Wednesday 1st July 1942

The daily routine here is much the same, up at 05.00 hrs, wash and shave, fold your bedding, mosquito net etc, and place it tidy on your charpoy, clean your kit and Lee- Enfield rifle before one hours arms drill. Then breakfast 07.00 hrs, work parade 07.30 (which we all prefer). Tiffin is at noon, after which we can rest during the heat of the day, unless we have a job on. (Most of us don't mind working). After the rest period it is work parade until dinner at 17.00 hrs. By the time we have washed, changed and taken malaria precautions it is usually getting on for 19.00 hrs in this part of the world it is dark. There is little to do except visit the canteen to drink tea and lemonade, or visit the picture house which is a converted barrack room, and is not very comfortable it only holds a few people. If there is a good film showing, very often when you get there the place is already full. Having to be up early in the morning we usually go to bed early in the evenings, about 21.30 hrs earlier some nights. Being in tents with open sides they get full of mosquitoes after dark, when getting into bed you have to be careful and not get them inside your mossie net otherwise you have fun and games trying to catch them.

Thursday 2nd July 1942

All the Royal Artillery Units have moved to their gun-sites around the Calcutta area, we are waiting to go to our workshop I expect they have not found us a suitable site yet. Some of our lads have been sent to Assam. Two of the lads who went into hospital with heat stroke on the journey from Bombay have now rejoined the unit. Unfortunately others have gone down with heat exhaustion. There is a unit of Sikh soldiers in this camp and some of us have been talking to them recently, they asked how we liked it here? We told them that the climate was not to our liking, much too hot!! They also said the climate in Bengal is the worst in India and is not good for them either, they come from the Punjab where the climate is much better.

War News, North Africa :- Yesterday Rommels troops continued their advance and had reached El Alamein, and heavy fighting continued throughout the day. The Eight Army repulsed repeated attacks by tanks and infantry.

Friday 3rd July 1942

Going to the various gun-sites in the area we go through many unsightly districts and see terrible eyesores, you can almost feel the dreadful pong wafting in the air. In one road we saw a corpse laying in the gutter, people were walking past quite unconcerned, like as if it was an everyday occurrence. The poor old man already looked like a bronzed skeleton, all he had on was a loin cloth, and you could count his ribs, goodness knows when he had last had food. This was a sight that was not very pleasant to see. Later on in the day, I had to visit the Fort in Calcutta with some papers for the Indian accountant Mr Banergee, he is a civilian who works for the army and does our pay-bills. I told him about seeing a corpse in the road and the peoples indifference. He said the people in Calcutta are used to death, in Bengal, he reckons 1,000 people every week die from malaria alone. The body we saw today looked to have died from malnutrition, but a lot of the Indian people in Calcutta look as if they could do with a good meal.

War News North Africa :- On the evening of 2nd July the German troops retired at El Alamein leaving the British positions intact.

Saturday 4th July 1942

This afternoon the O.C. gave us permission to have a liberty truck to go in to Calcutta for the evening, in fact he and Lt Cooke came with us. I drove the vehicle and about eight of the lads came along. Most of us went for a meal, then went to the Metro cinema, after the film we had a few ice cold drinks and then returned to camp. On the way back, rather late the road was crowded with people and of course cows walking aimless around I nearly bumped into one. At one place in the road there is a train crossing, and there was a goods train stopped, blocking the road. We were there for a long time and there was no movement, Lt Cooke got of our truck, and went to see what was going on, very soon the engine slowly moved until it had cleared the road. Lt Cooke came rushing back and said I have moved it you had better get going fast before they move it back. Sure enough a few railway officials came chasing after him shouting fortunately we did not know what swear words they were using and I moved off rather quickly.

War News North Africa :- After the heavy fighting at El Alamein and the enemy retired, on the 3rd July our forces counter-attacked in force, with air support, capturing hundreds of prisoners.

