Tuesday 1st December 1942 Asansol, Bengal.

We were up early this morning as usual it seemed very cold we were told it was about 65 degrees. We did arms drill before breakfast. After the meal we went in for what we thought was the usual lecture,  this morning it was different. We were given the information that we are moving soon, no destination was given! We were simply told we are going nearer to Burma and the front line, and that no person outside our camp must be told of the move, that includes bearers, char-wallah's, gharry-wallah's and Dobi wallah's, or any Europeans that we may come in contact with. There is a lot of work to be done before the move, such as changing all the camouflage on the vehicles, to suit the terrain where we are going, which is jungle, and of course packing all our stores and equipment for the long journey. After the talk we were given the new camouflage paint and brushes and told to get cracking!! The colour is called, dark drab, and it is dark! and drab! It's a very dark brownie green, a bit like dark mud! I will not repeat what rude comments some of the lads made. Paddy says by the colour we must be going to a ruddy, muddy jungle. The rest of the day was spent painting the trucks and everything that moved, dark drab!! The vehicles look awful when they were finished. We all preferred the way they were camouflaged, part sand colour and part brown. Smudger Smith painted trees on the side of his truck, with green leaves. He was soon told to get it off!! And, camouflage it dark drab like the rest. We even had to paint underneath the vehicles Bill Lloyd said that is so, when we run over Jap foxholes, they won't see us, who's a twit!! Bill really enjoying himself with his paint brush, he even painted his spanners. Harry Stout painted the back axle and underneath the vehicle okay, but when he came from under, he must have rubbed against the paint, all his clothes, even his hair was painted.

Wednesday 2nd December 1942 Asansol, Bengal.

Up bright and early again this morning. No training or lecture today. Its work for everyone, some chaps are still painting, some are finishing off workshop jobs, others are packing everyone is very busy. Two of the G.D (General Duties) wallah's got a 44 gallon drum with the top out cut off and three parts filled it with water and lit a fire underneath it. When it was nearly boiling they added dark drab dye, we had to dip our webbing in, including webbing belt, pouches, straps, small pack, and big pack, it came out looking awful. We have not got to clean our brasses in future. A number of the lads including myself have darkened our cap badges with chemicals. This evening a number of the lads, were detailed for a working party, Tomorrow, after breakfast they will be taken by motor vehicle to Burnpur Railway Sidings, which is near Asansol Railway Station. They are to start building ramps etc, ready for loading our vehicles and equipment onto the train. They are going to have an elephant to help them with the heavy work, with the elephant will be a (mahout) that is the name for an elephant keeper. Mail arrived today. Frank Jeffries got some more Glen Miller records. We have been playing them all evening. They are smashing, there is one I liked very much the tune is called "I know why

Thursday 3rd December 1942 Asansol, Bengal.

We started work early again this morning. Everyone has been very busy packing up all day. Some of the boys have been taking the workshop down. First they had to take the canvas off and then they had to take the frame work down, it was quite a big job. The lads that went working at the railway sidings told us that they had a couple of elephants to do the heavy work, moving big logs etc. To make the ramps from what they say, they have been having a rare old time, riding up and down on the backs of the elephants and taking one another’s photos. We were each issued with a special type of water bottle today ready for the move. They are made of canvas and can be hung up in the vehicles first having been wet on the outside they are to keep the water cool. We were also issued with dust masks, dark green battle dress and bush hats. The new battle dresses are like khaki ones we wear in Europe, but these are made of a much thinner material.

Friday 4th December 1942 Asansol, Bengal.

The camp has been a hive of activity today. All the vehicles had to be checked, maintained and petrol tanks filled. Most of the vehicles have been loaded with equipment ready for the move. We were told today, we are to start loading them onto railway wagons in the morning, if the ramps are in position. I have packed most of my personal kit today we may not have much time tomorrow if we are loading vehicles in the sidings. The list of travelling arrangements was put on the board, by Joe Parker this afternoon. Paddy (Hugh Neill) is to be second man on my vehicle, during the journey. All the drivers have been allocated a second man. We are to carry rifles, and 50 rounds of ammunition each. We are also to have a supply of drinking water in the motor vehicles. Drivers and second men are to travel in their allocated vehicles on the train. Aircraft spotters have been detailed posts, during the day. Guards will be on duty during the night and where the train stops. Rations will be issued by the cooks during the journey. Lights are not to be used on the train during the hours of darkness. Jim Webster came into our basha this evening, he has been on the working party at Burnpur railway sidings. Jim said the ramps are in position and the railway wagons have been marshalled. There are just a few jobs to be done then loading can begin tomorrow morning.

Saturday 5th December 1942 Asansol, Bengal.

