Lets Rock with Carl Hoffman !!

The  Site   FOR BOLD AVIATORS & SOME NORMAL HUMANS
	Hello There!!  --some people are born famous , some become famous, and others work to become famous. Starting from a simple and inexpensive family owned small scale industry worth a paltry $ 80 million making Jeepneys for the discerning Indian puppi's and yuppi's,  Sarao Inc has now diversified to Event Management and the Music Industry (Bakelite 78 rpm's are our speciality). Film Making( including an exclusive 5 year contract with George Clooney and Boy George), marketing of an improved version of Brut after shave (feels like Old Spice and Afghan Snow --- shaken not stirred,mmmmm ) and our old family forte of Wine Production(sales had dropped in the last financial year because of family embezzlement and in house wine tasting) WE HAVE NOW STARTING MAKING JUKE BOXES, from discarded parts of Jeepneys, Vespa / Lambretta scooters, old Gramaphones and discarded Chocklate Boxes.The Sarao family  guarantee's that this music  will put a smile on your face and your feet will start tappin'.   What a way to start the day.n.joy whether at (no) work,(all) play or whatever you may be doing or generally not doing!!! You can also listen to the great music of the50s, 60s, & 70s   All your Requirements under One Roof (We Also Run the World Famous SARAO Chain of Hotels and the SARAO Aircraft Company-Planes on Charter , Anywhere Anytime) You can also listen to the great music of the 50s, 60s, & 70s at all links in blue with arrows !!!  Solid Gold Memories             50s - Our Oldies But Goodies  60s Best Instrumental Hits  Folk Music  Sixties Soul and Rhythm and Blues Enjoy the great music of the 50s, 60s, & 70s at  Solid Gold Memories                                                Specially for you--keep clicking!!! A	http://www.the60sofficialsite.com/jukebox/Folk-Music.html

 SEHIT TURK ASKERI , DOOLLAY TAP, DILIP KUMAR AND THE TOBRUK GUN

My first visit to Deolali was sometime in 1978 as a subaltern, nominated for the Young Officers course at the School of Artillery. While on a 'surreptitious outing' , which all YO's indulge in --- I with a couple of friends noticed a road sign near a cemetery which mentioned something like 'buried here are 11 Turkish soldiers' or words to that effect. My curiosity was piqued, but with gun-drill , ballistics, tactics, course-shootings and exams always on my head, I could not investigate further. Subsequently I made more than a half a dozen trips to Deolali over the next three plus decades, unfortunately, there was never time available. But I never forgot. Next time--next time ; and next time was always carried forward!! This time I was again at Deolali in October 2015 and it was ordained that I visit the cemetery.

In "Pick up your Parrots and Monkeys - The life of a Boy Soldier in India" by William Pennington there is a description of 'Doollali'. British soldiers who wanted to escape the hardship of service in India used to feign madness (Doollaly Tap---sunstroke), and were sent to 'Doollali'. As the war progressed,from a small peacetime garrison of two or three hundred, Devlali and the surrounding area eventually became an enormous Transit Camp holding at its maximum 70,000 men. Deolali also housed the Homeward Bound Trooping Depot (HBTD) for British/European soldiers waiting to embark on the journey home from Bombay, a large Military Hospital and many sanatoriums. Soldiers came from Australia and New Zealand ( as also West- Indian/African soldiers of the empire), only to be quickly on their way again to the deserts of North Africa. Regiments came from England to go always further east to Burma or Malaya.

During WW2 , Axis prisoners of War from the East African Campaign fronts (mostly Italians) were escorted to India to be held in POW Camps at Ahmednagar and Deolali.
Incidentally we YO's were billeted in the old Italian POW barracks, laid out in neat rows having toilets on either end, with barbed wire fencing all around the complex, known as 'Hampden Lines'. Eerily similar to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp I had visited a few years back. It now houses the Army School, Deolali.

Apparently Turkish POWs (including wounded Turk prisoners) were also stationed in Deolali during WW1, sometime between 1915/16, and out of that lot, eleven had died , probably of natural causes or wounds and were interred in the 'Deolali Muslim Cemetery'.

