'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' [‎19v] (38/118)

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Soon after our engagement we went with a party of friends from Agra to
Delhi for the "Week", which culminated in the Viceregal Ball on Thursday,
16 th February 1939. This was a very grand affair, all the men in messkit,
the India Princes in their magnificent apparel and much bejewelled, and
the ladies European and Indian in their finest dresses and saris. It was,
I believe, the last Viceroy's Ball ever held and we were very lucky to have
had the chance of attending it.
The next morning I went along to the Foreign and Political Department
Secretariat and saw Harrington-Hawes, the Undersecretary. He told me that
I was probably going to be posted to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. as Assistant Political
Agent, Bahrain or to Baluchistan. He added, however, that the political
situation in the States in India was then so uncertain that I might easily
be sent elsewhere if a sudden emergency arose and extra officers were needed.
Otherwise I was not likely to leave Agra before the end of April, when my
normal period of eighteen months civil training would have been completed.
On the strength of this information Jane and I made provisional plans to get
married in April or May, by which time she would be established with her
mother in Nainital. But, as I have mentioned earlier, on the evening of the
8 th March I received a telegram ordering me to proceed without delay to
Rajkot Kathiwar, Western India, a ?00 mile cross country journey from Agra
involving several changes of train. Somehow or other I managed to pack up
all my possessions and get them and my car on the train by the Thursday
night, and arrived in Rajkot on the Saturday morning of 11th March 1939. My
horse and dog came on later with my syce (groom).
On the 12th March, the day after my arrival, I wrote to my mother
"Rajkot has been very much in the limelight in India lately, though you may
not have seen much about it in the home papers. It is quite a small state
in this Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. of the Western India. States but Congress have been interfering
a lot in its internal affairs and the other day Gandhi himself came here.
Since he could not get what he wanted he started to "fast unto death" or
until his terms were agreed to. A compromise of some sort has been come to
and the fast is off, but the trouble is by no means over yet. The Resident,
Gibson, is now in Delhi seeing the Viceroy and Gandhi himself goes there
to-morrow.
The Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Staff has been greatly overworked during the past few
weeks, hence my sudden appointment here. At the moment nothing much is
happening, but things are likely to boil up again pretty soon".
My job was known as "Assistant to the Resident" and I lived in the
Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. with Mr. Gibson, who was a bachelor. Apart from acting as his
A.D.C. and general assistant, my chief task was the encoding and decoding
of the top secret telegrams which passed between him and the Viceroy.
Those from Delhi usually seemed to arrive late at night or very early in
the morning but at least one had peace and quiet then to work on them.
Code work was not difficult but it did need intense concentration and,
therefore, freedom from interruptions.