Sunday 5th July 1942

The weather is reasonable when we get up in the early morning, but the temperature quickly rises and we are perspiring until our shirts are wet through. After our evening meal, six of my mates and I went a walk round the camp, in comparison with Calcutta and the roads round this area, Barrackpore is clean, neat and tidy. Being an army camp, there are a few buildings with white-washed brick edging round, army bull-shine. Fortunately there is no coal here for them to paint white!! In the various tent areas there are wooden rails round of course they are painted white. Being India there are cows walking freely around the camp, maybe the railings are to keep them from going into the marquees where we sleep. They are not particularly house trained, and will leave their calling card anywhere. The area covered by the reinforcement camp is large and has its own fleet of rickshaws for people to move about, unlike those we see in Calcutta (which are pulled by a man) these here are drawn by a man on a bicycle. I do not use them, preferring to walk. On our way back to our tent compound in the evening, we saw large numbers of bats flying around. These small type nocturnal mammals move swiftly through the air in the dark making a strange high pitched sound. Geoff said "That is their Radar, and the reason why they do not collide with anything.

Monday 6th July 1942 to Tuesday 4th August 1942

Our unit have been kept very busy during the past month, although we are not yet in our own workshop. During my visits in and around Calcutta I have seen extreme squalor and poverty, experienced bad smells or I should say stench, that I never knew existed. Shortly after we arrived here I saw a corpse in the road, I have seen many more since. One was in a main thoroughfare with crowds of people about, walking about quite unconcerned. During my trips to town I have visited places of interest, like Kalighat temple, General post office, the site of the black hole, burning- ghaut, (where people are cremated), War Memorial and many other places. In England I have seen photographs of India and pictures in books at school, and heard people say what a nice place it looks. Pictures do not show the bad stinks, the millions of flies and other obnoxious insects, or the terrific heat and illness associated with it. I have seen enough of the place already never to want to see it again, and I am sure that goes for all the lads in our unit. Since we arrived out here about half the men on our unit strength have been in hospital with various ailments mainly heat exhaustion, most of the men that are working are troubled badly with the prickly-heat rash. I have been fortunate, not having been ill at all, but have had some prickly-heat not very bad. On the 10th July, the Indian Congress party issued a resolution demanding the British withdrawal from India. Shortly afterwards the Government of India, raided Congress headquarters. Amongst papers found was a statement to the effect that if India was free, one of the first steps would be to negotiate with the Japanese.

War News:- In July the R.A.F. attacked German war production targets at Dusseldorf and Bremen, on the 11th there was a daylight raid on Danzig, on the night of the 26th Hamburg was bombed.

Wednesday 5th August 1942

I went to the Fort in Calcutta to collect papers from the Indian accountant today. Joe Parker one of the clerks from our unit office went with me to meet Mr Banergee, he had a few queries to take up with the accountant. When we got there Banergee was just about to go for his tiffin. He had his meal in a basin with a lid on, we asked him if he was having something nice? He said it was a meal his wife had made for him that morning, taking the lid off to show us, it looked like a vegetable stew. He gave it a name in Bengali which we did not understand, and did not press him, but I think the meal was vegetarian. There were a number of Indian Army girls working in the office, (I would not have said anything, I knew Mr Banergee did not approve of them) but Joe with his Wigan accent said "you have some nice looking crumpet working in your office" Banergee was quick to answer, he said "they are all Anglo-Indian, nice looking, yes, but not trustworthy. Joe asked him "why do you say that?" Banergee said. "Because they have the bad blood of both races in them" Joe said "I cannot believe that" Banergee said "when you have been in India long enough, and mixed with them you will find out what I say is true". The Indians are very caste conscious and they certainly do not approve of mixed raced people. Back at camp this evening I received my first air graph (letter) from home, it was from Eva and Tom, (my brother and his wife) It had been posted on the 1st July 1942, in reply to the letter I sent them when I first arrived in this country.

