Coll 5/39 ‘Flights of RAF aeroplanes to Gilgit; flights of foreign aircraft over Gilgit and Chitral’ [‎146r] (291/409)

SALVATION ARMY’S
AIM
“WORK FOR UPLIFT OF
DOWN-TRODDEN”
HE ancients believed their
gods to live in the moun
tains. The Himalayas are
reputed to contain upon
their heights some of the most
famous homes of bliss. One of the
difficulties of obtaining permission
from the Tibetans to climb Mount
Everest is their belief that the gods
inhabit its lofty summit. And now
men fly over them. What difference
jthds will make to mankind’s awe of
the^ heights will be an interesting
topic for future generations.
There is now, probably, no moun
tain region in the world so com
monly flown over as the Western
ranges of the Himalayas, which
encrust the North West Frontier of
India. The Royal Air Force in
India are mainly concentrated about
their feet. Their business of train
ing and their patrolling duties con
stantly carry them in long flights
over their peaks and valleys. Short
of war, no service which our de
fence forces have to perform is
more dangerous. The whirling air
currents about the tremendous
mountain corridors and the clouds
and mist which sometimes shroud
their contours compel the aviator
to take his life in his hands every
time he wings his way over them.
To none does Nature reveal more
of her rich beauty than to our
mountain fliers.
A brief paragraph in the news
papers a little while ago reported
once more the annual flight of Ro
yal Air Force machines from Risal-
(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
Gilgit is almost due north-east < the most important routes between
from Risalpur and about 200 miles India and Central Asia, there is
away across the map. The flying also stationed there a British Poli-
route is chiefly along the valley of I tical Agent. He has with him a
the River Indus, and by winding staff of expert officers and is sup-
right and left to avoid the moun
tain peaks covers a total length of
286 miles.
Rapidly ascending from the
starting ground to a height of 10,000
feet, the five machines went north
east to the Indus, and on reaching
its silver stream they turned left
hand to the north and followed the
thread-like line for a hundred miles.
By this time, the river was seen
among tremendous gorges and bent
in a gradual right-angled turn be
tween tremendous mountain walls.
Curving round accordingly, from
Jalkot to Bandazasin, the fliers as
they turned their faces east saw the
valley opening out before and be
low them like a fan. The aero
planes had for many miles been
flying with mountain ridges and
peaks towering above them to the
right and left, and with the morn
ing sun slanting upon the heights
and across the light white clouds
which veiled many of their summits
the views were exquisitely beauti
ful.
The atmosphere over the valley
above Zasin was sparkling and
clear and as the line of peaks
opened out like a V there stood out,
gleaming, on the right, the 26,629
feet high Nanga Parbat. The ecsta
sies of admiration in which men
have given it that name, which
ported by a workmanlike body of
irregular troops called the Gilgit
Scouts. He is under the control of
the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in Kashmir.
There is a large landing ground
at Gilgit. The local people delight
to keep it in order, for they wel
come the annual aeroplane visit as
making a red letter day in their
quiet year. The aviators were met
on their descent by Major G. B.
V. Gillan, the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , and
by a great gathering of the coun
try people. So eager were the
hillmen to meet the visitors that a
strong guard of the Kashmir State
Force had to cordon off the land
ing ground until the machines were
down and their propellers stopped.
The Mir of Nagar and his court
were among the visitors specially
come for the occasion. What ap
peared most to interest them was
that the aeroplanes were of a differ
ent type from those used a year
ago, a point which they were sharp
to observe.
PESHAWAR
«
pur,^ near Peshawar, to Gilgit, north means “the Nude Virgin”, were
of Kashmir, and back. There is presumably engendered by distant
probably no mountain flight in the
world more beautiful than this. The
flier goes past the poetically lovely
slopes of Nanga Parbat and skims
near the sublime, towering cliffs of
Rakaposhi. And never twice is the
wonderful scenery quite the same,
for upon no landscape do the sea
sons and the daily changes in atmos
pheric conditions cast more be
witching variety than upon the
lofty hills.
The flight this year was made a
few weeks ago and was successfully
and pleasantly performed by five
Hart aircraft. These machines are
biplanes specially designed for high
speed and for bombing. They are
therefore well able to take advan
tage of brief spells of favourable
weather and to carry without diffi
culty the heavy loads of petrol
required for flying considerable dis
tances away from fresh fuel sup
plies^ For some days men and
machines kept themselves ready to
start at a moment’s notice on
I receipt of a satisfactory forecast
1 from the meteorological authorities
f and when the desired news arrived
early one morning up they went in
a perfectly clear atmosphere and
gentle breeze.
views from the sunny south. The
peak appears very beautiful from
about Baramula, on the Jhelum
road, a few miles from Srinagar.
From over the valley of the Indus,
to the north, the lady looks just
as grand, but decidedly chilly and
forbidding.
ARRIVAL AT GILGIT
Shortly after passing Chilas and
the most striking view of Nanga
Parbat, the aeroplanes, still follow
ing the Indus, turned sharp left and
thus once again faced due north.
Over Bungi they sped serenely upon
the last stage of their journey at
110 miles an hour. When shortly
afterwards the Indus valley again
turned right, the fliers bore slightly
to the left up the valley of the
Gilgit river and this, twenty minu
tes later, brought them to the town
of that name.
Gilgit is a very important place.
It is the natural centre of the rug
ged country forming this section of
the Indian frontier. Being part of
Kashmir State, it is garrisoned by
troops of His Highness the Maha
rajah. Because of its importance
in the general defence line of India
and about the junction of two of
A SHORT RESPITE
By the time the machines were
picketted down and unloaded and
their guards set and arrangements
made for men to stand by in case a
sudden mountain storm should bear
down in the evening, the day was
far spent and officers and men set
tled down for a restful evening.
