▁Island . ▁This ▁force ▁consisted ▁of ▁five ▁companies ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁training ▁camp ▁for ▁volunte ers . ▁On ▁ 1 7 ▁October , ▁five ▁K K O ▁and ▁one ▁T N K U ▁dressed ▁in ▁civil ian ▁clothes ▁crossed ▁into ▁Sab ah ▁and ▁bur nt ▁down ▁a ▁village ; ▁the ▁K K O ▁officer ▁was ▁killed . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁ 3 ▁R MR ' s ▁positions ▁was ▁at ▁Kal ab ak an ▁west ▁of ▁T aw au . ▁There ▁was ▁a ▁fort ified ▁police ▁station , ▁and ▁ 4 0 0 ▁yards ▁away ▁in ▁ 2 ▁un fort ified ▁h uts ▁( with ▁some ▁adjacent ▁fighting ▁tren ches ) ▁were ▁some ▁ 5 0 ▁R MR ▁soldiers ▁with ▁their ▁company ▁commander . ▁In ▁late ▁December , ▁a ▁force ▁of ▁ 3 5 ▁K K O ▁regular s ▁and ▁ 1 2 8 ▁volunte ers ▁( P oc ock ) ▁or ▁ 1 1 ▁and ▁ 3 6 ▁( Con boy ) ▁crossed ▁into ▁Sab ah ▁and ▁remained ▁in ▁the ▁sw am pl and ▁und et ected ▁for ▁ 8 ▁days . ▁The ▁mission ▁was ▁to ▁capture ▁Kal ab ak an ▁and ▁then ▁move ▁on ▁T aw au ▁with ▁Indones ian ▁exp atri ates ▁rising ▁to ▁join ▁them . ▁At ▁ 1 1 : 0 0 ▁pm ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁December , ▁the ▁R MR ▁position ▁had ▁been ▁taken ▁by ▁surprise , ▁with ▁ 8 ▁killed , ▁including ▁the ▁commander , ▁and ▁ 1 9 ▁wounded . ▁An ▁attack ▁shortly ▁after