BARIO

History:

Is situated in the tribal heartlands, of the Kelabit tribe who still in their traditional longhouses.

The Kelabit, who have close ties to the Lun Bawang, are an indigenous race of the Sarawak highlands--the remotest and highest of Borneo's mountains. The elevation here is slightly over 1,200 meters. Because there are few roads and the area is largely inaccessible by river because of rapids, the highlands and the Kelabit are relatively untouched by modern western influences.

The Kelabit still lead a traditional life in their inherited longhouses. In tightly knit communities they practice a generations-old form of agriculture--they are cultivators of wet paddy, hill rice, maize, tapioca, pineapple, pumpkin, cucumber, beans and fruit. They are also great hunters and expert fisherman.

The Kelabit also raise buffalo, which they value very highly. Traditionally, the dowry for the upper class bride must consist of at least seven buffalo.

An expedition leader noted in 1911

He wrote, "...

Some tribes of Kalabits, living right in the centre of Borneo, in a sort of no man's land on the borders of Sarawak and Dutch territory, have been raiding and killing Sarawak subjects for some years past."

He too was surprised by Bario and its people. "It is very strange," he wrote, "that the wildest and farthest away from civilisation of all the tribes in Borneo should be the only interior people to irrigate their fields and therefore are able to obtain two crops of rice per year."

Another Story World War 2

The Kelabits were as unimpressed by the punitive mission as they are unintimidated by sudden introduction to the space age. It all began during the Second World War. Harrison, then a major in Special Z Force based in Australia, had made a parachute drop into the area, hoping to attack Japanese forces stationed along the coast around Miri.

He describes their arrival on the Plains of Bah (as they called the plateau) in February 1945. The Kelabits had heard aircraft flying over during the two earlier recce flights and again on the night of the drop itself.

Harrison and his three Australian companions landed in a swamp. Kelabit warriors, out at night to see what was going on, had tied white cloth squares to the spear ends of their long blowpipes, one of their spirit propitiation procedures.

"They knew vaguely that aeroplanes were artifacts that contained people but had no idea that people could drop out of these deliberately," he wrote. "They felt it was possible, if not probable, that spirits were mixed up in all this."

Not surprisingly, the four parachutists and the Kelabits searching for spirits ran into one another. Harrison describes their first encounter thus:

ME: (To terrified tribal): "Kita Kelabit?"
HE: "........."

ME (tapping the chest and looking winsome): "Kelabit? Kau Kelabit?"

HE: "Ekor?" (meaning You).

ME (getting over-excited, thumping him and pointing all around): "Kelabit? Kelabit? Kelabit?"

HE: "Bah!"

In 1963

Sarawak was then a British Colony. In 1963, Sarawak joined Malaya as another state in the newly-formed Federation of Malaysia. Indonesia laid territorial claims to Sarawak and began what is now known as the Confrontation, with Indonesian soldiers entering Sarawak and attacking tribal people living along the border areas.

Since Bario had the largest area of flat land on which to build an airstrip, it became the operational centre for the Kings Own Yorkshire light infantry during the period of their duty 1963/64, read their stories of their lives in this tribal region.

TIM HUMPHREYS (MMG/Recce Platoon

Hi Cede,

Platoon with Arnie, Taffy etc. we set up our guns on the hill above the main camp. Signals Platoon and Bn. HQ were at the base. When we were required to act as Recce. Pl. we would hand our guns over to the Coy that were based in Bario, carry out our patrol/ recce. and return to Bario.

Here's another photo of Bario, as part of the MMG Platoon/Recce .
 

 
I feel sure that at times the Bn. Command thought that the Recce. PL and the MMG PL. were two different Platoons, quite funny when think of it. Bario had a small air-strip but was used by helicopters for most movement Tim




A photo's I took as a chopper came in

p


 

Just been playing with your site map, great gear and it took me on one of our Recce Patrols.  From Marudi up river by Johnson power boat, then by long boat calling at many long houses, lots of stories.

When we could not travel any further by boat we humped it through the jungle ending up at Bario. No maps then only air photos.
Lots of stories.




LES TURNER (Rifleman)

Greetings LesP, every one, are yer doin.

If it helps at all, and my mind isn't as clear these day's, but if I remember rightly I was in 13 or 14 platoon Dcoy, Mr Deedes my platoon officer, Brian Clough my platoon serjeant, at a place in Borneo called Pa Banga, if thats how you spell it. ?



 

KEN COWEN (Rifleman)

Hi Les P ,Les T,
Yes Les T your right, I was stuck in Par Banga with three or four lads for a few weeks, when the chopper came to pick us up and take us back to Bario

It came over top of trees and the engine packed in, and was coming straight at where we were waiting, We LEGGED it, nobody was  injured including pilot, the chopper was knackerd, stuck there for a couple more weeks with tiger beer and fags in chopper, I believe we hacked it back to Bario, much safer, I cannot remember who was with me at this time in Par Banga, brains crap. here is me

Bornio par Banga, (Ken) waiting for Evacuation.



(Written on photo) Dated May 1964
Here for a few weeks with tiger beer inside chopper, pilot Ok, bad heads in the coming future
first helicopter crashed coming in to land, stuck here for a few weeks with tiger beer inside chopper, pilot Ok, bad heads in the coming future

DAVE CONNELLY ( Company signaller)

Hi Les, after I saw the map it all came back I had a signal detachment with B coy at Bario, I recall a Beverly aircraft dropping in hard and sinking and had to be dug out, also if there was not enough aircraft they would not bring our beer ration.

Ken I well remember them Roman candle`s we traded them for beer at that chinky store then sat on that bench outside the Government residence.

Turned the radio to the forces channel , happy days

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