James Condon (soldier)
Encyclopedia
James "Paddy" Condon - died March 14, 1964, was a British
SAS
soldier during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation
. While a part of D squadron under the command of Sgt. Richardson and patrolling to detect mortars that had been shelling Gurkha
positions, Condon's unit encountered four enemy soldiers at dusk. Scattering for emergency rendezvous locations, the unit's signaler, was not seen again. His Bergen was later located by Sgt. Richardson after three days of searching, and it was surmised that Condon, having been wounded in the thigh, either died in captivity or was shot by his captors. His body was never returned, and he became the first member of the SAS to be killed operating inside Kalimantan
, in Borneo
. His death created a great animosity between the Indonesia
ns and the SAS regiment.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
SAS
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
soldier during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation
Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation during 1962–1966 was Indonesia’s political and armed opposition to the creation of Malaysia. It is also known by its Indonesian/Malay name Konfrontasi...
. While a part of D squadron under the command of Sgt. Richardson and patrolling to detect mortars that had been shelling Gurkha
Gurkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...
positions, Condon's unit encountered four enemy soldiers at dusk. Scattering for emergency rendezvous locations, the unit's signaler, was not seen again. His Bergen was later located by Sgt. Richardson after three days of searching, and it was surmised that Condon, having been wounded in the thigh, either died in captivity or was shot by his captors. His body was never returned, and he became the first member of the SAS to be killed operating inside Kalimantan
Kalimantan
In English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....
, in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. His death created a great animosity between the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
ns and the SAS regiment.