The Ottoman Turks had faced Indian and British soldiers in Kut-al-Amara and Mesopotamia. I learned from the care taker that a Turkish Colonel had come two years back and had got the graves of these ten soldiers repaired as is visible, previously they were plain mounds of earth. Names of only one or two soldiers are known and others are simply numbered (Turkish Martyr 1, Turkish Martyr 2, Turkish Martyr 3 etc). The graves have inscribed on them 'Sehit Turk Askeri' (Turkish Troops) and  'Ruhuna Fatiha' (in the spirit of Al-fatiha).

Coming on to Barnes School, Deolali and Dilip Kumar. The name Barnes School, Deolali conjures up images of a grand building and the famous BST (Barnes School Tower), which was the aiming point of many an Indian and British Gunner whether in shooting, YO's, survey, LGSC or aviation days not to forget the 'Camels Back' annual play at Barnes which many of us have attended (many a time!). Barnes School was established in 1925, primarily a boarding schools for Anglo-Indian boys and girls, mainly belonging to the Anglican Church. Later on with the passage of time, boarders and day-scholars of all castes and creeds were admitted and became alumini of BS with so many joining the Indian Armed Forces.

Yusuf Khan - - Born at Peshawar on December 11, 1922, he was brought to Deolali at age 6. His father Ghulam Sarwar Khan was a successful fruit trader and had 12 children, of which the child at number 3 was named Yusuf Khan. "In more ways than one it is Maharashtra that holds the roots of my life and career. I had my schooling at Barnes School in Deolali, Nashik, as a day scholar. The moderate climate, especially the cool summers attracted my parents to stay in Deolali since my mother was ailing with asthma. Years later, after I became known as actor Dilip Kumar, I revisited Deolali in the course of my search all over Nashik District for an ideal location to film Ganga Jamuna's outdoor scenes''.

Dilip Kumar has another connection with Deolali.

Without going into too many personal details and with all due respect to privacy , when I visited the cemetery (kabristan actually) in Deolali researching some WW1 historical facts, the care taker took me to a secluded corner where there were three neat plainly marked graves with a space between the second and third graves.

Very quietly he told me that the first grave is of Dilip Kumars 'Ammi', the second is of Dilip Kumars 'Abba' and the third one is of Dilips 'bhai'. The care taker told me that as per Dilip Kumars wishes, he desires to be interred alongside his parents (and brother) when he leaves his earthy abode. The empty space is for him as per his wishes.

DAMAGED BRITISH 4.5 INCH GUN USED IN THE SEIGE OF TOBRUK (NOW IN THE SCHOOL)

BRITISH GUNNERS ATOP A DAMAGED 4.5 INCH GUN
 USED IN THE SEIGE OF TOBRUK

Now the Tobruk Gun story. Many of the old timers will recollect that British 4.5 inch gun with a 'jugad' kind of carriage which was placed near the Commandants Office in the old School HQ building. The carriage looked as if it been modified, welded and put together by the local EME unit. It had a plaque under the barrel--'This British 4.5 Inch Gun Was Used In The Seige Of Tobruk ' or words to that effect. I often wondered about the story behind it. Recently I found this gun among the vintage guns displayed at the S of A during the ROAR 2015. How did it reach the School from Tobruk ?? I did hit upon a picture of a damaged  4.5 inch gun with British gunners atop it after the seige of Tobruk had been lifted. The Axis siege of Tobruk began on 10 April, when the port was attacked by a force under Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel and continued during three relief attempts, Operation Brevity (15–16 May), Operation Battleaxe (15–17 June) and Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December). 390 Battery (British Artillery) had 4x4.5 inch guns, the only guns of this caliber in that theater.  One of the four guns is now with the School, probably retrieved by the returning 4 Indian Division.

