'A Grandfather's Tale: Memoirs being mainly concerned with service in the Indian Army and the Indian Political Service in India and the Persian Gulf from 1932-1947' [‎8v] (16/118)

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Eegiment I was to be posted to in March ’33 when my year’s attachment to
the Border Regiment would be completed. Jackie Hill of the 1st/lst
Gurkhas, late of Barnes A Christ’s Hospital, was my only personal contact,
and when I'd met him in Murree in the summer he'd told me that the only
vacancy in nis Battalion was being filled in October '32 by someone with
family connections with the Regiment, and that the 2nd/lst had no vacancy.
Much the same thing happened with the 1st/3th Gurkhas. I was on their
list of hopefuls, but again there was someone with family connections
who was likely to be given preference. I told Colonel Meikleiohn, my
C.O. the situation, and he then wrote to Col. McCleverty of the 2nd/2nd
Gurkhas, and as a result of tnis I had a very interesting ten days visiting
the 2nd/2nd in the Malakand pass and Chakdara, and the 1st/2nd on the
Khajuri Plains, near resnawar, and I was given the strong impression that
tne 2nd/2nd would apply lor me. But on the very day after my return to
Pindi, tne postings came through, and 1 found that I had after all been
wos^ed t,o une 2nd/lst Gurkhas, despite there b©ing no vacancy and my
never having been to see them. I suppose the fact that I had passed first
of my term into the Indian Army may have had something to do with it.
At the beginning of March there were the Rawalpindi District Snorts,
which the Border Regiment won. I was in the 100 yds. and 220 yds. relay
teams, and also 1 st in the individual 100 yds. with Spedding of the
Border coming 2nd.
I v/as due to join the 2nd/lst Gurkhas on the 8 th March '33 but
since they were to leave Razmak N.W.F.P. on the 10th March for Dharamsala,
tU tf! station in the Simla Hills, it was very sensibly arranged that
I should take ,en days' leave and join the Regiment in Dharmsala.
-in r h JOhn Morton . and his Mother invited me to spend this time with them
“ L ^°iled ere i’, ln 3 d - sntall y' his Regiment the 4th Bn. 14th Punjabis
visit of i ■ #e na<1 a v er7 pleasant ten da y s - the chief event being the
ranAs h a"- . 10 y 0y and ' /l=erei " e ' w ' ho narked the State Opening of the
by driving down the course in an open Camel Carriage.
the trai'J-rnm 6 ! the ^th March ’33 after about 100 miles in
Kangra ValW ° ^ KOte ’ and 6 ° miles by road up through the
, ° mg all tne way. Dharmsala is at about 6,000 ft. fhe
«rger ranges oi the Himalayas towering up in the background and on a clear
isfoooftj® ln ° reaibly Cl0Se ’ althOUSh “dually varying from Ip.OoS to
the Adiutant ±Ved -? 3 afternoon . and reported to E. T. D. Ryder,
orestnt wi?h = l y ? arS Se - n:LOr t0 me and the onl y °ther subaltern then
after’ -etfnft Bat ta^ion. he told me that Friday was "Club D = y" and so,
cmlnjfmysfif u 7 fTPP “ th %" lal Hctel " Bachelora Quartos, and
Xairly small, with one main room'and "the usua^fiJs^d S ^re