Mother, who had hardly recovered from the cultural shock of India, as a new experience, after the first seventeen years of her life in England. Having given birth to a boy in November 1921 in Delhi, which had an equable climate at this time of the year, was now on her way; wheeled along in a Dooli (a canvas covered stretcher on two wheels) handled by four coolies, who pushed and pulled the conveyance (ambulance) up a steep winding road to reach the start of the Mall in Simla, near Gorton Castle to be exact. Then down and down the other side of a steep winding road to the Ripon Hospital. Here Mother was to give birth to me at five o'clock in the evening of the 13th of December 1923. What a marvelous woman to put up with the rigours of a winter in Simla, still feeling the effects of the vast change in her life. However, she was very young and had the help of some very good neighbours and servants. I was told some years later.

The next two and a half years escape my memory but I do remember rolling about in the snow. I'm told that one summer, at the age of three, I disappeared one day to cause great concern to all involved in a search of the hills and valleys in the Kaithu area. Eventually, so the story goes, I was found by a friend of the family way down the very steep hillside that leads to the valley and playground of Annandale. Here the "Durand" football tournament was in full swing; nobody knows how I got there. I have been wandering ever since!

Our early childhood was a protected one, being looked after by an Ayah (Nanny). It was at the age of four that I discovered the girl next door. Colleen was to remain a friend up till the present day. Her family and ours became quite close and we had an idyllic up bringing and fun, games and squabbles were shared with the friends in this small community. Life was somewhat primitive in those days; no running water on tap, baths were taken in a large galvanised zinc tub. The water being heated by charcoal in a cylindrical container. The lavatory was an old static throne, one called for the Sweeper when the clearing had to be done. A few years later we had a large wooden cylinder installed for the hot water, this was operated by electricity. But, the Bhisti (water carrier) still did the fetching and carrying of water from the mains tap outside. Of course there were servants to run things and we were on the best of terms and employed the same people, mainly Paharis (hill folk) for many years. If the parents had to go out in the evenings the Ayah always kept us entertained with some wonderful stories. The Sweeper, Chutan, also joined in from time-to-time and was a great 'yarner'. He was with the family for about fourteen years. The British families in this community were friendly and quite close; life went on happily in the old fashioned Victorian/Edwardian mode. When I now look at "The Waltons" on Television it takes me right back to this part of Simla in the early to late 'twenties'.

Mothers 1st House
Matthewville

The house next door to us, 'Fir Clump' was occupied by the Nowlans. "Chappie" (Horace), Mona and daughter Colleen over the years were to become close friends. To this day, 1999, I still keep in touch with Colleen, my oldest friend, now settled in South Africa. Mr. Nowlan prepared a Badminton Court in his grounds and we as toddlers, also up to the age of nine, used this area for our various games or for children's parties. We sometimes played Rounders and when the ball went over the hill, as it often did the Nowlans' Terrier, 'Chinko' would willingly chase after it and bring it back. This pet eventually died of Heart failure, is it any wonder! I recall that at a Davali (festival of lights) I lit a Rocket, which I had secured in a Milk bottle, however, instead of going straight up into the sky as I was sure it would, it went straight alright but straight through the Nowlan's drawing room window. Three of us watched as the firework did a trip around and around the room, you can imagine the damage it did to the decorations. I dropped everything and made a hasty retreat! Mrs. Nowlan, when she finally caught me the next day gave me a severe admonition and warned me that there would be no more of her homemade cakes for me until I behaved myself. The pranks that we played are too numerous to mention. Some of us were taken down the hill each morning by a servant to attend Mrs. Oliver's private school. Her good reputation was such that about thirty pupils between the ages of five and eight were taught by her, both in Simla in the summer and Delhi in the winter. This was a very happy and carefree period of my life and there were many parallels to be drawn with "The Waltons" on Television.

I have mentioned that a troop of Gurkhas was stationed in Kaithu, about six hundred yards lower down the hill. They were very fond of children and used to help us collect the Saddle Back Moth caterpillar from large Chestnut trees near their Parade ground. We used to keep some of these caterpillars in large 'Huntley and Palmer' Cream cracker tins, well-ventilated and bedded with Chestnut leaves. I remember waiting patiently for the transmogrification to take place and the wonderment of the newly formed moth to take effect. These moths were very large, about four inches across the wing tips. After the admiration society had assembled to look at the insects we would take them back to the chestnut trees. These Gurkhas, as required in Military life would sound the daily routine of Bugle calls. I especially enjoyed the 'Sunset' call sounded by six Buglers. We learnt to have a very high regard for these soldiers after watching them parade and a special treat was to follow them up to the 'Ridge' in Simla where they would parade the 'Retreat'. Of course these small tough men were to prove themselves again in Battle. Many years later I would meet them in Assam and Burma.

