2" Mortar end cap

[Gil Boyd]

What was interesting whilst talking about the 3" mortar, at the Battle of Plaman Mapu in Borneo on the 27th April 1965, the 400 Indonesian Special Forces broke through the perimeter wire and it was clear bombs had to drop within the location where 36 men of 2 PARA were defending.

To enable the bombs to cut short their flight the mortar team, headed by one brave man George Averre, instructed the removal of the charges and the fins, and is attributed with his skill throughout the 2 hour hand to hand battle holding the tube upright as he dropped them exactly where he wanted them each time...........other lads were honoured for their bravery that day, but he got nothing. He dropped 600 rounds this way, a hell of an achievement.

Every soldier, agreed that without his skill as a mortarman, and the in depth knowledge he had, together with his team that day, it would have been highly likely that the new Malaysian Federation would have been lost, as well as themselves being executed so President Sokarno could have made a point!