War Diaries - WW2: 2012

SEPTEMBER 24th 1941

Bombay 1941

53rd DAY AT SEA

We came off the ship today.

That ends our sea journey from Scotland to Bombay.

We was on the ship 60 days altogether.

We had 3 miles walk to a rest camp which I am in now

We are under canvas now and the sun is terrific.

We are allowed out from 1.00 pm to 1.30 am in the morning.

Beggar

Saw a funeral in Bombay. Bombay is a place where I would not like to live, very dirty, beggars everywhere.

Went in taxi round Grant Street?

They had women in cages, make us feel sick.

Would not dare walk along there must be full of diseases.

Hindu wedding

Saw a lovely Hindu wedding.

Sent wife home Christmas present.

SEPTEMBER 26th 1941

Bombay 1941

Women in Bombay take children to beg with them.

Bombay 1941

OCTOBER 2nd 1941

Came to Lahore October 2nd 1941.

Left Bombay for Lahore. 2 days on train. 1,500 miles. Slept on bare boards. Arrive at Lahore October 2nd 1941.

Lahore 1941

Very good food.

Five miles from town. The weather very hot. Winter starts next month and will not be sorry.

Received no mail from home yet.

The temperature today is 101F and they say that is cold! Winter starts 8 weeks.

Lahore Swimming pool

Posted to 31 Squadron. Also to fire crew. The food here is very good. Two fellows out of our tent have gone into hospital. Doing plenty of swimming.

The weather is very hot and can not do much work.

OCTOBER 18th 1941

Lahore

Went up in a Douglas plane today which belonged to India, or did.

Have received no mail yet, waiting answer from telegram which is late.

Nearly all the squadron are moving October 22nd.

I am staying at Lahore.

They are going into operations and seven Douglas's are going.

Had trouble with both my ears since being in India.

Seven planes went to Middle East. One crashed and was set on fire.

Lahore Begging 1941

OCTOBER 22nd 1941

Lahore Camp

Lahore camp

WENT IN HOSPITAL

Sent into hospital with mastoid but found I had boil in ear which never sleep for days with pain.

Had chicken every day, while in there an army fellow died two beds from me. Was in hospital nearly two weeks.

Received first letter today November 5th posted August 20th.

NOVEMBER 29th 1941

Lahore camp

A hill beauty

Lahore

The winter has now started which is very cold, we have fires in our tent.

We have Indian men and women working on the camp.

The women do the hardest work, also bring their children.

The women almost work until they have another child! They also get 7 annas* a day.

*1 anna is equilivant to 1/16 rupee

Lahore in tents

DECEMBER 25th 1941

Lahore beer

Christmas at Lahore

We are having turkey and free beer, but wish I was back in England having Christmas with wife.

Was a very good dinner, Officers waited on us.

Seven Douglas's went away.

Douglas

Three of them we have lost!

DECEMBER 28th 1941

One at a time

Going to KARACHI for bomb course.

Journey to Karcahi
Took 26 hours to get to Karcahi. Also six hours through (Sand Desert). I was there just on three weeks and very glad to come back to Lahore.

My mate was taken into hospital, I went in to see him.

Mail coming from home alright.

JANUARY 27th 1942

A place for two

Received present today from wife.

On parade, Lahore January 1942

Been in India four months, weather still cold at nights.

Not much to do, play snooker or table tennis at night or go to the pictures.

We have plenty of sports, keen on rugby.

The gang at Karaghi January 1942

The gang at Karaghi Janary 1942

FEBRUARY 12th 1942

Bairhgarh 1942

The gang at Karaghari January 1942

Had five airmail letters from wife today.

We are now beginning our summer. Also very soon will have to move out of tents for it is too hot living in tents.

Bairhgarh 1942

Today we had a Lewis gun course. Also was on the camera gun. Took photos of the place whilst driving at you.

Some of our bags have come back from the Middle East.

The gang at Karaghari January 1942

Bairhgarh 1942

MARCH 12th 1942

Dehli station

Arrived at Hill Station GHAKARATA (8,000 feet high).