At the age of nine I was sent to Boarding School: Bishop Cotton which was about four miles away. We were allowed home on Sundays. My first experience as a Boarder was to travel up to the Hills from Delhi, on a Special school train and feeling quite Home sick. Life felt very strange. One would think that in the company of other boys ones mind would be quite happy. I felt the contrary; although I had my older brother with me and many of the boys were known to me, I had this empty feeling of nervousness and longing to be in the familiar surroundings of my home. The long walk, on a cold March morning from Simla Railway station to the School was a miserable experience. We were settled in our 'Prep' Dormitories. Supper was at 6.3OPM and 'Lights out' at 7.15. The House Mistress, Miss Tobin seemed nice but the first night was uncomfortable, on straw Mattresses, which I hadn't encountered before. Tears were shed. In time I became accustomed to being away from home. However, from time to time; sitting on the First Playgrounds' benches, which had a magnificent view of Tara Hill and part of the Kalka / Simla Railway line across a space of about a mile, I would watch the small train proceeding on its way down to Kalka and would wish I were on it. This feeling lasted, but only for very brief spells at a time for four or five years, only at the beginning of the First Term of the school year. It is a peculiar form of misery to be parted from ones loved ones. I did become accustomed to life at Boarding School and look back on my nine years at Bishop Cotton as generally very happy years. Life was highly disciplined and we attended Chapel twice a day. Games were taken seriously and organized well; Inter House rivalry on the sports field was great fun and also the many inter schools matches that were played. Games were also fixed with local teams. Altogether through sport I made many friends who now reside in various parts of the world. After the War I was to meet up with several of these old sports friends at the many Hockey fixtures I played for the Club I was a member of for twenty years or more.
Towards the end of the third school term and my second year at school in 1934, my brother and I were withdrawn and the family prepared for a trip to England. It was November '34 when we got into a car with our bags and said goodbye to our friends and servants in Simla. Feeling somewhat sad we made our way down the hills to Kalka where we embarked on the Broad gauge railway to Delhi and finally to Bombay. Here we were accommodated at the Ballard Pier Hotel.

This was a great change for us children; we had never seen the sea up to this point in our lives and felt a little apprehensive and were not at all looking forward to this new experience, to us, the unknown sea which looked vast. The boat also seemed colossus, would it sink, or would it swim? In fact we were sorry to be leaving India. However, Father had taken a years leave, prior to retirement, to take Mother back to England where she was anxious to visit her mother and several relatives. I awoke early in the Hotel to the sound of waves lapping the Dockside and the noise of coolies at work. I did enjoy this visit to Bombay and all the sights we were shown; the climate, however, was very different from Simla and we perspired in the hot humid air.

Next day we boarded the S.S. California, a very large Steam Ship to our eyes, and were made comfortable in a small Cabin and looked after by a Scottish Steward; in fact the whole Crew, as far as I remember were Scottish and treated us well. Being under twelve I had to go to the Dining Room with my little sister for meals. The over twelve year olds dined later with the adults. I felt quite shy and nervous in this situation so Mother accompanied us for a few days, until I regained my confidence and was able to walk about, on my own, or with sister, in this new environment. The other apprehension I felt was, say if the boat went down when we were in the open sea, far from land. The Indians have a fitting word for the sea, they call it 'Kala pani', (black water) which has a sinister ring to it. After the usual Boat Drills and confidence boosting talks from the parents all went well. The day to day Shipboard routine was enjoyable. There were games to play on Deck and also the Crew organized entertainment for both the children and the adults. There was also a small swimming pool on the top deck and a library. Altogether the voyage was a happy one for us children. The meals were good and especially I remember the lovely Ice cream. Mother on the other hand suffered with seasickness and had persuaded father that we should disembark at Marseilles and travel across France to avoid the Bay of Biscay, which was usually rough.

When we docked at Marseilles and were waiting to disembark we were entertained by a pretty young dark woman in black who played the Accordion on the Quayside. After we had gone ashore my father hired a Guide; I remember this man well, he was English, very thin and looked very old with his head of silver hair. The luggage was deposited at the Railway station and then we were shown the sights of the town; including the Zoo and the Notre Dame. I remember going into a restaurant for lunch and it was here for the first time that I was astonished at hearing father speaking a little French. Also I discovered that Mother didn't care at all for French food that was liberally covered with Olive oil; the particular dish happened to be braised steak and Macaroni. We caught a night train to Boulogne; the compartment was very cramped and over heated (not as spacious as the Indian carriages) so it was difficult to get any sleep. At Lyons we had some coffee from a passing vendor and I dropped the waxed cup, not realizing it would be hot to handle. I hadn't seen waxed cups before. At Paris we stopped for an hour and had breakfast at the Central Station. Arriving at Boulogne we were transferred to a small Steamer for a rather 'choppy' crossing of the Channel. I do remember that the boat had some difficulty in docking at Folkestone because of the rough sea. When it did bump into the side of the dock, those passengers who were on their feet were sent a foot into the air! There was then a wait for the Boat train to London; while we waited mother introduced us to the machine that dispensed a small slab of chocolate for a Penny; Nestles I believe. These dispensing machines were of course new to us. The train to London gave a smooth ride and our Uncle Jack met us at the station. Our Taxi followed him all the way to Palmers Green, here we met our Landlady who rented us rooms for the duration of our stay in England. In the evening uncle Jack took us to meet some of mother's family. I remember well the reunion with Grandmother being a very emotional one. We were given Roast Beef for dinner and I think the party also consisted two of mother's sisters and two boy cousins.

