2 January Captured a prisoner; turkey and plum pudding dropped from the air. Still marching towards Burma.
10 January Death of C.O. His place possibly to be taken by the 2nd in command, Mohammed Ayub Khan (later President of Pakistan).
22 January Letter about officers and Japanese, and the advance in Burma.
13 February Has majority: the campaign a costly one.
15 February Mentions the Maharaja of Manipur and his brother
18 February About an article in the press mentioning the unit and him.
7 March Japanese in full retreat. Lt. Col Parsons appointed C.O.
15 March With the 19th Indian Division under General Rees.
29 March His unit have freed Anglo-Indians and Anglo-Burmese interned by the Japanese. Japanese have stripped the country. Gurkha officer finds his family in Maymo starving. In the victory parade at Mandalay Fort.
3 April Been entertaining ex-internees and ex-refugees.
11 April Has been in action again.
18 April Major Ayub Khan transferred to old unit.
25 April Old orderly dies in hospital.
5 May Action. Personal. Rangoon fallen.
10 May V.E. day. Spent mostly in action. Does not see the end of Japanese war under 18 months.
18 May Fighting Japanese fierce resistance east of Toungoo.
26 May Monsoon making things difficult. Describes ruin of Burmese through the Japanese inflationary rate of exchange.
29 May Army activities from when he joined the 1st Btn. The Assam Regt.when it was in the 23rd Indian Division, covering the withdrawal of Alexander’s Army, up to the fall of Rangoon.
30 May Expresses disgust at Parliamentary talk of improving Amenities in the East, which he considers very poor.
5 June Still in action. Personal, about conditions.
12 June Complains about no repatriation arrangements for Indian Army. Mopping-up operations.
24 June (2 letters) Regimental 4th Birthday party described. Each tribe did its own songs and dances.
28 June Has led a most successful action.
5 July Concern for Indian troops. Sepoys get no family allowance. Asks for cigarettes from Welsh mission supporters instead of temperance tracts.
12 July Still on ‘mopping-up’.
19 July Mentions Wavell’s talks in Simla failing again.
31 July Demobilisation plans. Japanese war coming to an end.
6 August Has been allotted a Japanese sword.
17 August Feelings about armistice marred by a grenade exploding among his men. No cause for celebration, only gratitude and remembrance.
27 August Has been ill. Personal.
13 September Personal. The Company gave a party for the local children.
21 September Comments on Self-Government in India.
26 September Wants to be present for Dasera which he has always missed.
2 October Effects of mepacrine on malaria.
10 October Been inspecting Japanese P.O.W. camp. Been to Gracie Fields’ show.
14 October Leave assured by posting of Lushai commissioned Officer (Captain Sailo) as 2nd-in-command, a chieftain class. Dasera ceremony of goat-head decapitation taken place at start of festival, a week of celebration.
18 October Dasera ending. Going on leave to Ranikhet. Mentions inflated prices in Bengal, and the starving poor. Plans for life after demobilisation.
1 November Ranikhet: describes leave.
14 November Goes to Cawnpore at end of leave via Lucknow, where there is ‘hartal’ in sympathy with I.N.A. trials. Remarks on I.N.A.
21 November Back in Calcutta. Seeing Test Match: Australians v East Zone.
25 November Comments on Calcutta disturbances. Volunteers to command a Company of British military personnel to keep order. Feels the grievances of striking Corporation workers just. Cricket resumed.
14 December Back with unit. Sails to Rangoon Going with unit to Kalaw. Describes General Rees’ farewell parade.
19 December Chasing dacoits.
22 December Christmas programme.
1946
10 January Journey to Kalaw with 130 men, 120 P.O.W.’s and stores. Describes making Kalaw camp comfortable. Release news.
20 January Still preparing the camp-site. High opinion of Lushai Christians.
26 January Move down to Meiktila in plains.
31 January Hints at military changes in Burma. Gives some accounts of the fighting he has been in.
6 February Packing to leave Kalaw. Japanese Colonel thanks him. Is given a Lushai shawl.
2 March News they are returning to the hills before the monsoon. Mentions Indian Naval mutiny.
19 March Back to Maymo – best hill station in Burma. Expensive, due to inflation.
25 March May be released in September. Gives description of his tent ready for monsoon.
21 April Tribal dancing on Good Friday.
28 April Says that conditions in Beyond the Chindwin are what his Battalion has been fighting in. (Book by Claud Wingate).
12 May Helping police in raids and arrests in remote areas. People not seen troops before.
23 May As above, arrangements for leaving army.
30 May Has been helping police to deal with crime in Upper and Lower Chindwin. Describes mopping-up process. Goes round with D.S.P. who is a Shan who shows him great kindness.
7 June Back in Maymo, preparing for General’s visit. News that he is coming home, probably in August.
16 June About going home, having turned down invitation to extend service for six months by commanding Jungle Warfare School in Burma.
14 July About returning. Fattening a pig for a farewell party to his Company.
31 July Has orders to leave for Rangoon. Gives details of what has to be done before leaving. (page missing).
Miscellaneous collection of undated letters, notes etc. from collection (10 items).
