大象传媒

Sinclair Ramsay Atkins became ill with dysentery in January 1944 and was sent to a hospital in Imphal. Unable to eat for over two weeks he grew very weak. His life was saved by two Americans who gave him their last egg which in his words 鈥渟aved his life鈥�. The egg gave him the nutrition as a man of over six foot had gone down to six stone. He was taken from Tamu (on the front line) to a hospital in Imphal by a American ambulance driver who drove the two day trip at 6 miles an hour so to limit his discomfort. On the 10th March 1944 my grandfather went back to the 9th Field Regiment (20th Division) who were joined by the 4/10th Ghurkha Regiment. Both regiments at Witck in Northern India had a skirmish with the Japanese that turned out to be the opening phase of the battle of Imphal and the beginning of the road back into Burma. He left Imphal on December the 6th 1944.

He wrote 鈥榯he death of Captain Tates鈥� during this time.

THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN YATES

A TRUE STORY

鈥淭hey tied him to a tree.鈥�

That man I had known
Two years before a Sergeant
In my troop at One Three Three
Now here he was in Chourissghee (unsure spelling)
A Captain of Ghurkhas, adjutant
Too, and we met as equals
I, as a Lieutenant still, invited
Him for a drink. He wanted
Chiefly to date a girl.
Perhaps he knew
It was his last chance.
The girl in the tobacconist said 鈥淣o,
I am sorry look at the
dark circles under my eyes.
I have had too many late nights.鈥�
So back we went
He to the [Anchar?]** I to Imphal.
Then the rumours came through;
His headquarters had been
Overrun, most of the men killed.
Only one I.G.R, a Ghurkha escaped.
鈥淗e was tied to a tree鈥� he said
鈥渁nd he told me he was to be shot in the morning.鈥�
So died Sergeant Yates, my
old friend, sorry I mean Captain Yates.
I find it hard to forgive such wanton cruelty.

Sinclair Ramsay Atkins 1911-2005

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