The first important event at the end of November, the 30th to be exact was the wedding of the Duke of Kent to Princess Marina; it also happened to be my parents wedding anniversary. A boarder in our Lodging house was a Chef at Selfridges and brought home some wedding cake which had been shared out amongst the Kitchen staff because one large Tier of the cake had not come up to standard. Christmas was exciting and we were taken to Gamages (a very large Toy shop in those days). My brother and I were given a small Electric train set and some other items. I remember well this train set because it was a first, we had never seen Electric trains before. Christmas Dinner was had with mother's large family, or at least part of the family. A brother and his family lived in Hounslow and we visited them on a separate occasion. Incidentally mother and father were married in St Paul's Church Hounslow in 1920.

After Christmas the three of us children were installed in a Private Day school in Palmers Green. However, we had a lot of time off because of the various visits we made all over the countryside, in our small Morris Ten car. Summer holidays were spent partly in Exeter with my Uncle George and his family, Peter and Joyce and Auntie Kathleen. Joyce is now an International Canine judge and has written six books on dogs! The rest of the year was enjoyed with school friends, fishing on the river Lea, and swimming at the local baths. We were also taken to several Museums and Galleries this was part of our educational routine set by father. We also went to the wonderful Kew Gardens.
Some of the things that impressed me at this age were Cinemas, particularly the Astoria at Finsbury Park. It had a sumptuous entrance hall furnished with a round pond containing Gold fish and a fountain. Then into the main cinema which was done up to resemble an Eastern Palace with blue night sky lit by several stars. The Double Bill was interrupted for half an hour when some well known Band would take the stage and perform. Joe Loss, Roy Fox, Charlie Kunz, Harry Roy and many of the well-known Bands of the day would visit the Astoria in 1935. Lyons Corner Houses and small Tea Shops were quite impressive; there was lots more, too numerous to mention. However, it's true to say that we were altogether impressed with our stay in England and rather enjoyed the experience. But ultimately we were happy to return to the familiar life that we had enjoyed in India.

We sailed back from Liverpool on the same boat, the California, which I heard in later years was sunk during World War Two; The voyage back was enjoyable and I met an American girl called Carol Weber who was going to Hyderabad Sind with her parents. I was now being awakened to the presence of the fair sex and for the first time my heart was sent a throbbing at the approach of this fair maid! However, at Bombay we parted, never to meet again. What a shame. The voyage was a pleasant one; Deck games and various entertainments's including a Fancy Dress party on the last night. I recall that the food was up to its high standard and I particularly enjoyed the Ice Cream. We dropped anchor at Gibralta and again at Marseilles; the coastal scenery was all-aglow in the evening sun. Through the Mediterranean we saw Corsica, the volcano Stromboli, through the Straits of Messina; Port Said where we visited Simon Arts large Department store, also a shop where the Indian shopkeeper knew ten languages, or so he said. On through the boiling hot weather in the Red Sea and so to Bombay. The train journey to Delhi took about twenty-four hours and I always found train journeys in India interesting. Fruit bought at a wayside station was in abundance and cheap. I'm afraid I over did the Bananas; my first misdemeanour in our new house in Delhi was to vomit all over a new carpet that had to be replaced the next day.

This house in the South area of New Delhi was quite new and very spacious. It was built in a two and a half acre plot of virgin scrub jungle, and retained some of the wild trees such as the Babool (Indian Mimosa) and Tamarind. The house had three bedrooms with dressing rooms and each had a bathroom. There was also a spare room where we kept our cycles and other bits and pieces. There were verandas on all four sides, the East and West sides having large ones. These verandas were essential in the hot weather and enclosed also a Drawing room and Dining room. The spacious Pantry with walled cupboard led to a kitchen separate from the house. The garden was laid out to lawns and flowerbeds; also a vegetable garden with some Papaya trees. A whole range of English flowers flourished here. The perimeter of the plot was surrounded with twelve-foot wide beds laid to shrubs, such as Hibiscus of the Scarlet variety, Berberis, Mimosa, Casor Oil and many others. I remember well also the Hollyhock at which the Purple Sun birds had their fill of nectar. In the southwest corner I built a small shelter where with some friends we would have a quiet smoke or cook some Dove or Pigeon that I had shot. We used the larger area of grass to play many games; Cycle Polo being the favourite. On the east side of the house we had a Badminton court. Parties were held frequently by mother for adult friends and of course the young generation also had their games of Badminton, or if the weather was very windy we would use the court for Quoits. This house was much loved by the family and we were here for ten years, during the winter season, before we moved to Simla in 1945 for the whole season. In 1947 we moved to the UK after India was precipitously given her Independence.

On returning from England in 1936 we had three or four months to settle in our new home in Delhi; it was then time to go back to school up in the Simla hills.

