"Indonesian appearance in Borneo - any definitive ideas?" Topic

I have the Osprey book on the Confrontation (the first PC term for term for a war?) in Borneo. The plates & notes on the Indon uniforms are of US camo & weapons for the para commandoes and a bit of a mix for the local force. Fair enough, got that.

However in the text, all the references I've found on Indonesians are of them in jungle green uniforms, with soviet or chinese weapons. Aargh!

I'd expect a bit of variation, but this seems too much. To be fair to the Osprey, it is the most descriptive source I have found. Anyone got any ideas on the uniforms & weaponry of Indonesian regular troops in the conflict?

In the book Modern Military Uniforms by Chris McNab, they show an Indonesian Marine in US Marine camo pattern (similar to WW2 pattern) uniform with an M1 helmet with matching camo cover. He is armed with an SKS. Belt and webbing were American. Hope this gives inspiration….

I recommend the book, it can be found cheap at most book sellers in the discount section. I got mine for $10 USD from B&N.

Thanks – got that book too, which only adds to the confusion!

Probably because the Indonesians involved came from a variety of units and services, Airforce parachutists, army Para commandos, Marine Corps infantry and SF as well as Brimob police units. Then you have the pretend insurgents.

Uniforms? Most things would work. Para commandos seem to have frequently utilised the US duck hunter style uniform (actually ex Dutch, if I recall correctly). There are photos showing the airforce paras using an early version of the 'bleeding vine' style uniform. So long as you kept to a pattern with maybe a little mix and match with olive green within a unit you should be fine.

Small arms were pretty widely sourced, G3s, US M1s and a variety of Soviet weapons, AKMs, SKS carbines and RPDs. Marines seem to have used Soviet weapons almost exclusively as near as I can tell, extending up to their AFVs, not that any saw any use in Borneo, but we all love a good 'what if'.

For what it is worth, the 'US duck hunter style uniforms' were not Dutch. If anything they were either leftover stock from WWII-era USMC camouflage or were bought from civilian manufacturers in Texas in the early 1960s (which in turn would make them direct descendants of the aforementioned style). Then, of course, many uniforms were then locally-sourced whilst in Asia (which is how Beo-Gam and tigerstripe camo fatigues have a common link).

Hi, new to this, been considering sculpting a range of figures for this conflict always been put off as lack of information on Indonesian uniforms and weapons so like wise would be interested in what people could tell me. I have been to a few regimental museums and the information they gave me ended up with more questions then answers! If anybody has any photos would be appreciated.

Jim – from the books I have I thought that it was a bit of a mix of uniforms and weapons, which was a bit unusual for a big military force – they do tend to standardise more the bigger they are. But the few answers here suggest that it really was more individual by unit than I would have expected. Which does match the varied photos & references in the few books.

Still not sure what I'll end up with, but I have an almost free range to choose from!

iceaxe – not PC but comes from Dr Subandrio's announcement in 1963 that Indonesia had adopted a policy of 'confronting' Malaysia. The Indon term is Konfrontasi, the other name by which the war is known. Interestingly, it was never actually declared, but was ended by peace talks and a treaty (actually, the 'accords') conducted in Bangkok in the course of 1966.

If I get time tomorrow while in the office I'll hunt out my handbooks from that time for the TNI (Tentara Nasional Indonesia) and see what they offer as contemporary int-based sources.

Thanks for reply if you can dig any photos or links out would be thankful
I will post some photos to show you how I'm getting on so fare.

The booklet I had in mind is Indonesian Armed Forces: Badges of rank and insignia, a restricted publication by the Malaysian Ministry of Defence in April 1965. It has numerous illustrations (photographic and coloured drawings) of badges and insignia and some of uniforms (both photographs and colour diagrams). It's 92pp so I certainly can't scan it, but it's bound to be in defence library/archives holdings in a few places I should think.