'Memoirs and Recollections of An Officer of the Indian Political Service' [‎76r] (151/156)

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to do everything in their power to ensure that no British subject resident in the sub
continent should in any way resort to activities which would embitter relations between
our Government and those of the two dominions, or between India and Pakistan themselves.
It was therefore with some misgiving that it was discovered that an Australian citizen
named Sidney Cotton was engaged in pricisely the sort of operation which could imperil
these very relations. This gentleman had come to our notice some time earlier. He
had flown out to Karachi a number of second-hand long-distance aircraft, which he had
apparently acquired from a bankrupt Irish airline. As far as I can remember, the crew
members were also Irish, but what worried us was that the aircraft had retained their
British markings which would clearly lead people to believe that the aircraft were
themselves registered in the United Kingdom. It was given out that these aircraft were
engaged on a humanitarian mission, flying urgently needed medical supplies into beleagured
Hyderabad in the Deccan. The flights took place by night over Indian territory. But the
truth was that the planes were carrying - not medical supplies - but military arms
and munitions of war which they had collected from the stocks maintained at the main
Pakistan Ordnance Depot at Chaklala near Rawalpindi. What worried us was that the
Indian Government had also got wind of what was going on, and had alerted their fighter
aircraft in the coastal regions adjacent to Bombay which the aircraft coming in from
the sea would have to cross before overflying Indian airspace on their way to an airstrip
in Hyderabad. It was abundantly clear that the Pakistan Governmant was privy to these
clandestine operations. By great good fortune, the various aircraft which had made these
illegal flights were never intercepted. But, had any of them been shot down or forced
to land, their markings would have inevitably caused the Indian Government to believe
that H.M.G. was party to the scheme. What finally caused the operation to be finally
abandoned, was the crash of one of Sidney Cotton's aircraft at the Pakistan military
airstrip near Karachi as it came into land loaded with its military cargo. The contents
were strewn all over the runway and were seen by many unauthorised people, including
our own Air Adviser. The cat was out of the bag and, soon after, Sidney Cotton and his
remaining aircraft left Pakistan for more luc/rative and safer destinations from which
they could indulge in their gun-running activities. We saw to it that the British
markings were removed before they left.
It so happened that my two brothers were also serving in Pakistan. The eldest, Henry,
who was a Major in the Royal Engineers, had remained on temporarily with the Pakistan
Army. He had been appointed Garrison Engineer in Wazirstan, still tribal territory
in which they maintained military garrisons in such places as Razmak and Wana. Though
he was commissioned in the British Army, Henry had served for many years in the Madras
Sappers and Miners. During the war he had seen service in Assam and Upper Burma against
the Japanese. My other brother, Peter - a Captain in the R.E.M.E. - had accepted a short
service contract in Pakistan where he served at the Ordnance Depots in Karachi and Lahore.
We were able to see him frequently in Karachi.