Lord West describes how the Royal Navy fought a series of conflicts in East Asia during the early Cold War.

From the Amethyst Incident in China in 1949 to the confrontation with Indonesia in the mid-1960s, East Asia was a key focus during the early Cold War. And the Royal Navy was at the heart of the action.

In this episode Lord West speaks to veterans of the Amethyst Incident and the Korean War, and hears how in this period the Royal Marines embraced their commando role and fought successfully in Korea, Malaya and against Indonesia.

Producer: Giles Edwards

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2014.