As the years went by I would still sit on the first playground benches, under the Acacia trees and admire the beautiful views looking south towards the 'Tara Gap', sometimes spotting a train going down to Kalka. One could see Keventer's Farm (near the Gap) where English Dairy Cows and Pigs were housed. The family who ran the farm had supplied very high quality milk, Pork sausages and some other items for many years. As the 'Crow flies' the Tara gap would be about three miles from our school; on occasions we would take 'Khud' (hill) leave on a Sunday, and in a small group of chums would walk down the valleys, a long way below the Spur on which we lived and would then climb up the arduous footpaths to eventually reach the farm. On the way we would pass a small reservoir and would daringly take a plunge across the ice cold water to exit almost frozen stiff the other end; the water was far too cold to swim in of course. A bit of Birds nesting and Butterfly netting was sometimes done on the walks. Looking east, from my place on the bench one could see, on a clear day, a beautiful snow covered mountain called 'Chor' (thief) which was about 11.000 ft high and permanently covered in snow, even in the summer when the upper part was snow covered. This mountain gave rise to a legend that states that if the mountain were not there then Simla would be covered in snow. Hence the name 'Chor', or thief. I find this yarn not at all logical. However the mountain does look beautiful, though far away. Sometimes a group of boys were taken for a 'Trek', during the June holidays to visit this legend.
The 'Lakkar' Bazaar in Simla was run by various Artificers including; carpenters who made the most marvellous Tops. There were also some sweet shop in the bazaar which were positioned on a very steep road which led to a Girls school called Auckland House. This large house had been, originally, the residence of the first Governor General, Lord Auckland. I was always most fascinated to watch the carpenters at work, especially when they made our Tops, to order. First the skilled hands of the carpenter would select a cube block of wood and would chip out of it the rough shape of a Top. Then, while in the squatting position, these Indian artificers did everything in the squatting posture; or so it seemed. He would then turn the shape by using a clamp held in his feet and a Bow and sharp instrument would smooth out the shape; as though he were playing a Violin, held between the feet. The threads (for the winding of the string that whipped the top into the spinning mode) would be turned out. After smoothing the wood with a sander he would enquire what colour we would like on the head of the top. This decided he would apply a colour stump to the wood while turning the top rapidly. All that was left to do was to give the top a high polish. A stout nail was inserted at the sharp end and the nail head was chiseled to a sharp point. This beautiful top was now ready to spin, on wrapping a suitable piece of stout string around the grooves. We learnt all sorts of tricks with these tops and also used them while playing 'Peg Top'. A game in which we would endeavour to spike our opponents top, sometimes even splitting it in half; it was quite a vicious game at times!

This house in the South area of New Delhi was quite new and very spacious. It was built in a two and a half acre plot of virgin scrub jungle, and retained some of the wild trees such as the Babool (Indian Mimosa) and Tamarind. The house had three bedrooms with dressing rooms and each had a bathroom. There was also a spare room where we kept our cycles and other bits and pieces. There were verandas on all four sides, the East and West sides having large ones. These verandas were essential in the hot weather and enclosed also a Drawing room and Dining room. The spacious Pantry with walled cupboard led to a kitchen separate from the house. The garden was laid out to lawns and flowerbeds; also a vegetable garden with some Papaya trees. A whole range of English flowers flourished here. The perimeter of the plot was surrounded with twelve-foot wide beds laid to shrubs, such as Hibiscus of the Scarlet variety, Berberis, Mimosa, Casor Oil and many others. I remember well also the Hollyhock at which the Purple Sun birds had their fill of nectar. In the southwest corner I built a small shelter where with some friends we would have a quiet smoke or cook some Dove or Pigeon that I had shot. We used the larger area of grass to play many games; Cycle Polo being the favourite. On the east side of the house we had a Badminton court. Parties were held frequently by mother for adult friends and of course the young generation also had their games of Badminton, or if the weather was very windy we would use the court for Quoits. This house was much loved by the family and we were here for ten years, during the winter season, before we moved to Simla in 1945 for the whole season. In 1947 we moved to the UK after India was precipitously given her Independence.

On returning from England in 1936 we had three or four months to settle in our new home in Delhi; it was then time to go back to school up in the Simla hills.

