A Story of War

Ronald Chapman and I come up to Kodaikanal for a weekend. We catch a train from Trichinopoly and 0645 and are up here by 14.30. Nearly 7000′ and damn cold at night and early morning. We stay in the Carlton Hotel which produces excellent food. It’s years since I tasted a carrot like one of theirs. We go to the Club on Friday night and I meet Marjorie Maude (ex Buller). S/L Scott is up here and after some dancing we go to the bungalow of one Mrs Norris, who has half a dozen Sgt aircrew living with her. I take across, very foolishly, most of a bottle of “Canadian Club”, which soon vanishes. Some French women from Pondicherry there, and I leave first and take some woman home about 3am. We row across the lake and eventually I sleep on the spare bed in her spare room. She gives me breakfast the next morning, and I see she has a very nice daughter, about 16.

Yesterday I go for a bit of a walk and then read the illustrated papers in the Club and have hot rums with Scotty. A few retired people live up here, and it’s pretty dead most of the time. But the climate is something. A signal was in asking for chaps for a special mission – “exceptional stamina and endurance” – another Wingate effort, and I have a feeling to go, but what’s the use. All I want is to go home and find someone to bolster up my morale.

A letter arrives from Bill, who’s near Bangalore.