OF PRESSTITUTES, PAID MEDIA AND OTHER BUYABLE TYPES

OF PRESSTITUTES, PAID MEDIA AND OTHER BUYABLE

TYPES

—Well , it has been finally proved what we the ‘mango people’ suspected since long!! Like in any other society , we have two types of media and journalists in this Country. The type who are ethical , know their facts , are not looking for cheap popularity and most of all , ‘cannot be bought’ . These are those 90% which VK Singh refers to. On the other hand we have Ruchir Joshi, Arnab Goswami and Shekhar Gupta who are in the wrong profession (actually if we count them in the ‘other’ 10 % , they may well be in the right profession!!).

I am appalled at the intelligence, ignorance and mediocrity along with a penchant for sensationalism displayed by some of these buyable types who more interested in TRP’s and retaining their jobs, rather than ethical reporting. Over the past few years the Indian media has developed a new bestiary of ways to get paid-for content directly into the media stream without provenance, some of which is directly attributable to the ‘hidden hands’ bankrolling them. I ask these so called defenders of free speech and protectors of democracy - - what are the ethical lines your paid-for content should not cross? The Country wants to know. And it wants to know now. As Shyamali Banerjee mentioned in her column, sometimes the border line between ‘news’ and’ cooked up news’ gets blurred. Herein lies the gist in what distinguishes gutter level reporting and ethical reporting which is the hallmark of a respected journalist and his paper / TV channel.

Recollect what Rajdeep Sardesai, the Editor’s Guild President had said some time back—‘’The Guild was deeply shocked and seriously concerned at the increasing number of reports detailing the pernicious practice of publishing paid news by some newspapers and television channels, especially during the recent elections’. Yes Sir , this type of scurrilous reporting is becoming a habit of late and the anchors and journalists who have made this their bye-line are well known!

Take the recent article published in the TOI, Bangalore edition by Ruchir Joshi. It is quite evident that Shri Ruchir Joshi requires a crash course in history and politics. Even a cub reporter knows that senior military men and those who have served in the military have many a time been among the most respected politicians in various countries— In the United States Of America for example, twelve American presidents were generals : Washington, Jackson, W. Harrison, Taylor, Pierce, A. Johnson, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, B. Harrison, and Eisenhower. Europe , Russia and the United Kingdom too have had their fair share of military men who later chose to join the profession of politics.
Here I have a question for all our media people and journalists . Pray how many of you experts in wielding your pens and presstituting your voices have ever wielded a rifle to defend your motherland??

This again the Country wants to know. My dear friends in the media , be true to yourself and to your profession . If you do not have the aptitude or the knowledge for the same, find another job. Or do you want us, the public, to call Tarun Tejpal and Nira Radia once again??

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. We will remember them.''

 

Victoria Cross and other medals awarded to Sub-Maj Aagan Singh Rai,indian Army, which were auctioned in London recently for £115,000 ----a shame!! 

Neuve-Chapelle Indian Memorial

Pas de Calais, France

TO THE HONOUR OF THE ARMY OF INDIA WHICH FOUGHT IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM, 1914-1918, AND IN PERPETUAL REMEMBRANCE OF THOSE OF THEIR DEAD WHOSE NAMES ARE HERE RECORDED AND WHO HAVE NO KNOWN GRAVE. On October 31, 1914, at Hollebeke, Belgium, Sepoy Khudadad Khan from 129th Duke of Connaught’s Own Baluchis, was in the machine-gun section of his battalion and was working one of the two guns. The British officer in charge of the detachment had been wounded and the other gun was put out of action by a shell. Sepoy Khudadad Khan, although wounded himself, continued working his gun after all the other five men of the detachment had been killed. He was left by the enemy for dead. He later managed to crawl out and rejoin his unit. For his heroic deeds, he was awarded Britain’s highest medal for valour, the Victoria Cross (VC).  Sub Khudadad Khan

The battles on the Western Front in which the Indian Army took part: La Bassee 1914, Ypres 1914-15, Givenchy 1914, Aubers, Bazentin, Morval, Messines 1914, Gheluvelt, Neuve Chapelle, Loos, Delville Wood, Armentieres 1914, Festubert 1914-15, St Julien, Somme 1916, Flers-Courcelette and Cambrai 1917--- ''They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

A moment of contemplation

The Mayor lays a wreath on behalf of the people of the city

Remembering their sacrifice

At midday on Sunday 26 September, a new war memorial, built by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, was unveiled in close proximity to the Chattri Indian Memorial in Patcham. It is designed to pay tribute to some of the one and half million Indian soldiers who fought for the British Empire during the First World War. The new memorial bears the names of 53 Indian soldiers who died in Brighton and were cremated on the site of the Chattri memorial. 

