stalinwasabasicbitch: So one of my friends is very interested in Indian military history and in part
stalinwasabasicbitch: So one of my friends is very interested in Indian military history and in particular the forces that went to Europe during WWI and WWII. He shared some letters from the time with me and now I totally agree- it’s crazy to read their impressions and very funny/sad/affecting as well. Some favorite excerpts: “Do not worry about me, for I am in paradise…to-day I saw a museum in which all the living fishes of the world were kept in boxes of water, & a magnificent palace which cost millions of pounds.” (He was at Brighton Pavillion in the UK following war wounds). ”As for the bread, I must tell you that the bakers burn it too much on the outside and leave it raw within … “ “You say the parcel came back from Bombay. What sort of parcel was it? If you wrote ‘opium’ on it, do not do so again, but put ‘sweets’ or ‘dainties’ on it, and send off the opium. Have no fear; parcels are not opened on the way and cannot be lost. So keep sending the drugs. Let Indar Kaur be the sender.” ”I am like a soap bubble, and have no hope of life! How many days is it since I was separated from you, star of my eyes. But you must realise that this is the time for brave men.” (This one was from some guy still trapped in the trenches… these were pretty horrific to read and so I’m not including any other than this one here.) France made a great impression (England did to a lesser extent), and it seems the Indian soldiers by and large loved the place: “Here is very cold at present. It snows much. The little discomfort that we experience is due to cold and rain. Otherwise the country is like heaven. It rains frequently. You are, no doubt, astonished at what I say and wonder how this country can be heaven. Listen to one little thing. Here no one drinks water. When they desire to drink, either at meals or any other time, they drink the juice of apples. So many apples are produced that the people press the juice and store it in barrels, (from) which they drink throughout the year. They let us have a bottle full for two pica (paisa). All the men drink it. There is no prohibition – you may bring as much as you like inside the house. Barrels upon barrels are full of it. Moreover there are barns full of apples. If I return alive I will tell you all about this country. You shall be staggered at all I shall tell you. It is real heaven. There is plenty of milk, but only cow’s milk. The people, however, drink very little milk. They milk the cows and then they extract the butter at the rate of a mound (40 kilo) of milk in ten minutes. The skimmed milk they give to cows, calves and pigs. The people are very honest. There is no sign of theft. Goods to the value of lakhs (hundred thousands) of rupees lie in glass houses. No one pays any regard to them. Grain, potatoes and such like things lie in the fields unguarded. In short, the cat plays with pigeons and chicken and the dog plays with the cat and tends the sheep, churns the butter and draws a cart and guards it too. When a cow calves, they immediately take away the calf and do not let the cow see it. They rear it on skimmed milk. The milk the cow daily – two or three times daily – without the calf being present. The cows in fact do not know whether they gave birth to a calf or not. It is the golden age.” “We are in France. It is very cold country….. It is a fair country and the people are like angels. All they lack is wings…” “You will be hearing about this country (France) from the wounded who have gone back from England. Some of them will tell fine tales about the number of water-drawing machines [code for women]. I long to see England. When the war is over perhaps the regiment will go there. There are crowds of ‘machines’ here also, and the sight of them delights us, but we are ashamed to touch them lest we lose caste. The men and women of this place treat us lovingly.” “I have seen strange things in France. The French are a sympathetic and gracious people. Some time ago we were established for about three months in a village. The house in which I was billeted was the house of a well to do man, but the only occupant was the lady of the house, and she was advanced in years. Her three sons had gone to war. One had been killed, another had been wounded and was in hospital, and the third, at that time was in the trenches. There was no doubt that the lady was much attached to her sons. There are miles of differences between the women of this country and the women of India. During the whole three months, I never once saw this old lady sitting idle, although she belong to a high family. Indeed, during the whole 3 months she ministered to me to such an extent that I cannot adequately describe her [kindness]. Of her own free will she washed my clothes, arranged my bed and polished my boots – for 3 months. She used to wash my bedroom daily with warm water. Every morning she used to prepare and give me a tray with bread, butter milk and coffee……When we had to leave that village the old lady wept on my shoulder. Strange that I had never seen her weeping for her dead son and yet she should weep for me. Moreover, at [our] parting she pressed on me a 5 franc note to meet my expenses en route.” “I have seen such examples of fortitude and bravery amongst the French that I can hardly express myself. I saw one day a peasant ploughing, and a bicycle orderly came up to him and gave him a telegraph and went off. I asked the orderly what he had given him and he said it was a telegram telling him his son had been killed. The old man read the telegram and waited 2 or 3 minutes and then went on ploughing. I have seen many cases in which the old people have lost 3 or 4 sons and yet have remained unshaken by the blow. There is no wild lamentation as with us in the Punjab, nor do they get into the same state as us due to our ignorance.”“It is very wrong of you to work yourself up into a state of illness through anxiety for me. Just look at the people here. The women have their husbands killed yet they go on working just as hard as ever. It does one’s heart good to see them . May God teach our women to behave like them! You must let these words sink into your heart, you must be as brave as a man.” This [France] is a very fine country. The father and mother invite a visitor to kiss them. If he declines they are offended. Then all the family, men and women, indulge in indecent talk and are very much amused. In the presence of the father, one will say to two others ‘go sleep together’, and they will all laugh. It is indeed a very free and easy country. Nothing is prohibited, whatever may be done. In the presence of a father and brothers one [a man] will catch another [a girl] by the arm and lead her outside. They [the father and brother] will say nothing. They are quite at ease*. -- source link