We were up early again this morning. It will probably be the last full day we will be stationed at the Ushergram High School, Asansol. After breakfast some of the lads took vehicles and equipment to Burnpur sidings to start the loading. During the morning I made a couple of trips to the sidings. This afternoon I took some instruments, including a predictor and a range-finder that had been repaired to one of the gun sites. When I got back it was time for our evening meal. When we had eaten, some of the lads collected their personal kits and bed rolls and Smudger Smith took them to the railway sidings. They are to sleep in the vehicles and guard the train during the night. Most of the vehicles and equipment have been loaded. All we have to do in the morning is to take the remaining few motor vehicles and the drivers with their kits to the sidings. The rest of the men are marching to Asansol station. When the wagons in the sidings are loaded, the railway staff will attach railway carriages. The completed train will pull into Asansol station to pick up the rest of the men. There is not a lot of talk tonight about where we are going, when we first heard of the move way back in October, it was the dominant topic of conversation. The attitude now seems to be, we will soon know our destination.

Sunday 6th December 1942 Asansol, Bengal.

We were up again this morning just before dawn, to complete the loading of our vehicles at Burnpur railway sidings. It was my job to drive the last of the vehicles up the crudely made wooden ramps onto the flat bottom goods wagons. It was exactly 07:00 hrs, the vehicles then had to be secured with ropes and scotched. Our personal kit was already in the vehicles. Each of the drivers and the second men were called together by the C.S.M., he repeated the instruction, we are to check rifles and ammo, and to be sure, they are to hand at all times throughout the journey. No lights are to be used during the hours of darkness, and it goes dark about 19:00 hrs, in the evening , at this time of year. By 12:00 hrs, the train had been secured and was ready for the journey, too! Who knows, where? During the afternoon the wagons were shunted about, the sidings, eventually carriages were attached to the train. These were for the officers and the rest of our company. There was so many shunting movements made during the afternoon we, had no time to have a meal. However we did have one brew of tea. At 19:00 hrs the train pulled into Asansol railway station. Russell Youngman shouted to us, if we hurried, we could get a drink on the station. Hugh and I managed to get a mug of tea and a couple of rounds of toast each. This was while the rest of our chaps were embarking and settling themselves down for a long journey. We had already made our beds in the back of the vehicle, on top of all the other equipment that had been loaded. We had put a extra blanket on each bed because we expected it to be rather cold travelling during the night. The vehicles only have canvas tops, so we went round all the lashings and made sure they were tied and secure, I did not want them to start flapping about during the night. We have two canvas water bottles hung in the back of the vehicle and when we walk about in the dark we keep bumping into them. Tomorrow in day light I must find somewhere else to hang them, probably underneath the vehicle. 20:00 hrs guards have been posted at points along the train, and we are due to move off soon. Titch Wheeler and his mate in the next wagon to us, said they were going to get into bed before the train moved off, because it will be awkward in the back of a loaded vehicle, in the dark on a moving train, once it leaves the station. Paddy and I decided they were right, and we would do the same. Hugh had made a space on the floor for his bed I had made mine on top of some, boxes that are roughly the same size. Before the train moves off, most of the lads in the other vehicles have decided to do the same, and get into their beds, except those on guard. We have a torch each, but when the train starts moving, we have not to use them unless it is in an emergency. Fully dressed and with loaded rifle by my side, I have rolled myself up in my blankets and got down for the night, with my kit bag for a pillow. I am finishing these notes off by the aid of my torch, it is almost 21:00 hrs, and the train is now moving, we are at last pulling out of Asansol station. I am thinking, we did not need to rush I could have got a second mug of tea.

Monday 7th December 1942

We managed to get some sleep during the night, although it was a disturbed sleep, due to the cold and uncomfortable movement of the speeding train, in the back of an army vehicle with only the canvas canopy for protection against the elements. The temperature does drop at night, at this time of the year in Bengal, probably exaggerated by the wind rushing through the many gaps in the canvas. Despite our careful attention to the securing of the lashing ropes yesterday. We were woken many times during the night when the ropes broke and the canvas started flapping. In order to re-secure it, we had to climb out of the vehicle onto the flat bottom railway wagon and walk along between the motor vehicle and the edge of the rail wagon, a space of about 12 inches, avoiding the many ropes securing the vehicle to wagon. A rather daunting experience in total darkness on a fast moving train. This morning when we woke, the train was stopped in a small station, Baglore. One or two sleepy eyed Indians, wrapped in blankets were wandering around. There is no platform on this station, if you wished to get off the train you had to jump from the wagon down to the ground. The cooks came along the train with our breakfast, bully-beef hard tack and a half mug of tea. We were soon on the way again, travelling in a North-Easterly direction through a rather green tropical country side. We stopped in a railway cutting for tiffin, it was hardly worth the stop the meal consisted of, hard tack and one tin of pears between four men, washed down with water. We did not have time to light a fire to boil water for tea. In fact the cook had to make a dash back to his compartment after handing out the tins and hard tack, because the train was on the move again. It was back to bird watching for Hugh and I, "The winged variety" we had been watching them all morning numerous types of tropical birds, the most beautifully coloured I have seen outside a zoo. Of course there were the crows, kite hawk's and the vultures etc., We also saw many species of butterfly , which we have never seen before. The further East we go the more oriental type of people we see. The field workers wear a straw cone shaped type of head-dress or topee, similar to those worn by Chinese coolies. The train halted again about 19:00 hrs for dinner, yes bully beef, hard tack and half a mug of tea. It was totally dark when we moved off again, therefore there is nothing else to do, but roll up in our blankets and settle down to another night on the move.

