Description
Object description
British drummer in 1st Bn Dorsetshire Regt in India, 1929-1937
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period as drummer with 1st Bn Dorsetshire Regt in India, 1929-1937: background to enlistment in Dorsetshire Regt, 1927; reaction to posting to India; camping during leave on Indian hill stations; issue of tropical kit; suitability of uniform for Indian conditions; use of topis and spine pads; innoculations recieved; health of troops; emphasis on playing sport; recreational activities; discovery of tarantula in barracks and recieving bite.
REEL 2 Continues: medical treatment for spider's bite and boil; army lectures about diseases in India; cases of venereal disease and attempted suicides; instances of playing pranks in barracks; voyage from GB to India aboard SS Dorsetshire, 1929 including duties as ship's bugler and conditions on board; arrival in Karachi.
REEL 3 Continues: work of 'cornwallah'; initial impressions of India; troop train journey from Karachi to Meerut; payment of wallahs; playing pranks on charwallahs; useful advice about conditions in India gleaned from charwallah; further prank played on charwallah; incident when troops called out to protect cantonment from demonstrators led by Mahatma Gandhi at Meerut.
REEL 4 Continues: internal security duties during demonstrations by Bengali students in Dacca; relations with Bengali family; story of hostility of students and subsequent affray; quarters in Dacca; presence of 'piss' beetles in quarters; types of training for bandsmen; duties of orderley drummer on parade; use of drum to train horses at Dehra Dun; duties as solo drummer.
REEL 5 Continues: occasion when drums caused horses to shy at New Year's Day parade at Sialkot; exploits of boy trumpeter Norman Wisdom; description of charges and CB fatigues; formation of regimental dance band 'Larry's Krazy Krowd'; dance band engagements and playing at official functions; relations with Gurkhas at Dehra Dun; bouncing trumpet notes off hillsides; example of Gurkhas' ability with kukris.
REEL 6 Continues: how Gurkhas' presence was enough to disperse Pathan trouble-makers in bazaar; limited contact with Indian sepoys and other British regiments; opinion of officers and NCOs; description of various barracks in India; opinion of rations; maintenance of clothing and equipment; competition to become stick man; regimental brothels; outline of daily routine; kit inspections.
REEL 7 Continues: reasons for discipline being less strict in India than GB; barrack pets; monkey stories; sight of bear at Chakrata; description of coarse polo; leave in Kashmir; mutiny traditions of Meerut cantonment; weekly visits of married men stationed on North West Frontier to wives; respect for wives for help given to troops.
REEL 8 Continues: leave entitlement; leave in Lahore; preferred hill stations; band engagements at Simla; reasons for dislike of service on North West Frontier; precautions taken against tribesmen's attacks and rifle thieves; barrack servants; attitude to Indians and Indian culture; attitude to leaving India, 1937; attitude towards Anglo-Indians; benefits of British rule in India.
REEL 9 Continues: lack of anticipation to end of British rule; knowledge of Indian poverty; degree of interest in Indian politics; newspapers taken and reading of loss of brother in naval accident; permitted forms of gambling; prevalence of rumour amongst troops.