91�ȱ�

This story was submitted to the Peoples War site by Jas from Global Information Centre Eastbourne and has been added to the website on behalf of Mrs Barbara Ashton with her permission and she fully understands the site’s terms and conditions

On my 9th birthday I received a letter from my father who was on active service and living in a part of India called Assam.

“Next time you have a cup of tea think of me,” he said, “Because tea grows in Assam!”

He went on to describe the tent in which he was living and explained to me that over his bed there was a mosquito net which was kept rolled up in the day, but at night his orderly would let it down, to stop the mosquitoes biting him.

In his tent he had a camp washstand, a camp bed and a tin box for storing things. At the back of his main tent was a smaller one; this was his bathroom. His orderly would carry buckets of water for him to wash.

In his letter my father encouraged me with my schoolwork and enquired if I was yet able to sit down quietly and read a book by myself. He pointed out to me that very few Indian children had the opportunity to go to school to learn to read or write.

He ended by saying that he hoped to be home soon to see us all and reminded me to

“Be a good girl for Mummy”

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.