'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' [‎29v] (58/118)

I had, however, managed to get hold of some champagne, so we had the Birds
to dinner, and went on to the cinema in a pleasantly exhilarated frame of
mind.
On Saturday, 11th May, we had to move house to Gangora as our 9th
Gurkha quarter was needed for the Regiment on its return from the Frontier.
Our new bungalow was only a mile away by foot, a c ross country, but three
miles by road. Gangora was really a Gunner station but we^ were assured
that we should NOT be moved again as long as we stayed in the Dehra Dun
area. We sincerely hoped so as after five '’permanent” moves in the last
eleven months, we longed to stay put for a few months, particularly as for
the first time we had been able to unpack all our possessions. Almost
immediately I heard that I was likely to be recalled to the Political but
in the end nothing came of it, and I didn't know whether to be pleased or
sorry. At least on this occasion our leave plans were not upset and on the
7th June we went up to Mussoorie, which was only 20 miles away, but 4,000 ft.
higher than Dshra Dun and delightfully cool. It only took an hour to get
from door to door in our little car, but as we gradually ascended the mountain
the scent of the pine trees and the change in atmosphere was almost magical.
There was only one-way traffic on the steepest part of the road, as it was so
narrow and full of blind corners, so one had to keep to a strict timetable.
Mussoorie was not unduly exciting but we met a number of old friends
there and managed to enjoy ourselves, and once away from the built-up area
the mountains were lovely. We did some walking and I played some tennis and
squash but on the whole we were content just to take things easily. By the
time we got back to Gangora at the beginning of July the Rains had broken
and the temperature had dropped to a maximum of 89 ° by day and was cool
enough at night, sleeping under a fan, to pull up a blanket. After four
weeks m an hotel we were both very glad to be in our own home again.
r _,_ °“2 he th * ^ em P eI *ature was not too bad, but a bit muggy between
ain storms, and the whole country incredibly green, almost unnaturally so.
InTZl * 7 1Ved We f0Und a la rge branch of a tree had broken during a storm
r ° 0 f: N ° Sreat dan,ase had been done a fe*
lies dislodged but Karna Singh was in his element. He swarmed up the tree
h ak ! h a ? d ° aCked the offendlrl S branch off with his Kuktii, assisted
by the gardener's boy perched on the roof, and the rest of the servants
bun ba °™, the branch with a long rope so that it fell away from the
the°buildinv n th S Shouting and argument but all went" well and both
tne building and the workers escaped injury.
month, !h T S - n ^ t0 enj0y ° Ur nSW h0,I,e for lon S f °r ^ August, several
ordered to a vo°L n e or:L S lnal ach ® du l e . tbe "bole of the Nepalese Brigade was
ordered to go to Dargai, on the North West Frontier, at the foot of the
enoShlo r* Darg ai Fort itself was built of mudbkck and waf not big
?he res^of^r, ^ r ? riSade Head l uarte ^ a nd part of one battalion.
no electricity SIhfFor? bur^hevVdV 911 ? ° f the F ° rt - There was
y m tne *ort but they did have hand-pulled punkahs. The^e