As the years went by I would still sit on the first playground benches, under the Acacia trees and admire the beautiful views looking south towards the 'Tara Gap', sometimes spotting a train going down to Kalka. One could see Keventer's Farm (near the Gap) where English Dairy Cows and Pigs were housed. The family who ran the farm had supplied very high quality milk, Pork sausages and some other items for many years. As the 'Crow flies' the Tara gap would be about three miles from our school; on occasions we would take 'Khud' (hill) leave on a Sunday, and in a small group of chums would walk down the valleys, a long way below the Spur on which we lived and would then climb up the arduous footpaths to eventually reach the farm. On the way we would pass a small reservoir and would daringly take a plunge across the ice cold water to exit almost frozen stiff the other end; the water was far too cold to swim in of course. A bit of Birds nesting and Butterfly netting was sometimes done on the walks. Looking east, from my place on the bench one could see, on a clear day, a beautiful snow covered mountain called 'Chor' (thief) which was about 11.000 ft high and permanently covered in snow, even in the summer when the upper part was snow covered. This mountain gave rise to a legend that states that if the mountain were not there then Simla would be covered in snow. Hence the name 'Chor', or thief. I find this yarn not at all logical. However the mountain does look beautiful, though far away. Sometimes a group of boys were taken for a 'Trek', during the June holidays to visit this legend.
The 'Lakkar' Bazaar in Simla was run by various Artificers including; carpenters who made the most marvellous Tops. There were also some sweet shop in the bazaar which were positioned on a very steep road which led to a Girls school called Auckland House. This large house had been, originally, the residence of the first Governor General, Lord Auckland. I was always most fascinated to watch the carpenters at work, especially when they made our Tops, to order. First the skilled hands of the carpenter would select a cube block of wood and would chip out of it the rough shape of a Top. Then, while in the squatting position, these Indian artificers did everything in the squatting posture; or so it seemed. He would then turn the shape by using a clamp held in his feet and a Bow and sharp instrument would smooth out the shape; as though he were playing a Violin, held between the feet. The threads (for the winding of the string that whipped the top into the spinning mode) would be turned out. After smoothing the wood with a sander he would enquire what colour we would like on the head of the top. This decided he would apply a colour stump to the wood while turning the top rapidly. All that was left to do was to give the top a high polish. A stout nail was inserted at the sharp end and the nail head was chiseled to a sharp point. This beautiful top was now ready to spin, on wrapping a suitable piece of stout string around the grooves. We learnt all sorts of tricks with these tops and also used them while playing 'Peg Top'. A game in which we would endeavour to spike our opponents top, sometimes even splitting it in half; it was quite a vicious game at times!

As time passed and I became more senior, I was made a School Prefect. then Vice Captain of the School and Captain in Hockey and Football. Colours in Swimming and Cricket were also attained. In general school, and I mean a boarding school, was a fine experience for me and I would thoroughly recommend it.

The time came, at the age of seventeen to think about University. As the War was on this meant I should enter Delhi University. My father fixed the entry for me and several books were bought to fill in time before the term started. I recall that one of the textbooks for English was on John Logie Baird. This I found very interesting, especially the part about having ones own screen with moving pictures in the home; this was the future Television. In the interim I also attended a school to learn Shorthand and Typing. The former, which I didn't learn much of I have forgotten; the typing has stayed with me. The thinking behind this small accomplishment was that if I ever got into the Newspaper business it would come in handy. Entering the 'Superior Police' was thought of; this was Police Intelligence. Visions of working in the very north of India through to Persia and the Pamier plateau area, gathering intelligence for M15 type work went through my mind and was all very romantic and parallels of "Kim" etc; However, as my father had, a few years earlier, in the mid thirties said that India was now no place for us Europeans as there were Political moves for India to get her Independence, we changed our minds about a career out in Asia. A decision was made ultimately for me to follow my brother and several others in the country to join the Military. I was not interested in doing a desk job in GHQ Delhi so I enrolled in the Royal Inniskillin Fusiliers who were the resident Regiment. I was given a direct transfer to the Ordnance Corps. I was interviewed at GHQ. Delhi and sent to Meerut to be recruited. Typically, when I arrived at Meerut I was informed that the Regiment was out on Manoeuvres and that I was to return to Delhi and would be enlisted by the 151st Parachute Regiment. On reporting to the Parachute Brigade, incidentally they were the first Parachute Brigade to be formed in the East, I had a long chat with a Major who tried to persuade me to join them. On making enquiries and speaking to my father he said that the Paras were more or less a suicide squad I was well advised to go ahead with my plan to join the Ordnance Corps. This I did and was enlisted by the 151st Brigade on behalf of the Inniskillin Fusiliers and transferred to the Ordnance. It seemed quite a complicated business at the time. It is interesting to note that the 151st Paratroops were more or less wiped out in the first Burma Campaign!

I was put to work at the Central Ordnance Depot (located in the Delhi Cantonment) almost immediately and stayed there for about four weeks. During my stint at the Depot I met a chap called 'Blanco' White who had been in my school and I was given lots of useful advice. My Group Officer was Danny Angel many years later I saw him on Television in 'This is your life'. Apparently he had contracted Polio and had overcome the dreadful affliction. Danny was from the London family of Theatrical Costumers. About this time I learnt that my old school pal George Bosworth had been taken prisoner at the fall of Singapore. Many years later we were to meet at his house in Surrey, Another Form friend, Namgyal, or to give him his proper title: The Maharaj Kumar of Sikkim was killed in his Hurricane aircraft.

