author detailsPatiala born Ravi Inder Singh, after initial education in Urdu by a Maulvi, did his schooling at Welham School, Dehradun from 1948 to 1951, and then passed Senior Cambridge exam from the Doon School, Dehradun in 1957. He did B.A. History (Hons) in 1961 from St. Stephens College, Delhi and M.A. (History) from Delhi University in 1963. On passing the U.P.S.C. exam in 1964, he joined Indian Railway Traffic Service, as a Class-I (Group ‘A’) Officer in Central Services in September 1965, and retired in February 2001. After his retirement he settled in his home town Patiala and as an amateur writer has continued to write. His work has been compiled over several years by locating and visiting the Indian World War 2 veterans.
Preface
Introduction
A. WESTERN FRONT
1. 5th MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY/BELGAON’S CAPTAIN
SARUP SINGH RECALLS FAMILY WAR SERVICE,
ARMY DAYS, WW II DEPLOYMENT, WOUNDED IN
BATTLE OF SICILY AND AFTER RETURN
2. CORP. OF SIGNAL/SIALKOT’S WIRELESS MECHANIC
SEPOY BACHAN SINGH (A7152) RECALLS FAMILY’S
WAR SERVICE, MIDDLE-EAST, CONQUEST OF
ITALY, YUGOSLAVIA DEPLOYMENT AND LIFE
AFTER WW II
3. 1st SIKH LIGHT INFANTRY/MEERUT’S SEPOY MAHA
SINGH (31334) RECALLS WESTERN FRONT ITALIAN
POW’S, BAGHDAD AND INJURED DURING TRAINING
4. INDIAN ARMY MEDICAL CORP’S JEMADAR
THAKUR SINGH RECALLS MIDDLE-EAST DEPLOYMENT,
DAMASCUS BOMBING, BRITISH OFFICERS,
EASTERN FRONT AND LATER LIFE
5. 25th SIKH LIGHT INFANTRY/MEERUT’S SEPOY
SARDARA SINGH (10347) RECALLS FAMILY’S ARMY
SERVICE, OVERSEAS IRAQ, IRAN, EGYPT, PALESTINE,
BRITISH OFFICERS AND BRITISH ADMINISTRATION
6. 1st SIKH ENGINEERS/SIALKOT’S SEPOY PRITAM
SINGH (40904) RECALLS HIS WW II PROMOTION,
ITALIAN CAMPAIGN AND AFTER 1945 CURING
SNAKE BITE, PAINFULL AILMENTS FREE OF COST
7. 3/8th PUNJAB REGIMENT/LAHORE’S SUBEDAR
GARIB SINGH (47729) RECALLS ITALIAN CAMPAIGN
AND BATTLE OF MONTE CASINO
8. EME/BANGALORE’S VEHICLE MECHANIC FITTER
SEPOY NANAK SINGH (ME 33063) RECOLLECTS
WW II
9. 27th MOUNTAIN BATTERY/AMBALA’S GUNNER
NARANG SINGH (44140) RECALLS EVACUATED
INJURED FROM ADEN, BRITISH ARMY DECIPLINE
AND BASSI BANDA’S MUSLIM PAST
10. RIASC/FEROZPUR’S L/NAIK AMAR SINGH (SR 30096)
RECALLS FAMILY’S WAR SERVICE AND LOADING
RATION FOR FORWARD TROOPS OF 8th
DIVISION’S 1944 ITALIAN CAMPAIGN
11. 3/45th SIKH REGIMENT/NOSHERA’S SEPOY
BALWANT SINGH (16125) RECALLS FAMILY’S WAR
SERVICE, ARMY DPLOYMENT, WWII’S PAI FORCE
AND BRITISH
12. SAPPERMAN/ROORKEE’S DRIVER SEPOY HAZARA
SINGH (11503K) RECALLS 1928 RECRUITMENT,
N.W.F.P OF INDIA, WW II MIDDLE EAST, CYPRUS
AND ITALY
B. EASTERN FRONT
1. 27th MULE CORP./JULLUNDUR’S SEPOY CHAJJU
(113690) RECALLS LADI KOTAL, MULES IN WW II
BURMA, LIFE IN NANDPUR AND RESTORING ITS
MOSQUE
2. 2/12 FRONTIER FORCE/ABBOTABAD’S SEPOY CLERK
HARBHAJAN SINGH CHEEMA RECALLS BRITISH
RULERS, THEIR MALAYA RETREAT AND SURRENDER,
INA, BLACKLISTING AND IMPRISONMENT
3. 8/11th LIGHT AKAK ARTILLERY/NOSHERA’S GUNNER
MUKAND SINGH (12671) RECOLLECTS FACING
JAPANESE IN BURMA AND LIFE AND TIMES OF
1940’s
4. 19th CAVALRY’S SEPOY PRITAM SINGH (8085) RECALLS
SURVIVING JAPANESE LAND MINE BLASTING
HIS TRUCK IN ARAKAN CAMPAIGN
5. 8th ENGINEERS/SIALKOT’S SEPOY BACHAN SINGH
(55147) RECALLS CEYLON AND BEING UTILISED AS
FIGHTING TROOPS AGAINST JAPANESE ENCIRCLEMENT
6. 10/8th PUNJAB REGT./MIANMIR CANTT.’S SEPOY JIT
SINGH RECALLS RESIGNING, JOINING MACAO
POLICE, CANTON DAYS, JOINED INA, BATTLE OF
IRRAWADY, LIFE AFTER WAR
7. 2/6th PUNJAB REGIMENT/MEERUT’S SEPOY
SANTOKH SINGH (16285) RECALLS QUIT INDIA
MOVEMENT, BURMA CAMPAIGN AND SOLDIERS
OF VILLAGE BARSAL TAPARIAN
8. 6/11th SIKH REGIMENT/NOSHEHRA’S FARRIER
NAIK SURTA SINGH (189090) RECALLS FAMILIES
WAR SERVICE, ARAKAN CAMPAIGN AND BATTLE
OF AKYAB AND LIFE IN DEFENCE SERVICE
CORP.
