In search of adventure, Roy joined the Malay police at the height of a bitter ten year campaign against communist terroists. He was 22 and had no esperience of jungle warfare.

Within a year, he had become the youngest ever commander of a jungle fort and platoon operating deep within enemy controlled territory. Reliant on uncertain intelligence, he led his platoon through a series of offensive patrols and carried the war to the terrorists on their own ground.