name was finally added in 2017 under the title ‘Indonesian Confrontation, 1962-1966’. John’s sister Vicki first gave some of the circumstances of this 50-year delay in recognition during an interview on the radio program ‘Service Voices’ (Radio Adelaide 101.5FM) on 18 June 2018. She and her sister Dianne gave further details to ‘Service Voices’ following this ceremony, which was broadcast on Monday 8 April 2019.

Operation ‘Reunite’

Signalman Tassell was repatriated from Malaysia to Australia in 2016 in Operation ‘Reunite’. On 2 June 2016, two RAAF C-17A Globemaster aircraft brought home 33 Australian Service personnel and dependents from cemeteries at Terendak in Malaysia and Kranji in Singapore. Most of the military personnel were casualties of the Vietnam War. Three were from Confrontation – two of these were Signalman Kenneth Charles Johnson and Signalman John Darrell Tassell of the 208th Signals Squadron (Commonwealth), both originally buried in the Terendak War Cemetery.

John was re-interred with full military honours in Enfield Memorial Park on 10 June 2016. He is the only Confrontation fatality at rest in South Australia. It took fifty years for the Australian Government to acknowledge Signalman Tassell’s sacrifice. His death will again be honoured at the annual Malaya-Borneo Veterans’ Day Service to be held in Adelaide by the SA/NT Branch of the NMBVAA on Saturday 24 August 2019.

Meanwhile, the Branch held a special graveside service on 6 April 2019 to mark the anniversary of John Tassell’s death on 4 April 1966.

Graywood Medal

During this ceremony at Enfield Memorial Park, the Graywood Medal was presented to Ms Vicki Crannaford by Mr Brian Selby, President of the SA/NT Branch of the National Malaya & Borneo Veterans’ Association of Australia.

There is currently no medal within the Australian Honours System that recognises the service of personnel who are permanently suffering, or the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the service of Australia. The Graywood Medal represents an equivalent recognition to that offered by the Purple Heart (USA), the Elizabeth Cross (UK) and the Sacrifice Medal (Canada).

The Purple Heart is a US military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving with the US armed forces, on or after 5 April 1917, or as a result of an international terrorist attack against the US or a foreign nation friendly to the US.

The Elizabeth Cross is a British commemorative award in hallmarked silver accompanied by a Memorial Scroll, given to the recognised next-of-kin of members of the British Armed Forces killed in action or as a result of a terrorist attack since the end of World War 2.

The Sacrifice Medal or Médaille du sacrifice is a decoration awarded by the Canadian monarch, typically via the federal viceroy, to members of the Canadian Forces or allied forces wounded or killed in action, and to members whose death under honourable circumstances is a result of injury or disease related directly to military service.

The Graywood Medal is an unofficial association medal, and is worn on the right breast.

Lest we Forget

SA/NT Branch, National Malaya & Borneo Veterans’ Association of Australia Inc Phone: Brian Selby (President) 08 8387 1672 Don Cameron (Vice-President) 08 8264 2858 Email: Mr Brian Selby (President) oneoneecho111@gmail.com

NMBVAA National website: http://www.nmbvaa.org.au/ SA/NT Branch Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NMBVAAadelaide/

National Malaya & Borneo Veterans’ Association of Australia Inc

The NMBVAA was established in Australia in June 1995. We offer membership to all Australian and Allied ex-Armed Forces personnel (and widows, widowers, family and friends) who served in the prescribed areas of Malaya, Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, the Thai/Malay Border, Ubon and Singapore during WW2, the Malayan Emergency, the Indonesian Confrontation with Malaysia and post-1966 on the Peninsula, and in East Timor/Timor Leste.

Our national Patron is His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (ret’d), Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.

The SA/NT Branch Patron is His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, Governor of SA.

Major Paul A Rosenzweig (ret’d)

Paul Rosenzweig OAM MA JP holds a Master of Arts in South East Asian Studies, and is a Fellow of the Military Historical Society of Australia. Paul served for 20 years in the Army Reserve and 12 years in the Australian Regular Army, retiring in 2011 with the rank of Major (Royal Australian Infantry Corps). Paul is a Justice of the Peace, and an Australia Day Ambassador for South Australia. He currently serves as the Public Affairs Officer for the SA/NT Branch of the National Malaya & Borneo Veterans’ Association.

