A former sailor who was stabbed during a military campaign thousands of miles from home has finally received a prestigious medal - 60 years later.
Totton pensioner Robin Huntley was among British servicemen sent to the Far East following the outbreak of the Indonesia–Malaysia conflict, an undeclared war that broke out in 1963.
The 76-year-old former field gunner, known as Smiler, was later presented with a general service medal.
Now he and fellow ex-servicemen have received the prestigious Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) medal in a ceremony at the Malaysian Embassy in Belgrave Square, London.
Established in 2004, the medal salutes the bravery of ex-servicemen who took part in the conflict.
"A few weeks ago I was on holiday in Malta when I received a call from the Embassy asking me if I'd like to attend a presentation," he said.
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Mr Huntley joined the navy in 1962 and trained at HMS Collingwood, Fareham, before serving aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Centaur.
The vessel's voyage to the Far East in 1963 was delayed after a huge fire broke out aboard a Greek cruise ship.
The Lakonia was sailing from Southampton to the Canary Islands when the disaster began to unfold 180 miles north of Madeira.
More than 50 people were killed in the fire and many more drowned, died from exposure, or succumbed to injuries they suffered diving overboard. The final death toll was 128.
Bodies recovered by Centaur's crew were taken ashore at Gibraltar on Christmas Day.
During the Indonesia–Malaysia conflict Commonwealth troops performed a variety of roles, including transporting arms and ammunition and ferrying Gurkha soldiers from one location to another.
In 1964 Mr Huntley was attacked and seriously injured by an Indonesian prisoner who stabbed him in the leg with a bayonet.
"I lay on a stretcher all night and later spent three weeks in hospital in Singapore," he said.
"But despite some of the things that happened I have happy memories of my days out there. Although we were involved in a confrontation we went to places that were not affected."
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Mr Huntley returned to Britain in 1965 and left the navy nine years later.
After becoming an entertainer he worked with the likes of Tommy Cooper, who grew up in the Blackfield area and went to Hardley Secondary School, now the New Forest Academy.
Mr Huntley also ran several pubs, including the Shoe Inn at Plaitford and the Swan Inn at Totton.
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