大象传媒

Ranchi was a big military base. Elsie Scott said that there was no such thing a secret in India. In those days, almost everybody went to bed at night. Of course, when troops were moving up to the front, they would leave at night. There was a manhole cover outside the main barracks. As the vehicles drove out, each one of them went over the cover. As it was loose, it made a noise which could be heard all over the city. Everyone could count how many trucks were going to the front.

When the troops came back, they were very jittery. They used to be posted in defensive positions in the hills with lots of ammunition. They would fire all night, and although they were far away, again everyone could hear this.

There were big fights between troops who had seen action and any newcomers. This was one reason why it was important to let the troops let off some steam in the hills before giving them leave in the towns.

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