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Story: Asian conflicts

Checking a villager's papers

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Checking a villager's papers

Lieutenant Huia Woods of the New Zealand Special Air Service (SAS) checks the identity papers of a Malay villager during a patrol. The SAS were in Malaya until 1958, when they were replaced by the 1st Battalion, New Zealand Regiment. This battalion made deep jungle patrols in the north Malayan state of Perak. Its operations led to most of the guerrillas retreating across the Thai border by late 1959. New Zealand troops were deployed in the border area periodically until 1964.

Courtesy of New Zealand Defence Force

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, War History Collection (DA-01514)

Reference: M-3259

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Ian McGibbon, Asian conflicts – Shift of focus to South-East Asia, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/34533/checking-a-villagers-papers (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ian McGibbon, published 16 April 2012, updated 1 February 2016.