After my short stay at the Delhi Depot I was sent with a detachment of nine others to Ferozpore. Here a Company was being formed to go to Iraq, or so the rumour had it. This Company was to be formed, under canvas at a site near Ferozepore town. A town with a long history of the Military, including an Arsenal. While 'cooling our heels' and awaiting orders to move to Iraq, or so we thought, a detachment of about ten of us was sent to a place south of the town to unload and stack Ammunition from trains loaded with Munitions destined for Singapore. As Singapore had 'fallen' these goods were being returned. Each morning we had to march about a mile and a half to be at the railway siding for a 7AM start; marching over deep sand can be quite arduous I can tell you. The early start to the day was because of the heat; at times the temperature reached 120 degrees F. and there was no shade, at this desert site, except under the railway wagons! This work was considered pretty urgent as about one hundred wagons a day had to be unloaded and the ammunition safely stacked and examined. We worked twelve hours a day and the job took about three weeks. The temporary huts used for our accommodation were quite basic; the Mess sometimes being quite a problem to eat in because of the myriads of flies. After this job we were given a few days leave, prior to embarkation for Iraq. I went to the Simla hills for a rest and can tell you that it was a tremendous relief. Ultimately this Unit was disbanded (without even going to Iraq) and I, along with the whole Company were sent to Jamalpur.

The Troop train taking us East to Jamalpur went very slowly across the hot dusty plains of Northern India, along the Gangetic plain and took two days for the thousand mile journey. The CO. tried his best to make us comfortable by having the train supplied with ice blocks to lessen the high temperatures of the compartments. Jamalpur was a very important Railway town having a very large Railway Workshop. The civilian population of the town were nearly all employed by the East Indian Railway. We were made quite welcome and were told to use their Institute Club facilities whenever we wished. In fact we were made Honorary members. The Clubhouse was very comfortable and one could play tennis, Billiards, Swim, use the library and attend Dances. There was even a Cinema. My stay here was for about eleven months and was a happy period, this was of course due largely because of the friendly way the civilians treated us. However, we were here to help the War effort; our task was to build a Field Depot on a site five miles out of town in a Sal Forest. This was tough work, roads had to be built and stores received and protected under canvas. The Ammunition was housed on a site in the hills. After some months hard work, the powers that be decided that the site would get flooded in the Monsoon! We therefore moved to the town itself and built two Sub Depots, one near the railway line and the other on a large open piece of ground near the town. We exchanged our tents for temporary 'Bashas' ( structures built of bamboo and mud covered with Pantile roofs) which had a life of two years due to the Termites in the area (Bihar). We were involved in some Political disturbances and two other chaps and I had to man a Bren Gun, placed on the station roof at Monghyr. This place was very important because it had a Ferry Crossing on the river Ganges. The river here, I was told could reach nine miles in width during the Monsoon flood period! In the end we were not involved in any actual shooting; we just had to make sure, along with the Police to keep the Ferry running and to uphold the nightly Curfew. After a happy year at Jamalpur I was shunted off (on promotion) to an Operational area in Assam. A forward Field Unit which was part of the Supply Force for the 14th Army. This was April '43 and various Divisions were involved in the fierce combat with the Japanese Army. We had a very busy year keeping up with the demands for supplies and the climate was rather hot and humid, also very very wet in the Monsoon. Our Unit was based on the plains next to the Brahmaputra river; not far from the Khasi hills where a mountain summer retreat called Shillong was situated. The Colonel sent some of us those of us who hadn't had any leave for eighteen months up to Shillong for a weekend to have a rest. Shillong is a beautiful place but unfortunately it rained all the time we were there. Not far away is a place called Cherrapunji which is reputed to have the heaviest rainfall, anywhere.

From Gauhati I was dispatched to Panchgram, a really forward Unit situated in Tropical jungle. Our Camp was in fact a few miles from Panchgram proper; placed on a hillside of dense vegetation. The Flora and Fauna being most interesting, but the climate humid and very warm. One day three Elephants had to be rounded up because of the damage they had done to some of our Ammunition store 'Bashas' There was a Lake a mile or so from the camp. Snakes were seen on most days; Barking Deer were heard calling each morning and evening. Wild Pig were also abundant in this area; many other creatures lurked around but were rarely seen because the jungle was very dense. Orchids were seen in the tall trees and the Butterflies of Assam are something else; of many sizes and a great variety of design and colour. About twenty-five miles from the Camp is Silchar, a place famous for Tea gardens and, incidentally, the first Polo Club in India. Some of us were able to make a visit to this Club and were made very welcome by the members. One day our Major, flapping about, turned us out on parade. We were privileged to have a visit from the redoubtable General Wingate. He came looking for a Warrant Officer to help his "Chindits" - a very special Force - with their supplies. Our unpopular Welsh WO was sent on the job.

The year 1944 was a year of mixed temporary postings for me. Barrackpore - HQ of Eastern Command - Mohuda, then Ranchi which is a place about three thousand feet above sea level, known by most people only because of its Insane Asylum. The next posting was to a Unit being formed to move into Burma. This was a Mobile Laundry and Bath Unit - a most important part of a Division in a forward operational area being assembled near Dhanbad, in Bihar. We were destined to travel about fifteen hundred miles with a Convoy bound for Imphal, then Burma. We waited three weeks in Manipur State, a lovely valley that had seen some bloody battles recently. Orders to move down to Kalewa Burma were cancelled, because the Monsoon had arrived early in Burma and the roads were unfit for our vehicles. You've guessed it: we had to return all the way back to Calcutta, a journey of three weeks at our slow Convoy rate. At Calcutta we waited the arrival of a ship to transport the whole Unit to Rangoon. We actually got to Rangoon two days after the City of the Golden Shwedagon Pagoda was re captured by the 14th Army.

