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Guerillas Murder
High Commissioner
In Malaya
KUALA LUMPUR, Sunday.
Squads of grim-faced security forces have
fanned out over precipitous jungle-tangled hills in
the Gap area of Selangor in the hunt for the gang
of Communist guerrillas who shot dead Sir Henry
Gurney yesterday.
Sir Henry, British High Commissioner for the
Federation of Malaya was killed, but Lady Gurney
escaped unhurt when terrorists opened fire on
their car from a well-prepared ambush.
In the resultant gun battle
with the official police escort, the
Communists wounded Sir Hen-
ry's private secretary, Mr. D. J.
Staples, and four police officers.
The killers made a clean get-
away into some of the worst
jungle country after the attack.
They had a few hours' start
on Gurghan Malay Police said
the Royal West Kents who were
sent in after them from several
different directions.
Eagle-eyed Iban trackers from
Sarawak and fierce army track-
ing dogs were rushed to the
scene to join the hunt.
The guerrillas disappeared in-
to the deep jungle nearly 3000
feet above sea level and one
senior police officer- a seasoned
jungle fighter - believes that the
pursuers will be lucky to catch
up with the pursued.
These bandits probably
schemed this attack for weeks,
and had a safe escape route all
set," he said.
Unconfirmed reports circulated
in the federal capital last night
that the police were investigat-
ing a charge that there had been
a breakdown in security about
Sir Henry's movements.
However several Security
Force officers said it was known
that Malaya guerillas some-
times wait for weeks in ambush
positions waiting for a worth-
while target.
It was fairly generally known
that Sir Henry made occasional
trips to Fraser's Hill for good
air and a game of golf at the
week-end.
His black Rolls Royce always
flew the Federation flag, even in
the grimmest parts of guerilla-
infested areas and its Crown
gleamed in the sun.
Experienced army and police
officers have often pointed to
the Gap Road cut into the side
of steep thickly covered slopes
as being extremely vulnerable to
ambush.
The guerrillas used their usual
tactics yesterday. They spread-
eagled the armed escort with the
first burst of fire at short range,
and then swung their guns on
to the real target.
Reports conflict as to whether
Sir Henry was hit while sitting
in the car with Lady Gurney,
or whether he jumped from the
car to draw fire away from his
wife, and was then shot down.
In a broadcast over Radio Ma-
laya last night, the Attorney -
General, Mr. Michael Hogan,
who is administering the Govern-
ment, of Malaya, said that Sir
Henry, asserting his sense of
leadership even in his last mom-
ents, "stepped out of the car to
face the danger confronting him,
and drew away first which might
otherwise have killed those who
were with him."
By a strange coincidence, Sir
Henry was killed three years to
the day that he was officially in-
stalled in Kuala Lumpur as
High Commissioner.
He was found lying with his
face in bushes at the roadside,
shot through the head. Bullets
were embedded in the road
alongside him. Lady Gurney
obeyed her husband's instruc-
tions in staying on the floor of
the car while the battle raged,
according to one report.
Police Constable Mohammed
Rashid, 23, who was wounded in
both legs, said that the escort
consisted of 13 police in a land -
rover, a radio van and an arm-
oured car.
He added that all police in the
land rover which was leading Sir
Henry's car, were wounded by
the first burst.
Then the communists swung
their guns on to the official car.
Rashid said that firing continued
until the armoured car, which
had been trailing, arrived at the
scene twenty minutes later.
Mohamed Din, driver of Sir
Henry's car, who also was woun-
ded, said he trod on the, brakes
when the first fusillade of shots
hit the car.
"I jumped out and saw that
the two tyres nearest to the cliff
were punctured," he said. "A
bullet hit me. Then I saw him
stagger out of the car and fall
face downwards on the grass at
the side of the road.
"Mr. Staples was hurt, but he
knelt at His Excellency's side,
tending him. Lady Gurney re-
mained crouched on the floor of
the car while the battle lasted."
Deep Shock Throughout Malaya
A sense of deep shock has
grippd the Federation of Ma-
laya following the assassination
of High Commissioner Sir Henry
Gurney, who was 53, and had
been High Commissioner since
1948.
People wept when told the
news, and dances, parties, sports
meetings and other functions,
were cancelled.
Football matches, here halted
in the middle of play'when the
news was received.
Sir Henry will be buried in
Kuala Lumpur tomorrow morn-
ing. His body will lie with those
of many planters, miners and
police officers who have been
murdered by the guerrillas dur-
ing the three and a quarter years
of the emergency.
The King and Queen, the
Prime Minister, Mr. Attlee, the
Colonial Secretary, Mr. Griffiths,
and the Governor of Singapore,
Sir Franklin Gimson, are among
those who have sent messages of
sympathy to Lady Gurney.
Mr. Griffiths said, "I am horri-
fied and disgusted by this crime,
and hasten to express my intense
sympathy."
Malayan leaders, too, were
deeply shocked, and leading Ma-
lay statesman Dato Onn Bin
Jaffar described Sir Henry's
death as a tragedy for Malaya.
Indian community leader, Mr.
R. Ramani, said, "This should
not merely be the end of another
great man. This must be the
beginning of a renewed deter-
mination to steel our hearts and
strengthen our hands to end such
dastardly crimes for ever, and
with the greatest possible speed.
This is a real challenge to all
our resources. We shall and will
meet it."
A number of major posts in
the Malayan Government are
now unfilled. 'There is no High
Commissioner, no Chief Justice.
Most other senior posts are
held by acting officials, and Gen-
eral Sir Harold Briggs, director
of operations against the terror-
ists, is due to be relieved in a
few weeks.
The British Commissioner-
General in South-East Asia, Mr.
Malcolm MacDonald, is in Sara-
wak on tour, and special ar-
rangements have been made to
fly him back at once.
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