Innocents in India. A memoir of life in the ICS (Madras.) 1939-1947.
Ch. 1 Preliminary background to joining ICS in the 1930s. The change of attitude beginning. ICS training in Oxford. Arrival in Madras and a vivid description of first impressions, and initial arrangements. Assistant Collector, Trichalur District.
Ch.2. Wife arrives; goes on tour. Details of officials and other individuals met during the inspection and the methods. Nature of authority of the Raj, and the people it controlled.
Ch.3. The Collector and District Magistrate: a wedding: missionaries.
Ch.4. Transferred to Pudur as Collector & Joint Magistrate: description of the station: the Court and procedure: village violence: police: magisterial work and ICS training.
Ch.5. The Nilgiri Hills and Ootacamund and their inhabitants in war time (1941/2). Personal service in India, and general standard of living of an English Government officer and family. Daily life in the Hills. Badaga, processions & factional fighting. Troops on leave.
Ch. 6. Tea planters in the hills: incursion of Indian capital. His wife’s two months’ voyage home with two children during 1944.
Ch. 7. Virachi – Character of Indians and British. Education in India; Lord Wavell; building of a camp, occupied by first Indian Army battalion to have an Indian Commanding Officer. Changing work in districts 1944-45. Last case, corruption case over controlled foodstuffs recorded.
Ch.8. V.E. Day and reactions. Transfer to food control of the district – Leave. Train journeys in India.
Ch.9. Oxford 1945. Changing attitude and interest in India.
Ch.10. Return to India 1946: Madras – food control. Bombay Naval Mutiny and its results. Food shortage in Madras Province. Distribution problems. Adyar. Description of Madras architecture.
Ch.11. Independent India – Indianization of services – Meaning of Independence for Indian ICS. Extracts from diary May 1947 of voyage home.