The Burma episode, reported in another article, was spent rounding up and cleaning (literally) about fifteen thousand Japanese Prisoners. Rangoon and its environs and the natives were very different from India; we were here till late December '45.

Our ship left Rangoon for Labuan in British North Borneo, in late December and we spent the New Year '46 on a very interesting trip down the Malacca Straits to Singapore and up along the South China Sea, battling through a Typhoon to eventually arrive in the calm waters of beautiful Labuan. Over here, we were again involved with Japanese and the winding up of a Depot taken over from the Australians. Our stay at Labuan was a most pleasant one (I have written about it separately) I was then returned to Madras, India via Singapore and eventually turned up at Jubbulpore to get my discharge from the Military in March 1947. This episode in Jubbulpore has also been fully covered in another article.

From March 1947 to Sep/Oct I spent in Delhi and Simla having a long rest and enjoying life. I did a fair amount of Horse riding, dancing and visiting friends who I hadn't seen for a long time. India was given her Independence and our family was to move back to England.

ADDENDUM 1

Father, I was told, decided to take leave from his employment with the Indian Government and .sailed to England in 1920. Whether for a holiday or to look for a wife, I'm not informed. However, I was told that while visiting a chap called Collie in London, father was looking at some family pictures on a mantelpiece in Collie's house; one of the photos was of a young lady - sister of Collies wife Mabel - and it is said that this photo inspired father to remark, "this is the woman I will marry". This lady was a seventeen year old called Eva Stone and it was her destiny to marry father at St Paul's Church at Hounslow on the 30th November 1920. - some may add the cliche, 'truth is stranger than fiction'!

The young lady, - now Eva Price - was to fetch up in India where father returned to continue his job with the Indian Government. They were temporarily housed on Lancers road Old Delhi. At this time the site of the new Capital was in its beginning stages of construction. Father was employed by the Industries and Labour Department so he was heavily involved with the administrative side of the building of a beautiful new town.

It came to pass that in November 1921 mother gave birth to a boy; Baptised Rupert Milner, at St James Church - built by the legendary Colonel Skinner - who was to become prominent in the annals of Indian History. The cultural differences mother must have felt, ( when compared to her life in England ) never having experienced the diametrically different way of life in the far East must have been quite an upset to her system and emotions. I understand it was to be a few years before she became accustomed to life in India, to which she was so suddenly introduced. In time mother grew to love the way of life in this strange - to her that is - foreign and mysterious land; a land with a culture dating back thousands of years. Not all aspects of this new life were to her acceptable, however, she did adapt to the idyllic and comfortable ways of the East. This was most certainly due to having good and helpful neighbours and friends - not forgetting the good and attentive servants - the climate also did help; certainly in the hills of Simla where the parents occupied a flat in a large house called Matthew Ville. This was to be mothers first real home in India and was situated in the district of Kaithu at an elevation of about 5,500 feet.
As already mentioned, in December 1923 I was born in Simla. Two years later our sister Thelma came forth! Several years on our young brother David was born at the Portmore Hospital, Simla in July 1941.

Information about my very early years with regard to family matters is sketchy - especially the past before my birth - I can't remember my father discussing his family in any detail, except showing us documented information about his grandfather. Also there is lots of documented literature on a great great great grandfather; one Dr John Heysham. Mother was more forth coming about her immediate family.

ADDENDUM 2

It has just come to mind that while building roads for a site in a forest outside Jamalpur that a quite serious situation could have developed. On one particular section the clearing of scrub for the road was being supervised by the Indian Overseers and some British Other Ranks. Visualise a work force of about two hundred Bullock carts and their drivers delivering and clearing materials for this purpose. The progress was a bit slow and we had a Sergeant - a bit of an ignoramus - chivying the cart drivers and also using some strong abusive language - in English of course - to hurry them along. Finally he started prodding some of the animals; in his ignorance he thought he would quicken their pace. I had observed some disquiet amongst the drivers, also mutterings and fierce glances directed at the Sergeant. The drivers were naturally upset and resented this treatment; rightly so. I kept a close watch on the proceedings and all of a sudden one driver and then another protested verbally and gesticulated with some force. I could gather from the unrest that they were threatening to strike. These natives were Biharis and were well known for their political agitations. I realised that if the Colonel (a regular soldier and a tyrant ) got to know of this disturbance - heads would roll -. I approached the leader of the Bullock carts and quietly explained (in Urdu, which most of the Biharis understood to some degree) that the Sergeant was not of good breeding or Caste and came from a bad family back ground:

These simple uneducated natives set big store on family values. I was, after some minutes able to convince him that the Sergeant would be severely dealt with by the Burra Sahib (the Colonel) and that there would be no further abuse flung at him and his men. After cracking a common joke or two the agitators were calmed down and the construction work was restarted. I asked the Sergeant in question to melt away from the scene.

