Lancashire military man Denaro hailed for role in Malay Regiment

A powerful new book, The Malay Experiment: The Colonial Origins and Homegrown Heroism of the Malay Regiment, has been released to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of Malaysia’s most iconic military unit. And Lancashire plays a major supporting role in its story.

“Right from the get-go, one of the first four British officers selected for the experimental company in 1933 was CSM E Field, from the Royal Lancasters. Then soon after we have Capt George Denaro from the York and Lancasters arriving. The role that first officer team played in shaping the regiment’s DNA cannot be understated,” says author and military historian Stuart Lloyd, who has lived 25 years in Asia. “The Malays were immediately impressive, and it helped them to officially become a regiment in 1935.”

The Malay Experiment offers the first comprehensive account of the Malay Regiment’s colourful origins and its evolution into one of the nation’s most respected institutions. More than a military history, the book traces a story of dignity, discipline, and national pride — one that parallels Malaysia’s own journey to independence and identity.

By 1937, the Malay Regiment was sending officer-candidates down to spend three-month stints with the 2nd Lancashire Loyal regiment, which was already based in Singapore. They’d undergo intensive training in general military leadership as well as specific weapons handling under the watchful eye of the Loyals.

“Out of this program came the regiment’s first NCOs such as Lt Adnan Saidi, who went on to become a national hero for his unstinting bravery in 1942,” explains Lloyd.

As Southeast Asia got caught up in WW2 against the Japanese, the Malay Regiment found itself bundled up with the Loyal Lancashires as an integral part of the 1st Malaya Brigade, and fought a spirited battle cheek-by-cheek on the west coast of Singapore. It was here, in the battle of Pasir Panjang Ridge, that the Malay Regiment made a name for itself and carved its legacy with its homegrown heroics under fire. Lloyd quotes from interviews he did with the Loyals’ Pte Stan Sharpley on the battle and subsequent surrender.

Post-war Maj George Denaro DSO returned to Malaya, and started a family there. (His son Arthur, born at Sungei Patani in 1948, would go on to to have his own sterling military career, becoming a Maj-General and even commandant of Sandhurst.) Denaro engaged the local men in football and cricket teams, as player and coach, retaining the common touch even as he was promoted yet again to ‘Brigadier George’. He went from captain to brigadier within the regiment, and would earn the CBE for his near 30-year service to the military in Malaya, and paved the way for the regiment to perform strongly in the Malayan Emergency and the post-Merdeka (Independence) era.

Brigadier General Dato' Arshad Raji (Rtd), former officer of the regiment, offered high praise: “This book impresses me beyond words. Here is a writer driven by passion for the deeds of brave soldiers who laid down their lives, made immense sacrifices and stayed steadfast to their calling.”

His words reflect what many in Malaysia’s defence community have long felt — that the regiment’s legacy deserves renewed national recognition.

“This story kept on throwing up surprises as I researched it,” says Lloyd. “But this strong thread of Lancashire’s involvement in the formation at ground zero, and continual development of the regiment was a real surprise. They were blooded together in war, therefore bonded forever together.”

The Malay Experiment (ISBN: 978-0-645-328097)

• Paperback: amazon GBP 14.80

• eBook: Amazon (English) | Kobo (Bahasa Melayu)

• Audiobook: Audible, Apple, audiobooks.com