Tuesday 8th December 1942

I managed to sleep a little better during the night. I was roused a couple of times, feeling rather cold, and laying partly on my rifle. We have our loaded rifles with us, at all times on this move, even in bed. Breakfast this morning was the same as yesterday, bully-beef, hard-tack and half a mug of tea. When we are in camp the char wallah, normally wakes us in the morning with a mug of tea. Army name for it is gun-fire. We only get half a mug because we have not got a lot of water with us. We started out from Asansol with a tank full, to be used for all purposes. The army water tanks are mounted on trailers and are pulled on the road by one of the vehicles. We each carry canvas water bottles in addition to our ordinary metal water bottle, on the train. Paddy managed to acquire a large tin of hard-tack this morning, so we will not starve. At 10:00 hrs we arrived at Purbatipur, this is where the railway lines changes gauge. We have been travelling on the G.I.P. railway, broad gauge. We have now transferred all our vehicles and equipment to a train on, The Bengal Assam Railway, narrow - gauge. The work involved in the change over took up most of the day. When we had finally secured everything and had our evening meal of bully and hard-tack, it was dark. We made our beds, by the aid of oil lamps. By then it was, 20:00 hrs and the train started to move. Shortly after we moved off I heard a bang, as if something had hit the train. Hugh also heard it and shouted to me "what was that" I looked through the back flap of the vehicle, but all I could see was darkness and the stars twinkling in the sky. We put the bang down to some unknown object falling, that we could do nothing about right then. The train was moving at top speed, so we went to sleep. About midnight the train slowed down much too quick!! There were lots of jerks and bumping, it finally shuddered to a stop, waking us all up. We did not find out then, why the driver had stopped so suddenly, maybe he had seen the fire in one of the wagons, if so it was a good thing he brought the train to a halt because we found the next railway wagon to ours was on fire. Hugh is convinced it was sabotage it would not surprise any of us if he is right, after hearing the explosion. There is going to be an inspection of the wagon and an inquiry in daylight, we should find out the cause then. When the fire had been put out, the whole of the train was checked,  but nothing was found, we all had to make a through inspection of our own wagon. Paddy and took this opportunity to tighten the sheet ropes on our truck, which had been flapping. Additional guards were allocated to various positions on the train and then we moved off again. Everyone seemed unsettled by the incident and for a long time we could hear the chaps in other wagons talking excitedly. When we looked out along the train we could see the glow of cigarettes, occasionally on the bends we could see the red glow from the engines fire box. By this time the train was rattling along at top speed, through the cold night air. After what seemed an age I eventually fell asleep.

Wednesday 9th December 1942 Assam.