There were only a very few British who looked upon natives as below their standards and could be dealt with contempt and rough handling. These white people were usually of a low class themselves and not very well educated nor did they come from good family backgrounds. Most of us Europeans in India were taught that all people of whatever colour or calling should be respected and treated with dignity; but then there were always the exceptions -

After several roads had been under construction on this site, which had been mapped out to accommodate the Advanced Depot, work was stopped. The powers that be had suddenly realised that the area would suffer from flooding during the Monsoon. Also the area wasn't a very healthy one; it abounded in snakes and Scorpions of many types and Termites, the latter would have played havoc with the woodwork of any buildings used as storerooms. It was very close to this campsite that I saw my first Monitor lizard. I happened to be picking some wild plums from a bush and poking its head through some ground cover I saw this large head looking at me; I thought at first that it was a snake but no, it was a very large lizard, perhaps three feet long.

We were finally ordered to strike camp and the Unit was moved to another site, closer to the town of Jamalpur.

ADDENDUM. 3
In regard to snakes spotting as an every day occurrence in Assam brings to mind some incidence, not without their funny side; in this case we were in Gauhati, Assam.

I recall that when walking up the hill path - the hill side was dense in vegetation - that led to the small bamboo thatched 'Basha' that served as our Mess; (there were eight of us in the Unit) there was a sudden outburst from the said Mess and a very frightened Alf came running down the path, past the Cook House and I was clasped around the middle for support. After some minutes the shaking Alf spluttered out a muddled statement about a snake. Eventually I got the story that while Alf was writing a letter on the Mess table -on a very warm and humid evening - a snake fell from the thatched roof and landed on the table, missing him by inches! Alf panicked and ran away from this unexpected and rather frightening incident. The small snake I believe would have been a Krait; a most poisonous adversary. Alf was loath to enter the mess again and had to receive some counselling - a fashionable word to-day - we probably knew it as gentle persuasion. This site a few miles south of Gauhati was literally crawling with snakes and a huge variety of interesting and beautiful fauna and flora.

As I have mentioned there was a small Cook House on the hill, covered in dense bush - leading to the Mess. I was on my way along the path one evening and passing the cook house I looked in to ask the cook - a small middle aged native whom I called Chacha' (uncle), much to his amusement - if the evening meal was ready to be served. It was then that I spotted a small snake curled up next to the cook's slippers - he was bare foot to keep cool - In a slow sotto voce I told the cook to keep quite still. Fortunately the old boy took my advice and I carefully approached the serpent and with the cane in my hand flicked it towards the open door and smote it with the Malacca. 'Chaccha' was now aware of the drama and shaking with shock made his appreciation clear in the traditional native way - the bowing and touching of my feet - and expressed the feeling that I was now his friend for life. The snake was a Banded Krait, small but deadly. Wasn't it fortuitous that the carrying, at all times, of a cane was a must in our 'Standing Orders' and that I had it in my hand at the time!

Making my way down the same path - after a visit to the Latrine which in Military camps was always kept at some distance from the living quarters - and passing the Cook House I was going back to my 'Basha' (hutment) when I spotted a most colourful snake which had a bright blue, black and yellow and thin white ringed pattern. The creature was taking a drink from an enamelled basin left on the ground next to a wash stand - our ablutions were done outside - but having felt my presence it slid away rapidly into the nearby undergrowth. It was the custom to leave wash basins empty and on the stand for this very reason; someone had forgotten to do this after his wash up. I can't tell you what kind of snake it was but it was not only beautiful but large; about eight feet long.

Moving the location back to India and also a year in time. I recall that when stationed in Jamalpur I was walking back to camp with some companions. About a mile of the five mile walk was covered in a rail track and a hand operated Trolley could be found at either end. Our luck wasn't in on this particular night, the trolley wasn't at the right end of the track so we had to walk the mile or so along the railway line. Keeping to the rails, because it was safer we wandered along carefree and a bit inebriated. It was a dark night so my torch was on most of the time. All at once I observed an object looking very much like a snake which one of us had almost trodden on. The serpent raised its head a little and came forward ready to strike. This is where my trusted Malacca cane came to the rescue and the snake was dispatched with a couple of sharp blows across its back. On examining the creature I discovered that it was a Russell's Viper a most poisonous reptile of the Viper group, not a Krait as I had stated in a previous article -. It had a most attractive criss-cross pattern along its full length which was about four feet. I decided that I would remove the creatures skin and perhaps make a belt. Wrapping it in a large kerchief I carried it back to Camp and laid it out on a table for the night; some of my companions were not at all sure of the wisdom of my intentions. I do remember that the next morning I wasn't at all popular because two of my tent mates had lost some sleep!

I did remove the snakes skin but not having a very sharp scalpel I was unable to slice enough of the secondary skin and the result was really a failure. However, there was a sequel to this incident; I sent my Mother a four-inch sample in a letter to support my story to her. Many months later - when up in Simla on holiday - my Mother admonished me for my thoughtless action. Apparently both she and the Ayah almost threw a fit when the snake skin sample fell out of my letter!