b. 20/04/1929 Simanggang (now Sri Aman), Sarawak, Borneo. d. 18/09/2020 Sri Aman.
DATE AND PLACE OF GC ACTION: 27/05/1951 Malaya.
Awang anak Raweng (1929-2020) was born on 20th April 1929, in East Sarawak, Borneo, now in Malaysia. Little is known of his early life, though he didn’t have any formal education, and began work at an early age as a farmer. He then enlisted as a tracker in the Sarawak Rangers. He served in Malaya before being posted to the Worcestershire Regiment in 1950; Dec 1950 posted to 1st Bn Worcestershire Regiment.
Awang anak Raweng GC
On 27th May 1951, their jungle patrol was attacked by 50 communist terrorists in Johor, Malaya. Two members of the platoon, the leading scout and the section commander, were killed while Awang was wounded in the thigh. Despite his injury he pulled Private G. Hughes to cover. Awang returned fire, repulsing every attempt by the bandits to advance, despite suffering a severe wound to his right arm. As the bandits surrounded the injured pair, Awang clasped a grenade in his left hand and dared the bandits to attack him. He held off the communists for forty minutes, forcing them to withdraw and saved Private Hughes’s life.
His citation (London Gazette 20th November 1951) concluded “So resolute was his demeanour that the bandits, who had maintained their attacks for some forty minutes, and who were now threatened by the other sections, withdrew. The coolness, fortitude and offensive spirit displayed by Awang anak Rawang were of the highest order. Despite being twice severely wounded he showed the utmost courage and resolution to continue the fight and protect the injured soldier.”
He retired from the Rangers in 1960 at end of Malayan Emergency, but re-enlisted in 1963 and took part in the Indonesian Confrontation. He married four times and had eight children. He returned to farming following his army career and he worked well into his 80s.
He was also the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation, Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals and Pingat Jasa Malaysia. On 27th October 2015, he was honoured by National Defence University of Malaysia with the Honorary master’s degree in Strategic Studies in conjunction with the University’s 6th convocation ceremony. He then became a longhouse chief (Tuai Rumah) at his birthplace, Nanga Skrang, and also received monthly allowances from both the Malaysian and British Governments.
On 13th October 2018, the Sarawak State Government officially bestowed upon him the Panglima Setia Bintang Sarawak award, which carries the title “Dato”, as a recognition of his heroism in conjunction with the Governor of Sarawak 82nd Birthday Celebrations. He was a regular visitor to the UK for the bi-annual VC & GC Association reunions, despite poor health in recent years. Awang Raweng died at his home in Sri Aman on 18th September 2020 and was laid to rest in the Heroes Memorial Cemetery, Kuching, Malaysia.
BURIAL LOCATION: HEROES MEMORIAL CEMETERY, KUCHING, MALAYSIA.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: ORIGINAL WAS STOLEN; A REPLACEMENT HELD BY RAWENG.
Acknowledgement:
Richard Yielding – Main Picture of Raweng GC from the 1968 VCGCA Reunion.