When we woke this morning it was very cold. We did some exercises to warm up, and hoped it would not be too long before the train stopped for breakfast it was mainly a drink of tea we wanted. It seemed ages before we eventually slowed down and putted up in a railway cutting. Word was quickly passed down the train that we had to stay put for a while, and not get down from the train just there. Fifteen minutes later the train started to move slowly into a siding, where we were to unload our vehicles and equipment. This siding is near a town called "Rangia" - Rangia is in Assam, about 30 miles from Bhutan and about 100 miles from Tibet. The rest of our journey will be by road. Before we started this trip we were issued with dust-masks, this is the part of the move when they will be used. Before we moved off everything had to be roped in the backs of the vehicles and the rear closed and the sheets secured. Rifles were inspected, to make sure they are clean and ready for use. Some of the men, who had been issued with bren-guns, were detailed to various vehicles in the convoy to act as aircraft spotters. A job they had previously done on the train journey. There was also a repeat warning to everyone, to take good care of their rifles. A number of rifles have been stolen in this area. We must not leave them out of our sight for a second and when we sleep they are to be fastened to our body. The convoy moved off from the sidings along a narrow dirt road, or it could be described as a very dusty bullock track. Ten minutes after we started our journey, we together with our vehicles, "inside and out" were covered in white dust. The vehicle in front of us could hardly be seen for the cloud of dust it was throwing up from its wheels. When you looked away from the road, the surrounding country is thickly wooded forest, with densely tangled tall trees and matted undergrowth. The bark and lower branches of the trees together with the undergrowth is covered with the whitish dust from the road. We passed various types of people today, some Indian planes people, but the majority had Oriental features. Most of the men carried a machete, kukri or other type of knife, some carried guns. The women invariably carried water jars (chatti pots) on their heads. Our journey from the railway to the Brahmaputra River was only about 25 miles but the trip along the dusty pot-holed, stone strewn, road today, it seemed three times that distance. Of course we could not drive very fast under such conditions. At the river we came upon, what looked like another typical bamboo bridge. We have crossed many bamboo bridges since we arrived in this country. However this one looked somewhat different in construction, much bigger than usual, the approach was through two large stanchions made of thick bamboo and lashed together with very thick rope. Each stanchion was secured from the top to the ground with guy ropes. Certainly the construction had been made very recently, with thick, bright yellow bamboo and tough new rope lashing's. When we got closer we found it was not a bridge!! But a large jetty, running out into the river. The Brahmaputra is a very wide fast flowing river navigable by steamers. The jetty had been made to enable vehicles to be loaded onto the large flat bottomed barges. One of the barges was already moored alongside the jetty and some of the smaller vehicles had already been loaded when it came to my turn. My vehicle was the first of the larger type of vehicles to be loaded. Directing operations and I have no doubt they built the jetty, were the royal engineers. When all our convoy had been loaded, the barge's were taken in tow by a paddle steamer named, "Marjorie." We were towed partly up river and across to the other side. There we unloaded the vehicles, the only difficulty being a steep bank we had to negotiate when we got the vehicles off the barge. Someone said the crossing is known as the "Pandoo river crossing." We soon found, the road at this side of the river is just as dusty and just as pot-holed as the other side. We formed up in convoy again and eventually moved off along the dirt, dark, tree lined road. We only travelled for a few hundred yards and came to a village, where we made camp for the night, among some tall trees. Dennis said he thinks the village is called Gauhati. During our trip across the river, Jock (John) Ferguson one of our cooks shouted to us, "I'm going to cook you's lads a hot meal tonight." And sure enough our evening meal was a plate full, of hot Maconochie's stew, (out of a tin) there was not a lot of meat in it and what we found was gristly, the vegetables were hard to identify. However being hot, and a change from what we had been having, we enjoyed it. The sweet was tin peaches, followed by a full mug of tea. During the meal, eaten on the tail-board of a vehicle, we talked about the Brahmaputra river. Dennis Quinn got out his encyclopaedia to look up details. (Dennis has a lot of books in his kit-bag, Woody is always kidding him about it, he said it is a good thing we have transport to carry your kit, you are not strong enough to carry it on your own) The main source is in a glacier 16,000 ft., high in Tibet, there it is called the Dihong. From its source it flows east for about 1,000 miles then it traverses the Assam valley for approximately 450 miles, after passing through the Rangpur district, it flows south until it reaches the main Ganges stream at Goalanda and enters the sea through the Meghna estuary into the Bay of Bengal. Its total length is 1,800 miles and from the sea it is navigable for 800 miles by steamers. It also irrigates the plains where rice, jute, and mustard grow.

Thursday 10th December 1942

We were awakened very early this morning, it was still dark and rather cold. We climbed out of the truck and washed using the canvas water bottles, one poured while the other washed. As it came light there was a heavy mist, hanging low all round. It was not very long before Jock Ferguson was shouting, "Come and get it, use lads, breakfast up" First we had a plate of porridge, which was very welcome this cold morning. This was followed by a couple of rounds of the most weevil infested bread I have ever seen and a couple of rashers of bacon. After we had removed all the weevils from the bread, we made bacon banjoes (sandwiches). It certainly made a change from bully and biscuits, although no one fancied the bread at first with all the insects in it “Paddy said they are extra meat to supplement the bacon” Flossy Foster said "you are awful "he would not eat the bread, Paddy had it, and put strawberry jam on it. After breakfast we soon secured the vehicles and the convoy moved off again along the dusty track, watched this time by numerous children who had come from the village while we were having breakfast. Before we started today’s journey some of the lads were assigned to the job of plane spotting. They have been issued with bren-guns (two men to a gun) at various places in the convoy. The country side we passed through today was hilly and wooded and the road seemed to get more dusty and rough as we went along. The DR's found it almost impossible to stay on their motor cycles, mainly due to the large stone's and potholes on the road. Jordan was the first to pack in, he said blow this, I am packing in before I do myself  a mischief. Next was Carvel he came off, but did not do any damage, Patterson did not want to give up, but after a few more miles, he had to give in. We ended up putting all the motor cycles in the back of the large vehicles. Most of the people we have passed today were hill men small, stockily built not unlike the Ghurkhas. We stopped this evening in a village (somewhere in Assam) after our evening meal. I was told I am one of the guards tonight. We only do two hours on and there are six men on at a time. Fortunately I drew an early duty so I will not loose much sleep. Six men are required to cover the convoy because it is very dark where we are camped under the trees. I relieve a chap named Foster and Dusty Miller relieves me. When Foster approached to wake me, he only spoke quietly but I was up immediately, I'm soon awake in these surroundings. However when I went to wake Miller I had a right job, he was snoring like a pig!! I nearly had to kick him, from under the blanket’s, he was sleeping on the ground, on a blanket and groundsheet under a truck.