Next day was kept as a general
bank holiday. The airmen had a
holiday and made excursions in the
neighbourhood. Major Gillan had
a chikor drive for the officers. In
the evening, the Gilgit Scouts gave
a picturesque Scouts’ Dance and
this was attended by every officer
in the station and eagerly watched
by a large gathering of people. Fine
folk are these mountaineers, and
most workmanlike in appearance
are the Scouts recruited from their
villages. From this same popula
tion are drawn the powerful porters
commonly seen in Simla during
each segsgn there and commonly
spoken of as Kashmiris. The next
day there was a polo match. Every-
body in the place, except merely
the guard upon the aeroplanes,
attended and the game was played
with its traditional gusto which
every one knows to characterise it
m these parts.
The following day saw the aero
planes m the air again, this time to
carry out exhibition flights over
the surrounding country in two
direction?!. Two i
river over Baltit and gave the
people of Hunza and Nagar a sight
of themselves. Proceeding up the
Hunza river valley, over Nomal and
Chalt, at a height of 12,000 feet,
the machines curved to the right
round the gigantic slopes of Raka
poshi. The mountain was a magni
ficent sight. Rising steeply from
I'b® r W® r b e( h which is approximate
ly 6,000 feet, to its peak at 25,500
teet, with glaciers on its northern
lace, giving vent to streams flow
ing down to the Hunza river, it
gave an impression of most impos
ing grandeur.
OVER NAGAR
r4 +i Ver Haltit the fliers noticed
little enthusiasm amongst the popu
lation. _ But over Nagar they were
entertained by the signs of inte 1
excitement below. As the aero
planes arrived, flying low up the
vahey, a saluting gun, which the
Government of India recently gave
to _ the Mir, was fired and went on
being fired as quickly as the gun
ners could load and reload it. All
t e people of the place seemed to
be gathered on their house tops to
watch the planes and they signalled
their welcome by waving their
chogas and_ throwing their caps
into the air. r
bv^Lf^ ovei \? un ial was made
Lino r’i^ -j 0116 - mac bme. It went up
kL ^ /Z ev ValIey over Sher
Kila and Ishkuman and the adia-
down the
again, the
in evident
BAPATLA, December 27 .
“We are out to wipe out every
other army in the world except the
Salvation Army. We believe in dis
armament. We do not believe in
fighting with swords or guns and our
weapons are argument, persuasion
and reasoning,” said General Hig
gins, the head of the Salvation Army,
in an interview last evening at
Bapatla, the Society’s headquarters
in the Andhra territory, when asked
why the Salvationists called their
organisation an army when their
object was “service” to others.
“We fight for right,” continued
the General, “and ours is a fight for
the banishment of ignorance and the
dispelling of darkness. We fight
against wrong, oppression and
tyranny and our endeavour is to
uplift the down-trodden. It is in
this sense that we call our workers
‘soldiers” and our organisation an
“army”.
GOVERNMENT'S SINCERITY
General Higgins refused to be
drawn into any political discussion
but he stated that he was convinced
that the Government of Great Britain
was anxious to do its best for
India and its desire was to see the
prosperity, advancement and true
development of India.
The present Government was
sincere in its desire to help India
and Premier MacDonald was one of
India’s truest friends. The General
hoped that there would be amiability
and happiness in India and he
wanted her to advance to the very
bright future which she had before
her. ‘I do not, however, think,” said
the General “that she can get what
she wants all at a time.”
Asked whether he hoped to see
Mr. Gandhi before he left India
General Higgins stated that he was
being asked about Mr. Gandhi where,
ever he went, but he never had an
occasion to speak to him. “I have
seen him only once and that was in
the Buckingham Palace when he was
shaking hands with the King at the
Royal reception to the Round Table
Conference delegates. I then wish
ed to speak to him but had no oppor
tunity to do so. I am not, however,
making any efforts to see him now,
and I am not sure whether I ^ will
meet him before I leave India,”
Regarding the untouchability pro
blem the General said: “You know I
am their friend. Our work is mainly
among the untouchables and we are
entrusted with their advancement
and progress. In my opinion, it
would be more necessary to teach
the depressed classes hygenic prin
ciples and sanitation than impart
higher education.”
GOVERNOR
CALCUTTA, December 29 .
“For many years past the Govern
ment of Bengal has been under a
special debt to the Salvation Army
for the work which the latter un
dertakes in connection with the re
clamation and reformation of our
‘criminal tribes.’ This work calls
for just those gifts of patience, in
sight and sympathy for which the
Army is famous and it is this work
which Government is able to entrust
with an easy mind to the officers of
the Army, who manage both settle
ments for parents and industrial
schools for children with the mini
mum of Government interference,”
said the Governor of Bengal, pre
siding at a meeting in Grand Hotel.
General Higgins spoke at the meet
ing on the activities of the world
wide “Salvation Army.”
Hirala nullah. Here
people turned out
interest.
visited sa w ^ 0U 1 tIyin ^ People thus
W d TLo ae ? P L anes the first
' S^ContSFS S apparent-
column.
-^agl Continued from preceding corimn.
ly believed flying machines to be a
myth. The Mirs of Hunza and
Nagar have long been anxious for
their people to see a flight and were
delighted at its taking place, and
th6 Raja King of Punial immediately
after the flight over his territory
wrote a letter thanking the authori
ties for arranging it.
On the fourth morning after their
arrival in Gilgit, the planes ascend
ed together for their homeward
journey and were given a cordial
send-off. Perfect weather again
prevailed and Risalpur was reached
in exactly two hours and five minu
tes. By flights like these human
relationships are quickened and the
spirit of good neighbourliness is
increased.