Thursday 6th August 1942

This morning before going in for tiffin we got more mail from home, I received a air-mail post card from my Mother and father and one from Auntie Ethel and Uncle Taro, also a telegram from a friend. Dad said they had received the first letter I had sent them when I arrived in India, safe and well. There was not a lot of news from home in any of the post cards I received. The news we received from India this afternoon made us think !! Riots have broken out in Bombay. Most likely started by the Congress Party, who in July issued a resolution demanding the British leave India. All the British Army lads I know would be pleased to leave this country right now, but this is not the right time with the Japanese on the Assam, Burma border ready to invade. If the Congress Party leaders think they could negotiate with the Japanese then they must be very, very foolish people. The Japs are like the Germans they want to expand and their word would not mean a thing, like Hitler at Munich, when he said we have no further territorial claims. The ordinary British soldiers have a lot of sympathy for the Indians, specially the poor people we do not think they are paid enough for their work. Mind you we don't think we are being paid enough for the job we have come out here to do, in this awful climate.

Friday 7th August 1942

We understand the Congress non co-operation campaign is spreading rapidly in the country, places we passed through on our journey from Bombay like Nasik and Dhule have been mentioned today. Fortunately the Calcutta area is peaceful at the moment and we have been told if there is trouble, British troops will not be used. The Indian government will send in their own army and Police.

Saturday 8th August 1942

Civil disturbances, strikes, and industrial sabotage are being reported in more towns each day, Delhi the Capitol of India and Poona are among the troubled towns. There are reports that Indian troops have been called out in some towns. We have been caring on doing our job and visiting the gun sites. To date the expected air-raids have not materialised, maybe they have stirred the Congress party up with false promises and they are hoping they will cause us trouble and the Japanese troops will be able to walk in.

War News:- On the 7th August, American Marines landed in the Solomon’s, after a heavy bombardment by warships and aircraft of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Sunday 9th August 1942

A large number of Congress Party members were arrested, including Ghandi, Pundit Nehru and Doctor Azad. Rioting broke out in Bombay and many other cities. The police and military were called out to deal with the situation in which, hundreds of people were killed and wounded, in the action. Police and military suffered casualties some killed and a large number injured. We have been told that there has been  trouble in various parts of Calcutta today.

Mon 10th, Tues 11th, and Wed 12th, August 1942

Civil disturbances, riots, industrial sabotage, and arson are reported daily from all over India, including Delhi the capitol. There's been news of violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims in various places. Calcutta has not escaped the troubles, there have been a number of incidence which we have heard about mainly noisy crowds gathering, shouting swaraj etc. We have been going to the gun-sites and doing our jobs as normal. Our instructions are not to get involved.

Thursday 13th August 1942

We got news that the riots turned ugly in Calcutta today, large crowds had gathered and were trying to block some roads. Police were sent to break up the demonstrators, and fighting broke out, the crowd started throwing stones. A police sergeant and three students were killed, in this incident. You can bet, the people who are stirring up this trouble, are well in the back ground where there is no chance of them getting killed. No doubt the Japs have a hand in stirring up the trouble as well as the congress party.

Friday 14th August 1942

This morning I was instructed to take Lt Seal and Pte Anderson to one of the gun-sites to repair a radar, that was giving trouble. I was allocated a staff-car for the job, which had a windscreen that only opened up a few inches. The site was at the far side of Calcutta, to get there I had to go via Central Avenue, half way along there was a large crowd of Indians. They were building a barricade across the road, but had not completed the structure and I spotted a gap about six foot wide near the middle which I was easily able to drive through, followed by a hail of stones and I presume bad language. The work on the radar took rather along time and it was late afternoon when we started back to Barrackpore. We took it for granted that the police by this time would have dispersed the crowd of demonstrators and moved the barricade. This was not so, the mob was larger than this morning, much more angry and aggressive. There was no police or army in sight. We could not turn round and go back, because a crowd had closed in behind the vehicle. Stones and other objects were being hurled at us from all angles. I know what it is like to be stoned now and it is not very nice! We have no quarrel with the Indian people, in fact the soldiers have sympathy for them and have no wish to harm them, we are here to fight the Japs not them. However we had to defend ourselves in this situation or we could be killed. Still driving I passed my rifle to Lt Seal and he gave me his revolver. I drove forward at a fast speed looking for a weak spot in their barricade, the crowd soon ran out of my way and I managed to steer the vehicle through a gap at the side of the road without hitting anyone or anything, all the time missiles were being thrown at us. The windscreen was smashed but I could just manage to see through parts of it. When we got well away down the road, I realised Andy had not said a word, I said to him, are you alright Andy? There was no reply! Lt Seal looked in the back his words were, Ho, my goodness!! he has been hit!! I stopped and looked round, Andy's was unconscious and his face was covered in blood. We took him straight to the Military Hospital at Barrackpore, where he was examined and treated. The Doctor came and told us he had received sever head injuries and would have to be detained in hospital.