Friday 11th December 1942

We were up again just before day-break. Another damp, cold, misty morning. It did not take long to wash, have breakfast, and secure the vehicles. Then we were on the way again on the dusty road. It was very cold in the early morning. The countryside was densely wooded and rather hilly. At times we could see mountains in the distance with snow capped peaks. We did pass a few tea plantations during the journey. Tonight we have camped on the roadside just outside the Assamese village of Nowgong. Our O.C. Capt, Titley and his second in command Lieutenant Cooke, have been round warning everyone to be extra vigilant while we are here. When our convoy stopped, the C.O., had gone off to see the local Commanding Officer in Nowgong, he warned Capt, Titley that there had been lots of instances of sabotage taking place in the area, also rifles, ammunition and other equipment had been pilfered from vehicles recently. This was one of the first places where trouble broke out, during the recent riots. Some of the local population are not very keen on the British and some look very much like Japanese in appearance, we would not be able to distinguish them. Therefore we are told to be on our guard. We were also warned that espionage is rife in this area, therefore we must be careful what we say and to whom we speak, while we are in this area. No mention must be made about the work we do in the workshop's. After our evening meal, the guards were strategically placed throughout the convoy. Although it is early evening it is already dark, very dark under the trees. There is nothing we can do but settle down for the night and sleep. I am writing these notes with the aid of a torch, while laying down on a blanket, fully clothed, with my rifle tied to my belt. Paddy is already in the land of Nod I can hear him snoring.

Saturday 12th December 1942

We were up again just before dawn this morning, a quick wash and shave in cold water out of a canvas water bottle. I did some exercises knees bend arms stretch etc, to warm up in the cold morning air. Breakfast on the tail board of the vehicle, was bully beef, hard tack and a mug of tea. We were soon on our way again, before most of the locals were about to stand and stare. We did see a few Oriental or Mongolian type people, draped in blankets as if they had just got up out of their charpoy's, as we slowly drove through part of Nowgong. Back on the dusty bullock track, that served as a road, for our vehicles. At this part of the journey it ran through a forest of tall trees on either side. Throughout the day we saw only a few people, some Indian, but most of the people had oriental features, one of the regular army men said they are Mongolian’s, they were all draped in a type of grey blanket and they all carried rifles. Tonight we have parked off the road, in the jungle for camouflage. By the look of the ground, other convoys have parked here, the vegetation as been well flattened. Since this morning we have driven about 100 miles, that is not bad on these roads. When we left Nowgong the width of the track was not very wide, but the further along we got it became narrower, until there was not a great distance between the trees on either side. In places there were stones on the road, it looked as if workmen had been trying to fill in the potholes, but some of the stones were a little on the large size. Of course we came across numerous bridges, made out of bamboo. We have come a fair distance into Assam, and by this afternoon we started to climb into hilly country.

