When RAF serviceman Peter Gawthorpe was told to board a plane in 1964, he had absolutely no idea what was going to happen.

Hours later he arrived in Singapore along with other mechanical transport drivers and helped Malaysia troops to fight in the Indonesia-Malaysian Confrontation.

Now, over 40 years on, Mr Gawthorpe has received a medal from the Malaysian government for his services during the 1962-1966 battle. The war was over the future of the island of Borneo, between Indonesia and the British-backed Malaysia.

Mr Gawthorpe, 68, said: "We were made a bit aware of what we were fighting for but not until we got there. They did not even tell us where we were going - they just rounded up all the MT drivers - a lot of us - and then put us on a plane.

Mr Gawthorpe remembers while there travelling 500 miles on his beloved Scammell truck, a journey which lasted five days.

After spending nine years serving in the RAF, Mr Gawthorpe returned to Keighley to work locally as a truck driver. He married Pauleen, moved to Silsden and they had a son, Ashley, now aged 32.

But it wasn't until two years ago that Mr Gawthorpe saw a notice asking for anyone who had served during the confrontation to get in contact.

In 2005 the Malaysian government asked the British government if it could hand out medals to all those soldiers who had served in the battle. After some initial controversy, the Queen eventually gave her permission.

Colonel Tajiri Alwi, the defence attache at the Malaysian Embassy, presented the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal to Mr Gawthorpe, at a ceremony, at the Royal Armouries, in Leeds. Mr Gawthorpe said: "I am very proud to receive the medal."