Category: 1939/12
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December 31st 1939 – Madras
Flying and sailing, and the other day Willie landed me on the ‘Kallerati’ (Calamity – her sister ship Deepuali being the ‘Depravity’). Had tea with one Sweet-Escott R.I.N.V.R. Sub. He showed me over the works and then Hart and the hairdresser Rene arrived, just as I went ashore. Last night John and I went to […]
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December 28th 1939 – Madras
A party of 14 in Connemara (25th) – British officers and two wives (Abbots and Rays) – pretty awful party, although Freeland got a bit foxed. However, later on some drunks from the B.I. line, ships officers, arrived and seemed to collect around Abbott. One said to him “Where do I get a good …”. […]
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December 25th 1939 – Madras
The night opp. goes off fairly successfully, and we start for Madura at 4am – arriving at 4pm – 31.5 miles in all and with a stop for one hour. I find it pretty bloody on the feet, everything else being alright, but the Dogras look after me and feed me with fruit all the […]
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December 20th 1939 – Uttapanayskanna
Went into Madura with Colonel and Golly – I was due to stay with one Doakes, manager of the mill and drawing 6000/- a month. I arrive at his house, a palace set on the highest hill around Madura, and with a wonderful view, if it wasn’t an Indian one, and find no one there, […]
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December 16th 1939 – Uttapanayskanna
Went into Madura and played football there, where we defeated the local champions 5-4. After that the secretary and D.S.P., one whose name in Tamil means ‘God Help Us’, took John and I to the station waiting room and got us pretty tight before dispatching us back in the lorry with the team. That morning […]
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December 11th 1939 – Uttapanayskanna
Went and climbed one of the local hills yesterday with Palmer and Awal Khan. We worked up a chimney but got foxed near the top and had to come down, making great use of Awal Khan’s pugri as a rope. We play football in the afternoon against Madura police in Usilampatti. They play in bare […]
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December 5th 1939 – Uttapanayskanna
“C” company did a bit of mountain warfare yesterday. I was horrified at it, but perhaps the methods I was taught are wrong after all. Anyway, no one will believe a word I say about it. Did a bit of field firing and ordered the local police to clear the range area by, say, 6am. […]
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December 1st 1939 – Uttapanayskanna
In camp at Uttapanayskanna. Had a very pleasant 15 mins flight before leaving the Mount. Did everything correct, including take-off and landing, and next time will be landing circuits, if T.B. remembers. Went out with Maitland to Barrington-Smith for a drink, and stayed to dinner. He and Maitland are a pair, and I reckon I […]
A Story of War 