Sunday 13th December 1942

This morning while eating our bully and biscuits and drinking a mug of tea, we were told this is the last day of our journey we will be in our new camp this evening. Thank goodness!! Today the narrow road has been  dustier than ever, it seemed to shine as if there are small pieces of mica in the dust. There were large stones four and five inches in diameter scattered on the surface, in some parts of the track. We started of with two dispatch riders again this morning, both came off damaging their bikes, but they still carried on. Carvel did not want the road condition to beat him. Of course he pulled his face as usual and said he'd never been on roads like this before in his life. Not even in motor cycle rally's. At various parts of the road, we came across Indian working parties, with Elephants, they are removing tree's to widen the road. In a clearing, we stopped to get the dust out of our throats and have a drink of tea. The D.R's were instructed to put there motor cycle's in the back of the vehicles. During the morning the country had been getting very hilly. During our tea break Dennis Quinn said we must be at the beginning of the Naga Hills, their height is between six thousand and twelve thousand feet. Progress today has been slow due to the conditions of the road, and the fact that we had to slow right down to cross the numerous bamboo bridges. Approaching these bridges we slow right down and then seem to flop onto them, there is a certain amount of give in the bamboo. The bridge seems to go down in the middle and up at the other side, the bamboo must be very strong, it certainly takes some weight. We must have passed over a hundred of these bridges during our journey. Today we covered eighty miles, but it seemed twice that distance on these roads. We reached our destination at 14:00 hrs. Our new camp is beyond Dimapur, near the Manipur road in the Naga Hills. Dimapur is the British advance base for this campaign and I understand that a A.O.D. (Advance Ordnance Depot) and a field Hospital are being built there. Our camp is in a clearing in thick jungle, the only thing wrong with the clearing, some of the grass leading to it is 12 feet height!! It is called tropical giant grass, the lads call it elephant grass. A path has been cut through the long grass which will allow two men to walk side by side to our new living quarters, which are bamboo basha's. The buildings are made entirely of bamboo, wall's, door's, window's (no glass) and support's for the grass thatched roof. Our first job was to find a suitable basha and a bed, then unload our personal kit. It did not matter who was in the hut, we are all good friends, but no one wanted to be in with a loud snorer, like Dusty Miller. After a meal in the bamboo dinning mess. We were told the workshop is to be set up in the jungle, using the tall trees for camouflage. Some of the smaller trees and bushes will have to be cut down to erect the steel for the canvas covered workshop. The chippie (joiner) Vick Garlinch, Les Chilcott the blacksmith, Jock Purslow the panel beater and Reg Timpson the welder will need some cover, probably tarpaulin sheets. There are a few small bamboo huts down there that can possibly be used for an office and somewhere for the radio mechanics and the instrument mechanics to work. The stores wagon is to be set up under the trees adjacent to the workshops. The vehicle mechanics will work in the jungle, probably in the open. Our vehicles will be parked under cover of the trees. The soldiers who were in this camp when we arrived, said they had been here six weeks, and are glad to be leaving. They said they had seen all types of wild animals while they have been here. Some work had been done in the way of clearing ready for our set up, but there is still a lot to be done.

 

Monday 14th December 1942

We were up early, had breakfast porridge, bully-beef, two rounds of weevil infested bread and a mug of tea. I then went down to the workshop area, where some lads were already using machete's to clear the undergrowth. Vic Garlinch, Les Chilcott, Jock Purslow, Reg Timpson were working, Smudger Smith and Russ Youngman were climbing up the vines, which went up into the high trees. I started to climb up a vine and got way up, when Les Chilcott cut the vine with his machete and I had to swing to another vine to get down. Just then the Sgt/Major came for all the drivers. We have all been given jobs. I have to collect the water tank which is on a trailer and fill it at the water depot which is about 20 miles up the Imphal Road towards Kohima. We do not have a water supply in the camp, it will have to be brought in daily. I also have to supply two of the gun sites with water, this is only one of the many jobs I will have to do. Smudger was sent to the petrol depot, Russ Youngman went to collect rations. Harry Stout has taken some of the gun fitters to a gun site. I am told Bill Lloyd went to one of the sites to collect another water trailer, to deliver water to the other sites. George Jordan took Lt Seal and Anderson to repair a radar, on one of the gun sites. Being unfamiliar with this area, it took some time finding the water depot and gun sites. They are all off the roads, up narrow overgrown tracks, full of deep potholes, and only just wide enough to get the large vehicles along. Most of the drivers were late getting back to camp, apart from Russell and George. They were both washed and ready for their meal, when Bill, Harry and I arrived. Russell had the cheek to say, "where have you been, George and I have been back hours". He said "come and see what I have got to-day, when you have had a wash". By the time we got cleaned up, had our evening meal and took malaria precautions it was dark. I am sat on my bed writing this by the light of the oil lamp, I bought in Asansol. It is certainly not a comfortable way to write.

 

Tuesday 15th December 1942.

My job gave me a chance to have a look at the area around Dimapur, this morning. It is a small Indian village in Assam situated on the Manipur Road at the foot of the Naga Hills. From here the road goes north, to Jorhat, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, and Ledo. There is a branch road near Dimapur going East, climbing into the Naga Hills to Kohima, Imphal, and the Burma border, where we understand the Japs are now poised and reinforcing ready for the invasion of India. In one of our lectures, we were told that there are no road or rail links between India and Burma. The border is behind a succession of almost impassable mountains, there are tracks, used by the Naga Hill men, these become quagmires in the monsoon season. There is a railway station and sidings near Dimapur we were told it is called Manipur Station. The line which comes in from India, goes North to Dibrugarh and Ledo. There is a branch going South, I was told it goes to Chittagong. The railway is ideal for bringing in supplies. The Japanese will know this, therefore it will be a target for their aircraft to bomb. I expect that is why the heavy anti- aircraft guns have been brought into this area. After I got back to camp, had a wash, evening meal and took malaria precautions, it was dark. I am sat on my bed writing this by the light of the oil lamp, with all kinds of insects, flying around.

