大象传媒 Collaborative Article: WW2 in India
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- Contributed by听
- Helen
- Article ID:听
- A2304668
- Contributed on:听
- 17 February 2004
The 大象传媒 asked WW2 Members to add a short anecdote on the subject of WW2 in India.
We asked the following questions:
- Were you or a member of your family posted to India, if so which part and why?
- What is your most vivid memory of India during WW2?
- Did you make any unexpected friends?
Read members' responses in the forum below.
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These messages were added to this story by site members between June 2003 and January 2006. It is no longer possible to leave messages here. Find out more about the site contributors.
Message 1 - chico's birthday
During the second chindit operation in Burma, my uncle Bill Clift(platoon sgt) his runner (chico)and 1 officer had been down a hole for 5 days under fire. During a lull in the fighting Bill send little chico out of the hole on some sort of excuse, this was chico's 21st birthday and he had moaned and groaned all day about how this one was so different from being at home with his mum and dad. When he arrived back at the hole extremely cross at being sent on a fools errand- he saw a stub of a candle burning it was stuck in a tin of bully beef which my uncle had saved for this chico's special day, they sang happy birthday to him and toasted his coming of age with tea made from muddy water. This story was told to me when I attended chico's 80th birthday as his guest in 2002.We all had tears in our eyes as he related his tale to us.
Message 1 - childhood in India
Posted on: 28 May 2004 by mspiller
My family sailed to India in January 1936 from Southampton on the SS CAMERONIA,when my father was posted from the 2nd Batt.of the Devonshire Regt.(the 11th foot)to the 1st Batt.The posting was for approx.three years,but due to World War2 we remained there for eight and a half years.
Dad was with the Regt.until 1941,when he was posted to the staff of a P.O.W.Camp,we stayed with the Regt.joining him later.The camp was one of eight I believe,in the area.The prisoners were Italians captured by General Wavells army in North Africa 1941/1942.Six camps,I believe,were for prisoners,the camp were numbered 9-14.There was one camp,further away from us,with extra guards,this was for Mussolinis supporters,known as Black Shirts.They wore black diamond patch on the back of their shirts.there was also a hospital camp.The camps were known as North and South areas,the railway line dividing them.They were situated at Bairagarh,about seven miles from Bhopal.The Nawabs and Begums of Bhopal were always faithful supporters of the British.Part of a jungle had been cut down for developing these camps and the wood used for the building of them and our quarters.The jungle was always trying to reclain its land back,by sprouting up in the most unusual places.
Message 1 - childhood in India part 2
Posted on: 28 May 2004 by mspiller
The Italians were very friendly and loved children.On our way to and fro from school we would exchange waves and greetings with them,if they were in their excercise compound,likewise when they were out of campin working parties with their escorts they spoke and were always singing,a delight to hear.My brother would on occasions go into dads camp on a Saturday morning with him,we girls were not allowed to.
As a family,along with other families we went into the dads camp for concerts.The one that I remember well,was a special Red Cross Gala,Madam Butterfly was produced,everyone came to it.A large stage was erected in the exercise compound and we girls sold programmes.As I recall we did not have the normal delicious cakes,nor the awful black sickly sweet coffee,that we were normally given,as refreshments.
My father was the R.Q.M.S.of number 9 camp,his job was managing all the supplies for his camp,the camp staff and their families.Looking back it must have been quite a responsibility,feeding us all,without dealing with all the other matters.We did have on the married quarters compound a limited canteen shop with the usual "Johnnies"staffing it.A lot of our basic food,was issued as rations,when supplies arrived,this in turn depended on when the ships arrived.Everything seemed to be marked I.X.L.it was stamped on each tin.The streaky bacon rashers were wrapped in greaseproof paper were so salty mother used to steep them before cooking,but it was still too salty for us children.
听
Message 2 - childhood in India part 2
Posted on: 28 May 2004 by mspiller
I have a lot more memories but cannot offload them before this weekend when the time is up.
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