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Object description
British officer served with 1st Bn Hampshire Regt on North West Frontier of India, 1931-1932; served with 2/5th Bn Royal Gurkha Rifles and South Waziristan Scouts on North West Frontier of India, 1932-1939; served with Tochi Scouts in India, 1941-1944
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Myitkyina, Burma and GB, 1911- 1929: family; education. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Hampshire Regt on North West Frontier of India, 1931-1932: posting to unit after period at Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, 1929-1930; joining unit at Razmak, 1/1931; tribal situation on North West Frontier; duties with unit. Recollections of operations as officer with 2/5th Bn Royal Gurkha Rifles in India, 1932-1934: joining unit at Razmak, 1932; opinion of unit; story of enlisting aid of pipe major of 1st Bn Highland Light Infantry; duties with unit at Razmak; kassidar system; attitude of Wazirs towards British rule, mid 1930s; Pathan attitude towards warfare; blood feud among Pathans.
REEL 2 Continues: attitude of Gurkhas towards Pathans; social and geographical origins of Gurkhas, 1930s; caste among Gurkhas. Recollections of attachment as officer to South Waziristan Scouts in India, 1934-1937: role and organisation of unit; British officers who served with unit; posting to Ladha, 1937; character of Mahsud disturbances, 1937; commanding mounted infantry of South Waziristan Scouts during Wana Bde expedition, 1937.
REEL 3 Continues: his meeting with Wari Zhar in Ladha; warnings to Pathan villages prior to RAF bombings; example of Konia Khel's village after massacre, 4/1937; duties on rejoining 2/5th Bn Royal Gurkhas at Fort Barra at Khyber Pass. Period as officer with Tochi Scouts in India, 1941-1944: preference to serving with South Waziristan Scouts; story of incident when officer was killed attempting to rescue downed aircrew; role as second in command of unit; degree of connection between Fakir of Ipi and Axis powers.