Wednesday 16th December 1942

In the work shops this morning, the various sections have got them selves well organised. Vic Garlinch the chippie has arranged a nice work area, partly under cover, using a canvas sheet. This will keep his wood, bench and tool box dry, when it rains and on fine days which is most of the time, he can work out in the open. Les Chilcott the blacksmith cleared an area in the jungle and set his forge up mainly in the open. He said he wants some cover, Woody was getting him going, saying what do want cover for, your fire is better out in the open! And be careful you don’t set fire to the jungle! He enjoys having a go at Les, But they are the best of pals really. Reg Timpson the welder, does not seem to have any cover at the moment, his gas bottles and tools are spread about a bit. He asked us to try and get him a canvas sheet when we go to the A.O.D. During tiffin, Reg was busy with pencil and paper drawing Arthur Woodcock said what are you doing Reg, designing bamboo basha's? Reg said no, "I have got an idea, if we can get the materials, I could make you a hot and cold shower unit" someone said "what out here in the ruddy jungle" Timo said "yes" He told Capt, Titley and he said OK, he can do it, in his spare time. Some of the lads are sceptical, they do not think Reg has the know how. Timo gave the drivers a list of materials he would require for the job, empty 44 gallon oil drums, tubing, taps and shower heads (or something that would do the job). Apart from my normal work to-day I have pulled three trucks out of ditches. When the Indian drivers go off the road and cannot get back they don't bother trying to dig themselves out they just sit by the vehicle, make a fire and brew up, I had three mugs of tea!! The first one I pulled up for, I said you have got yourself in a mess, why didn’t  you try digging yourself out ? his reply was "O yes sahib! have a mug of char!" he was grinning all over his face, not a bit worried, if I had not come along I think he would have quite cheerfully stayed there all night or until his unit sent someone to look for him. Back at camp to-night Bill and Russell said they had done their fair share of recovery work. I managed to get some conduit tubing for Timo's shower unit, Harry and Smudger got some 44 gall drums. Harry said Russell had got some copper water-can sprinklers, that would do for shower heads.

 

Thursday 17th December 1942

Joe Parker came into the mess at breakfast, with work notes for Russell and I. He said you have a long trip on to-day, the sooner you get going after breakfast the better. You have both to go to the A.O.D. and collect some engines and deliver them to a workshop in Imphal. He said by the way the C.S.M. is going with you. Russell said what does he want to come for? Joe said "I think he wants a ride, probably to get away from the workshop for a while, and I think he has a friend in Imphal he wants to visit. They were together in Nottingham". Russell said "I am not having him, he can ride with Cyril" I said "thanks Pal" when I got my things together and went to my truck, I found crafty Russell had moved his vehicle and it was behind mine, he knew darn well CSM Elwell would get into the first vehicle. It was an interesting trip up into the Naga Hills they looked more like mountains to me. It is a narrow road that twists and turns every few yards at one side is the towering hills at the other side there is a sheer drop into a deep chasm. There is no protection at all if you get too near the edge you could easily go over. In many places we could see vehicles that had left the road and gone down, smashed up, no way of getting them up again. The surface is badly potholed in parts. This is understandable with the amount of traffic constantly going up and down. It was a long tedious uphill drive. I did not check the mileage, but I would guess about 125 miles, it was almost dark when we reached Imphal. We managed to get a meal in a canteen and then stayed the night in a rest camp.

Friday 18th December 1942

This morning we had breakfast early, porridge not as good as Jock Ferguson makes it, then flippin Soya links, they are ruddy awful, and baked beans and toast, of course two mugs of tea. There is a big concentration of troops in Imphal, many different camps some basha's, others under canvas. There are  offices and stores spread around the area. We soon got the engines, (which were in crates) unloaded at the workshop and set off down the road about 07.00 hrs, it did not take as long getting back to camp, with empty vehicles and a down hill run, we were able to get a move on. Back at camp we went for a wash, Timo was there working on the shower system, he is certainly well on with the work. I was told Les Chilcott and Purslow had been helping him with some of the work. They joke and pull his leg, but they all get on well and will help one another.

Saturday 19th December 1942

This morning when we went in for breakfast, Jock came out of the cook-house with the porridge, Russell asked him, what is next, he said "sausage's and tomato's" Russ said, " I hope they are not Soya links" Ferguson said "how did you guess". Soya Links are the most tasteless sausage I have ever eaten and we had them yesterday in Imphal. We were hoping for something better for tiffin, unlucky again it was bully beef (again) yam's (sweet potato's) and carrots out of a tin, followed by rice pudding. The yam's went straight into the waste bin, they are flippin awful. During the day I saw a large convoy, loaded with men and supplies on their way up to Imphal.

War News, We were told our troops, had advanced well into Burma, I don't know if this was a patrol, or the Chindits.