9. ROORKEE ENGINEER’S SAPPERMAN PURAN SINGH
(108499) RECALLS BRITISH ARMY LIFE AND WW II
BURMA CAMPAIGN
10. 1st JAT INFANRTY/BAREILLY‘S 2nd LT. BADAN
SINGH RECALLS WW II’s 1941 RETREAT AND VICTORIOUS
ADVANCE IN BURMA, JAPANESE POWs IN
THAILAND
11. 72nd COMPANY ENGINEER/ROORKEE’S SEPOY
SARJA SINGH (27034) RECALLS FAMILY’S WAR
SERVICE, RECRUITMENT, TRAINING AND BURMA
CAMPAIGN
12. AIR FORCE/KARACHI’S MWO LACHMAN SINGH
(110) RECALLS LINK WITH MAHARAJA RANJIT
SINGH OF LAHORE AND WWII’S ARAKAN CAMPAIGN
13. 496th ASC/FEROZEPUR’S SEPOY GURDIAL SINGH
(189847) RECALLS MANMAD DEPOT, BURMA
FRONT, FALLING ILL, ESCORTING MEN OF INA
14. CORP. OF SIGNALS/JUBBULPORE’s MAJOR GENERAL
MAHINDER SINGH DHILLON RECALLS CEYLON,
MANNING COMMUNICATIONS ON EAST COAST,
TRAINING WAC, BRITISH OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS
RETURNING FROM ITALY
15. 134th MOTOR TRANSPORT’s LT. KARTAR SINGH
RECALLS JAPANESE POW’s, DEPUTATION TO
PUNJAB GOVT, 1965 WAR, MIGRATED TO USA AND
FAMILY’s WAR SERVICE
16. 68th COMPANY/ROORKEE’S DRIVER SEPOY SADHU
SINGH (23213) RECALLS WW II JAVA
17. 447th FIELD PARK COMPANY/ROORKEE’S BRICK
LAYER L/NAIK RANJIT SINGH (1413149) RECALLS
RECONSTRUCTION IN MALAYA AND BURMA AND
SOLDIERS OF SAINIMAJRA
C. SOLDIERS OF RAJA OF FARIDKOT
1. 1st FARIDKOT FIELD COMPANY’S HAVILDAR PHULA
SINGH BRAR’S RECOLLECTIONS OF WW II
2. 2nd FIELD COMPANY/FARIDKOT’S SUBEDAR
HAZURA SINGH RECALLS CONSTRUCTION WORK
IN WW II BURMA, BRITISH OFFICERS, RAJA OF
FARIDKOT AND LIFE THEREAFTER
3 . 94th KING GEORGE V’S BENGAL SAPPERS AND
MINERS INDIAN ENGINEERS HAVILDAR CLERK
JAGIR SINGH KHOKHAR (50683SS) RECALLS
QUETTA EARTHQUAKE, WW II’S BURMA CAMPAIGN
AND RAJA OF FARIDKOT
D. SOLDIERS DEPLOYED WITH OCCUPATION ARMY
IN JAPAN
1. ARMY MEDICAL CORP’S. CAPTAIN DR. HARBANS
SINGH JAWANDA (M8783) RECALLS BURMA CAMPAIGN
OF WW II, DEPLOYMENT WITH OCCUPATION
ARMY IN JAPAN AND LIFE AFTER
2. 3/15th PUNJAB REGIMENT CENTRE/AMBALA’S 2nd
LT. JAGIR SINGH RECALLS SETTING SAIL FROM
MALAYA TWO HOURS BEFORE JAPANESE ATTACK,
ITALIAN CAMPAIGN AND OCCUPATION FORCE IN
JAPAN
E. MANAGING WW II RAILWAY STATION IN IRAN
1. N.W. RAILWAY/QUETTA’S TRAIN GUARD BIKRAMJIT
SINGH AHLUWALIA RECALLS WARTIME POSTINGS,
LIFE AND TIMES OF BRITISH RAJ AND AFTER
Annexure A
Abbriviations / Explanations