More information

Contact, Air Land & Sea (online), “33 Australians repatriated from ‘half way home’ ” (2 June 2016): http://www.contactairlandandsea.com/2016/06/02/repatriation/

Remembrance Day, 2016: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/anzac-centenary/first-remembrance-day-for-fallen-digger-john-tassell-in-adelaide/news-story/7b288e338b43a8b3729fe48599a5ceda

Vicki Crannaford on ‘Service Voices’, 18 June 2018: http://radioadelaide.org.au/2018/06/18/vicky-crannaford-searching-for-john/

SA/NT Branch, NMBVAA, “42960 Signalman John Darrell TASSELL (1944-1966)”: https://www.facebook.com/pg/NMBVAAadelaide/photos/?tab=album&album_id=813146692368510

Thanks Digger, “CONFRONTATION, Remembering the Fallen”: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Thanks.Digger/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1824727370899004

Thanks Digger, “The Graywood Medal”: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Thanks.Digger/photos/?tab=album&album_id=799494230088995

Vicki Crannaford on ‘Service Voices’, 8 April 2019: http://radioadelaide.org.au/2019/04/08/john-d-tassell-commemoration-service/

Commemoration Address by Major Paul A Rosenzweig OAM (ret’d) on ‘Service Voices’, 8 April 2019: http://radioadelaide.org.au/2019/04/08/john-d-tassell-commemoration-service/

Far East Land Forces

This is an original shoulder patch of Headquarters Far East Land Forces (FARELF). Headquarters FARELF was established in Singapore at the end of World War 2, to exercise command over all British and Commonwealth land forces in the Asia and Pacific regions, until it was disbanded on 11 January 1971. The FARELF badge includes a red and white crusader’s shield, flanked by yellow wings, superimposed upon a crusader’s sword.

28th Commonwealth Independent Infantry Brigade Group

This is an original shoulder patch of the 28th Commonwealth Independent Infantry Brigade Group, worn by Commonwealth forces deployed in the Federation of Malaya, and later Malaysia, between 16 September 1955 and 31 October 1971.

28th Commonwealth Independent Infantry Brigade Group

This photograph from the album of Acting Sergeant Bill Lagas, of the 3RAR Intelligence Section, shows Headquarters 28th Commonwealth Independent Infantry Brigade at Terendak Camp in July 1963.

This map of Terendak Camp shows the location of the 208th Signals Squadron (Commonwealth) immediately south of Headquarters 28th Commonwealth Independent Infantry Brigade Group.

Enfield Memorial Park

Signalman Tassell was repatriated from Malaysia to Australia on 2 June 2016 in Operation ‘Reunite’ and was re-interred with full military honours in Enfield Memorial Park in Adelaide on 10 June 2016.

John Tassell is the only Confrontation fatality at rest in South Australia.

Australian War Memorial

Signalman John Tassell’s name was not originally listed on the Rolls of Honour at the Australian War Memorial (Royal Australian Corps of Signals): this image is from May 2017.

Following 18 years of perseverance by his family, in 2017 Signalman John Tassell’s name was finally added to the AWM Rolls of Honour under the title ‘Indonesian Confrontation, 1962-1966’.

National Malaya & Borneo Veterans’ Association, SA/NT Branch

The SA/NT Branch of the National Malaya & Borneo Veterans’ Association of Australia Inc honours Signalman John Tassell and all who lost their lives on active service during the Malayan Emergency and the Indonesian Confrontation with Malaysia in a Service of Commemoration held in Adelaide every year on the Saturday in August nearest to Malaya & Borneo Veterans’ Day on 31 August.

John Tassell’s sister Vicki honoured his sacrifice at a Service of Commemoration held in Adelaide by the SA/NT Branch of the National Malaya & Borneo Veterans’ Association on Saturday 16 June 2018.

Enfield Memorial Park

In a special ceremony held at Enfield Memorial Park in Adelaide on 6 April 2019, the Graywood Medal was presented to Ms Vicki Crannaford, the sister of Signalman John Darrell Tassell who died on active service in northern Malaysia on 4 April 1966, aged 21.

Ms Vicki Crannaford gave an address on behalf of the family members. The commemorative address was given by Major Paul Rosenzweig OAM MA JP (ret’d), Public Affairs Officer for the SA/NT Branch of the National Malaya & Borneo Veterans’ Association. Poppies were made available by Thanks Digger: https://www.facebook.com/Thanks.Digger/

The Graywood Medal

In a special ceremony held at Enfield Memorial Park in Adelaide on 6 April 2019, the Graywood Medal was presented to Ms Vicki Crannaford, the sister of Signalman John Darrell Tassell who died on active service in northern Malaysia on 4 April 1966, aged 21.

The Graywood Medal acknowledges those killed or wounded in action in the service of Australia, or who have suffered a permanent disability as a result of their military service. The Graywood Medal is awarded with gratitude and honour by the Graywood Medal Association, through the Korean War Veterans Association of NSW.

The Graywood Medal

Mr Brian Selby, President of the SA/NT Branch NMBVAA; Ms Vicki Crannaford, sister of Signalman John Tassell; and Major Paul Rosenzweig OAM (ret’d), Public Affairs Officer for the SA/NT Branch, NMBVAA.

The presentation of the Graywood Medal was made by Mr Brian Selby, President of the SA/NT Branch of the National Malaya & Borneo Veterans’ Association of Australia Inc. The Graywood Medal was kindly made available by the Korean War Veterans Association of NSW.