Sunday 20th December 1942

Gunfire this morning at 05:30 hrs, that is we are woken with a mug of tea in bed. Before breakfast we did a half hour P.T. Work parade, 07:30 hrs. One of the guards on duty in the jungle last night, made a challenge and got no reply, He said there was movement, so he fired a few rounds in the direction. He did not appear to have hit anything. Sam West told us, guard duty will come around about every eight days. We only do two hours on, and there is no time off the next day, we have to work normal hours. The two hours down in the jungle on your lonesome is not very pleasant with all the peculiar noises made by insects and the nocturnal animals wondering about.

Monday 21st December 1942

After our morning tea in bed, (gunfire) we went for a run in the cool morning air, it was very pleasant and refreshing. Breakfast to-day, first the usual plate of porridge, followed by bacon (out of a tin) and scrambled egg, powdered egg, rather tasteless, more like custard. The lads don't wait for a parade, they all go down to the work-shops and get on with their jobs. The various sections are well organised now and all have plenty of work. I must say we have a capable workforce, all good at their occupations. We were issued with a cigarette ration , 50 Victory Vs. They are ruddy awful cigarettes, Vick Garlinch said, they are made from horse manure. I will not say what Bill Kennedy said about them he used too many swear words. Woody, Vick, Bill and I, gave ours to some Indian labourers who were about at the time. They were very pleased at first, then they started smoking them, one of them turned round and said "cigarettes boult crab, Sahib" meaning they did not like them.

Tuesday 22nd December 1942

Our jungle workshop was a hive of activity this morning, all the different sections were very busy and most of the drivers got jobs, except George Jordan, he was given the job as gateman on the entrance to the camp. My first job was to Kohima in the afternoon I made deliveries to three of the gun-sites. Timo (Reg Timpson) has almost finished making the showers, with a little help from his friends, Les Chilcott and Jock Purslow. When I went for a wash this evening Captain Titley was having a look and Reg was explaining how it will work, the O.C seemed impressed.

Wednesday 23rd December 1942

Feeling rather tired to-night after a hectic day, I have not stopped from first thing this morning and did not get back until after dark. Timo has finished the showers and with the help of Bill Kennedy, lit a fire under the boiler. They tell me it worked OK. The boilers are 44 gallon drums Bill has been given the job of lighting the fire each day, ready for when the lads finish work. Extra work for William, more for him to grumble about.

Thursday 24th December 1942

Russell and Jack Casey brought some crates from the ration store Smudger and I went over to see what they had brought because there was a squawking coming from the crates. Harry Stout had already got there before us and was asking what they had got they said it was Christmas dinner for tomorrow. They were live hen's.

Friday 25th December 1942 (Christmas Day)

Breakfast this morning, first a plate of porridge, which was very good bacon and one egg, a real egg not the powdered type. We have been given the day off work apart from any special jobs that we may have to do. We were all looking forward to our Christmas dinner when we went into the mess. Jock Ferguson came out with a big tray of roast chickens followed by his Indian helpers with dixie's with potatoes and vegetables. We were each served a full Chicken. (They were not very big ones) The lads all said this is not bad, and sat down to eat, one mouthful of the chicken, and there faces changed!! A loud cockney voice boomed out "What the hell is wrong with these chickens". Captain Titley smelt them he said "Yes, they are definitely bad". He asked Ferguson if he had any other meat? The cook said he only had bully-beef, the O.C. said “then you will have to serve that” With the meal we had each been given a bottle of beer, it was Indian brewed! It was warm and tasted vile. Everyone was dissatisfied and the grumbling started right away, one of the lads shouted out, “Bloody Corned Dog for Christmas dinner! We have had nothing but greasy Corned Dog poured out of a tin since we came out here and that is all they can give us for Christmas dinner, with a bottle of bullock piss to wash it down” I am sure everyone in the dinning was grumbling, some louder than others. The warm concoction  that was supposed to be beer was left on the tables and we asked for tea.

Later we found out that Jock Ferguson the cook with no ruddy thought or imagination had killed the chickens last night, but failed to take the ‘innards out’ In a hot climate like this it is no wonder they went bad. I don’t think any of the lads will have a kind word for him for a long time, after today. 

Saturday 26th December 1942 (Boxing Day)

Sunday 27th December 1942

Monday 28th December 1942

Christmas has been and gone, we had the day off but apart from that, nothing to write home about. Boxing Day we were working normal, in fact we have worked harder the past few days, making up for The day off. After work at night we have a wash, then it is time for dinner. After the meal it is time to take malaria precautions, By then it is 18:00 hrs and dark. We don't have any amusements in the camp, sometimes we get into bed under the mosquito net and either read a book or write a letter home, By the light of oil lamps. Guard duties are now coming around about every four nights. The guard has been increased to two men at a time because some of the men do not feel safe on their own, there is such a lot going on during the night, queer noises, shadowy movements, and big green eyes, looking at you from the jungle. These are probably large animals of the cat family. We have been informed that there are Japanese patrols and saboteurs in the area. This is what makes the men nervous and why there as been so many shots fired.

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