'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' [‎31r] (61/118)

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padre from Nowshei-^paid us his monthly visit, Christopher was christened
and the entire adult European population of thirteen plus the Nepalese
Coionel of tne Snere Regiment, were present. Colonel Charm Shamsher came
to the house before ^he christening and asked if he might see the baby's
face, and as soon he had done so he produced a coin which he handed to Jane
in accordance with Hindu and Nepalese custom, She thanked him but being
m a hurry to get Christopher off to the Church put the coin on the mantel
piece and thought no more about it until after the Christening Party was
3 1 ® th ® n discovered that it was a golden sovereign and this we still
hold on Christopher's behalf. He had also six months earlier presented me
1 f ilver ”°unted kukri. All in all he was a very pleasant,
tnoughtful man, though sometimes a little lacking in the firmness required
of a commanding officer. Before the War he had been a civil administrator
and I think ne had found the transition from civil to military a little
difficult.
Jane’s mother arrived on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day 19 ^ 0 , the
Mallams had all the European residents from the Malakand and Durgai, plus
some visitors from further afield, to lunch at the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. . There
were twenty of us altogether and it was refreshing to see a few new faces.
In the evening half of us dined with the Duncans and the rest with the Irwins
and we afterwards joined forces with them to play charades and various other
party games until after midnight.
We had had a Christmas Carol Service in the evening of the 18th December,
when Mr Hare the padre had arrived, and a Communion Service on the 19 th
morning beiore Cnristopher’s christening, so we had not had an entirely
secular Christmas.
About this time, in answer to anxious queries from my mother I had
written ’’This part of the Frontier is at present very well behaved in
comparison with Razmak, although of course one can never relax the usual
precautions, so don't get too worried about things. They would never allow
women and children up here if there were any real risk. As it is Christopher
will be able to boast later on that he was on active Service on the N. W.
Frontier in time of war at the early age of ten weeks! We live inside a
perimeter wall, which is surrounded by barbed wire entanglements and no one
is allowed inside without a pass. Inside the perimeter are various ’’Posts"
or small forts, which are completely self-contained as regards garrisons,
rations, supplies,•water and ammunition etc. so you can see that we are
fairly well protected even if there were any trouble outside".
When I first visited the Malakand in August it was pretty hot,though
much less so than Dargai three thousand feet or so lower down, but by December
it had become freezing at night and not much over 50°F. at midday, and,
because of the famous Malakand wind, which rarely dropped before noon, it
seemed much colder and parading in the morning was a chilly business. In
addition to my ordinary duties with the Shere Regiment I was Station Staff Officer
ln Malakand to Colonel Irwin, who as senior officer in the Station was