Soldier who served in Malaya during the Emergency

Born: June 3, 1929;

Died: June 2, 2017

LT/COL Ian Tedford, who has died aged 87, was a Glasgow-born soldier with the 1st Battalion the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) who served with distinction in Malaya during the fraught years of the Emergency in 1952. He was the commanding officer of a platoon but gained fame when he was on a special sortie which was ambushed by communist guerrillas. It was reported back to HQ that Colonel Tedford had been murdered in a fracas in the jungle. But, in fact, against all odds he was alive.

In the humid heat Colonel Tedford had just returned from a ten-day jungle patrol. He was sent on a mission with the assistant manager of a rubber estate where his men were based – a notoriously dangerous area. Colonel Tedford decided to set off. As they were slowing down to remove a tree trunk on the road there was a hail of bullets.

Colonel Tedford was severely hit in the thigh and when the guerrillas came to inspect the damage Colonel Tedford acted as if dead. The car was set alight and the insurgents kicked Colonel Tedford under the petrol tank: “With my last strength I rolled from beneath the petrol tank. I was going to be burnt alive,” he later recalled. “I wished they had shot me.” Somehow he scrambled clear before the car burst into flames. He fashioned a make-shift tourniquet round his bleeding wounds and comforted his companion who had been severely bayonetted. The Malaya police arrived and bullets were fired with the two men caught in the crossfire.

In hospital Colonel Tedford learnt that the rebels had placed a price on his capture. On his way back to Britain a year later a fellow passenger showed him the announcement of his death. “I learnt I had died on the night of the 7th of July, 1952. Evidently I was living on borrowed time.”

The official archives of the Cameronians state: “The soldiers experienced violent ambush attacks as they patrolled the dense jungle territory. The humid conditions, poor visibility and mountainous terrain made the task increasingly difficult. By becoming familiar with their territory and working in tandem with local agencies, the Cameronians successfully combated a significant number of terrorists during their operation in Malaya from 1950-1953.”

John Galbraith Tedford, always affectionately known as Ian, was born in Glasgow and raised in Irvine and on Arran. He attended Glasgow Academy from1940-46 where he played in the orchestra. He did his national service and in 1947 joined the Royal Scots Fusiliers, later transferring to 1st Battalion the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and was sent to Malaya to serve in the Malayan Emergency.

After a period of recuperation in Scotland after the ambush he was sent back to Malaya and seconded to the Gurkhas. Colonel Tedford transferred permanently to 7th Gurkha Rifles in the mid-1950s, where he rose to become the company commander, intelligence officer and battalion second in command. He resigned from the army in 1974 with the honorary rank of lieutenant-colonel and began a second career with the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (RHKJC).

His love of horses made him an ideal appointment at the RHKJC. He served as the club’s secretary from 1986 until 1999 and his contribution to enhancing its international reputation was immense. Colonel Tedford and his wife Lindy were hugely popular figures in the colony and have been described as one of the icons in the history of the colony’s racing throughout the 70s and 80s. They earned themselves the nicknames of Mr and Mrs Beas River – a nearby home for retired horses.

Colonel Tedford was the starter of over 4000 races and was greatly admired for his fairness and his patience with nervous horses as they entered the stalls for the first time.

He returned to Scotland in 1986 and was appointed secretary of Luffness Golf Club in East Lothian. The present captain, Sandy Watson, remembered him with much affection. He told The Herald: “Ian did an amazing job as secretary. He set high standards and maintained them. He had the knack of foreseeing problems and calmly taking appropriate action. He handled everyday incidents with immense skill and authority.

“Ian was a fine after-dinner speaker and a wonderfully talented musician. He loved a party and would often sit down at the piano and entertain the assembled company - within minutes he was singing spontaneous ditties about everyone present. He had a glorious sense of humour.”

Colonel Tedford was a man of much energy, charm, with a strong sense of loyalty and was a stalwart friend. He retained his interest in the turf and was a keen golfer. He was devoted to his family and taught them the piano. One grandchild, Findlay, played boogey-woogey numbers as the congregation left the funeral service. A mourner said, “Ian would love to have been here.”

His first marriage to Gillian was dissolved. He is survived by his second wife Lindy (Tibbatts) and their two daughters and two sons from his first marriage.

ALASDAIR STEVEN