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Age
19 Years

8th March 1943

Chik (3rd mate) came into my room at 7 am and said we would be here until next Sunday. He had just come back from his house near Poona and said “why don’t you go to Agra while you’ve got the chance?”.

I made up my mind then, and after breakfast asked the Old Man’s permission. He was very dubious about it and said we might sail Friday. At last he said see Mr. Simpson or No. 1. So I did. No 1 just said, see Mr. Simpson. Thus I dashed up town to Marconis and was told that I would have to get written permission from the Old Man. I paid off Feb. and then tore back to the ship, but the O.M. was up at the office. So I went back to the office but it was closed when I got there; it being a Bank Holiday. I had previously been to the station to enquire the times of the trains. Mine went at 1450. This was 1230. The OM was on board when I got back so I asked him to sign the letter I had written. It took a lot of persuasion but he did.

Finally, I bought my ticket 86-12 rupees, but was unable to reserve a compartment. I sat in a crowded carriage measuring 12‘ x 9‘, with four seats and four bunks, and hoped for the best.

One small Indian lady sat beside me for the first few hours and jabbered away to her husband for all she was worth,

We left on time and called Atone station where we picked up some more passengers. The total in our compartment was then 15. After passing through the suburbs of Bombay we came to the hills which surround Bombay island itself. These hills terminated the otherwise flat landscape, the latter being  of a wooded nature much as at home though not so green. Dotted here and there, I noticed, were trees devoid of any foliage but with pretty red flowers – 1505.

We reached our second stop at 1550-the interesting landscape being much the same as before, except the grassland became more like desert.

Primitive mud huts, such as you would expect to find in Africa, were dotted everywhere. (KALYAR).

The journey continued over dry desert, sparsely populated by trees with either very green foliage or none at all. Hills still laid on the horizon and one had a strange formation of rock on its summit similar to some fictitious palace. Hot dusty air blew through the carriage all this time

– 1630.

Next week climbed considerably until reaching a station called Khardi, after which we tore downhill at top speed

– 1645.

Next stop was KASARA, a station situated in the desert with very little sign of life elsewhere

– 1700

After Kasara, we climbed and climbed and climbed. We passed through tunnel after tunnel and crossed viaduct after viaduct, until we reached IGATPURI, our next stop

-1730.

After this we had a steam train.

Soon we took on 3 British Tommies in our compartment. All growling about lack of accommodation. They were bound for New Delhi.

After passing many cultivated fields, sprinkled with trees, we came to more desert – or at any rate scarcely populated land. The temp had cooled down considerably

– 1955.

At about 2200, two soldiers and myself, who I had got talking to, went along to the dining car and remained there until the next stop. The meal was excellent and cost 3/2. Both the soldiers came from London.

And so now we all lay down  for the night – hopefully –  23.30.