Sub-Lieutenant Tracey RN standing at the entrance to RNAS Nanga Gaat, home of 845 Naval Air Squadron in Sarawak

An informal portrait of Sub-Lieutenant Tracey RN standing at the entrance to RNAS Nanga Gaat, home of 845 Naval Air Squadron in Sarawak. The entrance board also shows this to be HMS Taijari. Tracey is wearing shorts and sandals, has a wooden toilet seat hanging round his neck and is holding a 'sceptre' made from an axe handle decorated with bottle tops and beer cans. Inscribed on the toilet seat is 'Sub-Lt. Tracey. Bederell King. Gaat Medallion.' He is holding the hand of a local boy. The top of Tracey's head is out of the picture. Nanga Gaat is at the confluence of the Sungai Gaat and the Batang Baleh, Sarawak. Nanga Gaat was used as an advanced base for an infantry battalion as well as for the Fleet Air Arm during the Indonesian confrontation which ran from 20 January 1963 to 11 August 1966.

Object Details

ID: PM7774/19
Type: Roll film negative
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Wettern, Desmond Robert French
Date made: October 1964
People: Tracey, Derek
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Wettern Collection
Measurements: Film length: 35 mm x 228 mm;Frame: 35 mm x 38 mm