As part of Britain's response to the Brunei Rebellion in December 1962, HMS Fiskerton and HMS Chawton, TON Class coastal minesweepers of the Singapore-based 6th Minesweeping Squadron, were despatched to Brunei, North Borneo along with British and Gurkha troops.

Given the shortage of roads in north Borneo, the Royal Marines and Royal Navy units who were first to arrive in Brunei, commandeered a number of small craft to transport the military on their operations. The craft were of various shapes and sizes, ranging from Ramp Loading Lighters 60 foot long, to speedboats and the comfortable launches of the richer residents and dug out canoes used by fishermen. The lighters were soon pressed into service as landing craft to take the troops on raids. The canoes, equipped with large outboard engines and armed with a Bren gun, made excellent  high speed patrol craft.

The sailors soon christened the “flotilla” 8th Assault Squadron and the signalman onboard HMS Fiskerton, Hugh `Jock' McLintock, designed and produced an unofficial flag for them.

All the ships of the 6th MS subsequently adopted the title of 8th Assault Squadron as they carried out much of the coastal, inshore and river patrols throughout the Confrontation with Indonesia.