In memory of those Indian Soldiers who who fought and

 died so far away from their Country----


YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

SOMME WW1-INDIAN SOLDIERS REMEMBERED,THANK YOU 

FRANCE

 

KEREN PASS ERITREA-INDIAN SOLDIERS REMEMBERED, THANK 

YOU ERITREA AND ETHIOPIA

Sikh and Hindu cremation memorial - Keren Eritrea.

GAZA CEMETERY -INDIAN SOLDIERS REMEMBERED, THANK 

YOU ISRAEL AND JORDAN

  ''W                        -                 ''What struck me about the Gaza War cemetary was not the ‘unlikeliness’ of its tranquility, nor the variety of nationalities and faiths buried there (over 3,600 soldiers of different countries, including India, Egypt, Canada, France, Belgium, Russia, Scotland, England, Greece…), but the craftsmanship of Ibrahim Jeradeh, the 72 year old retired gardener and caretaker who tended and nurtured the cemetery for over 50 years before passing the task on to his sons.''----visitors remarks.

 FORLI CEMETERY-INDIAN SOLDIERS REMEMBERED, THANK 

YOU ITALY

   

NEUVE CHAPPELE INDIAN WAR MEMORIAL

TO THE HONOUR OF THE ARMY OF INDIA WHICH FOUGHT IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM, 1914-1918, AND IN PERPETUAL REMEMBRANCE OF THOSE OF THEIR DEAD WHOSE NAMES ARE HERE RECORDED AND WHO HAVE NO KNOWN GRAVE-THANK YOU FRANCE 

IPKF MEMORIAL - SRI LANKA, THANK YOU SRI LANKA

 DEATH RAIL ,THAILAND-INDIAN SOLDIERS REMEMBERED, THANK 

YOU THAILAND

ATHUILLE WAR CEMETERY -INDIAN SOLDIERS REMEMBERED, 

THANK YOU ENGLAND

POPPIES IN MEMORY OF THE BRAVE-----And finally , a tribute to a man I never met. I am including  a picture and a letter that I recieved pertaining to Sgt D S Sidhu,  a cousin of my Dad,  whose plane  had been shot down by the Germans on a mine laying mission off the coast of Denmark in 1944. The Stirling bomber ( W7513 )was lost with  the entire crew on board.The plane and crew were never found.His name is on Panel 147 on the Runnymede Memorial in London.

News

27 June 2012

                                                          News articles by date

                A national Memorial to commemorate the tragic loss of 55,573 young Bomber Command airmen in the Second World War will be unveiled at a ceremony in Green Park, London, at 1200 tomorrow, 28 June 2012.

During the 30-minute ceremony, Her Majesty the Queen will unveil a nine foot high bronze sculpture depicting seven Bomber Command aircrew. A Bomber Command veteran will read an exhortation before the act of remembrance. The ceremony will end with a flypast by five RAF GR4 Tornado bomber aircraft crewed by today’s Royal Air Force. This will be followed by a flypast at 1230 by the RAF BBMF Lancaster Bomber, PA474, which will drop poppies over Green Park as a message of remembrance for the 55,573 Bomber aircrew lost.

And that is how I recieved a poppy petal----------------

Stirling W7513 crew - Sgt. David Church on extreme left, Sgt. Patrick Torre Hunter 2nd left, Sgt. Devinder Singh Sidhu 3rd from left, centre Sgt. Keith Halliburton (the three on the right of Sgt Halliburton most probably are Air/Bmr Sgt Thomas Scarfe , Air/Gnr SgtCharles Henry George Boxalland Air/Gnr Sgt Alexander Clunie Howell