Thursday 20th August 1942

During the past five days we have been very busy. Early morning reveille, Physical training, arms drill breakfast and work parade. There is always a considerable daily work-load, with us being short of men. The numbers on sick parade seems to get bigger each day, and a lot of them are sent into hospital, with various complaints, stomach upset, diarrhoea, prickly-heat (some of the boys have got it very bad), earache and of course heat-exhaustion. Although there are not has many going down with the heat now. Some of the lads are only just joining us after the Bombay trip, but when they return others take their place in hospital. We have been told that it should be getting cooler when the rains come. This is the monsoon season, but so far we have not had much rain. One of the regular soldiers, in the canteen a few nights ago said, "when the rains come, you'll know about it, you will not have a dry item of kit" Reports they call civil disturbances have been coming in all week, we call them 'ruddy riots'. Delhi, Poona, and Bombay are always mentioned. One day during the week I saw the Indian Police dispersing a crowd in Calcutta. They laid into them with great long sticks, really hard viscous blows, some of the victims just stayed down. I would have felt sorry for them, had I not been under missile attack by them only a few days earlier. I did say to one of the Police who was in charge of the operation, that I thought they had hit some of the wrong people. He said, "we know that, and we know the trouble makers have look-outs to tell them when the police are on the way. The culprits probably fled when we arrived, but these people have to be taught they must not do the work for the trouble makers"

War News India:- Calcutta had it's first Air-Raid today, the warning sounded, and Japanese aircraft were seen over the City but no bombs were dropped. We were told that it was probably a reconnaissance plane taking photographs.

War News:- On the 19th Aug. A large force of Canadians landed at Dieppe on a reconnaissance mission, supported by the Royal Navy and the R.A.F. they remained in France until the afternoon before withdrawing.

Fri 21, Sat 22, Sun 23, Mon 24th August 1942

The civil disturbances have eased during the last few days in Calcutta, or at least we have not heard of many. There have been reports from other cities in India, mainly of clashes between Hindus and Muslims. The weather here at the moment is bearable, but still above the English climate, our shirts are nearly always wet with sweat. This is the monsoon season, which started about the end of June so far we have not had the rains that is normally expected. There has been some but not the heavy downpours, the regular soldiers say they get in this part of India. We are still living in tents here at Barrackpore, when we arrived here we were given to understand the stay would be a short one, it's been much too long and all the lads are getting fed up with the camp. There has been talk of us moving into a proper workshop, only talk, so far. Even though the weather is much cooler than when we first arrived in India, there are still many of the men in hospital. Sam West our unit clerk reckons, most of the time we have been here almost half of our unit strength has been down. We understand it is the same with the R.A. units in fact they have brought in Indian troops on some of the sites, to bring them up to strength.

Tuesday 25th August 1942

Another air-raid again today, no bombs were dropped. There was speculation that leaflets had been dropped, but there was no confirmation. We have all been very busy all day in addition to my driving duties I have been helping the fitters. The weather was very hot again and no sign of rain. It is too late and dark, for me to write tonight.

Copyright © Keith Maloney 2010 - 2022