The journey took three days and what a journey! The rations consisted of mainly corn beef, breakfast, dinner, peas. Had no where to wash. Missed train at one station, and was we glad for we travelled by second class. Good food. Caught fast train and arrived at the next destination two hours before other train came in. Stayed at Dehli for 10 hours.

We also had a day at Desma Dar. Was a lovely place, one of the best places I have yet been in, even better than Delhi. Went to pictures, then 10.30 at night went to circus which was a good show and consisted of mostly Burmese.

Bought wife some dress material, handbag, tablecloth. Now waiting for pay day!

Plenty of climbing. Had horse today but he would not move. Pictures change every day.

Image care of http://www.nanaginge.com/introduction.php

MARCH 22nd 1942

Bairhgarh 1942

At 7.45 Sunday morning there was a tremble of a earthquake that shook the camp but no damage was done.

Bairhgarh 1942

Not feeling none too good. Have pains in my stomach. Also been bitten several times today by mosquito's.

Plenty of evacuees coming to Lahore from Burma, Malaya, Rangoon.

APRIL 25th 1942 - My Birthday

Old Dehli

New Dehli

Left Lahore 25th April. Got posted to Visagapatam on my birthday.

The journey was about 2,000 miles, the first stop being Dehli! Which we had two days there.

the next stop was BAZWADA. Also was there for one day. We all went swimming but did not know that crocodiles had been there.

A swim at Bazwada

On the fifth day we arrived at Visagapatam. What a place, we felt like crying!

We had to buy our food, what food we had was awful.

The camp consisted of just a few tents.

We worked very hard.

MAY 13th 1942

A swim at Beswada

The camp is 10 miles from the coast.

All the natives run away owing to the raid on the harbour.

We have no showers so we go swimming in the Bay of Bengal.

The camp is situated in the middle of the jungle. What a place!

New Dehli May 1942

MAY 15th 1942

Nearly got drowned today, went out to(o) far!

Made friends with Captain and has son who is in the airforce.

We had a weekend on his ship MARION MOLLER.

We had good food and did we need it.

It was the ship that the Japs bombed.

Hoping to have another weekend on the ship.

JUNE 1942

Murree Hills

Murree Hills 1942

Himalaya mountains

Left for Lahore on a parachute course, was I glad.

While at Lahore went into B.M.H (British Medical Hospital) to have my toes done.

Operation on both. Three weeks on bed.

Lahore 1941

From Lahore went to (Lower Topa) hill station on four weeks sick leave.

Sure was cool up there compared with Lahore being 124 percent.

Murree was 1,000 feet high, amongst the clouds.

The hills were marvellous.

Murree Hills

While on sick leave at Murree Hills

AUGUST 1942

Vizagapatum

Finished parachute course. Came back to Vizag (Vizagapatum): at moment feeling now too good. Waiting now for posting, hopefully it will be Lahore.

Lahore

Had thirty-six letters on arriving back to Vizag. Now in the tent with my mate Bill, my other two mates got posted.

We now have a straw canteen! Cannot wear any shoes at all now through operation.

21st September 1942

Bhopal

Date now September 21st.

POSTED TO ADVANCE TRAINING UNIT BHOPAL

29TH SEPTEMBER 1942

Leaving for Bhophal 29th, will take two days to get there. Going from here on my own. Received parcel from wife.

Got my 217C at Vizag September 26th with eight months back pay!

Now going to Bhopal as parachute packer!

2nd October 1942

What a camp

It took me four days to get here, one nights sleep in the station at NAGPUR, also one night a Bhopal station.

The camp has been a prison camp for High Tides so they moved them and put us in! They say there are seven thousand prisoners here. Only the other day they found thirty seven revolvers on them, also under the cook house the prisoners built a radio set and was getting connections with Burma

Bhophal 1942

The battery was from torch lamps.

We played them football, they beat us 4-0.

The officers pull our lads teeth out!

The prisoners are right on top of our camp.