Gunner John Smith, a challenge

[termar]

This is probably an almost impossible quest but here goes. My grandfather John Smith was a gunner in the RFA serving in India; the only information I have is a remembered conversation with him where he said he was at the ' highest point ' in India and that he could pick oranges of the trees. He was born in 1888 in Warwickshire and lived in Birmingham. As he was married with 3 children at the time I should imagine he was conscipted around May 1916 possiblty to a Midland Brigade although this wouldn't have been a certainty. Could anyone let me know which brigades of the RFA were in India so I am able to narrow my search ( a little! )

I have trawled through Ancestry but with a name like his, an almost impossibility.

Living in hope!

[john.pruden]

This is probably an almost impossible quest but here goes. My grandfather John Smith was a gunner in the RFA serving in India; the only information I have is a remembered conversation with him where he said he was at the ' highest point ' in India and that he could pick oranges of the trees. He was born in 1888 in Warwickshire and lived in Birmingham. As he was married with 3 children at the time I should imagine he was conscipted around May 1916 possiblty to a Midland Brigade although this wouldn't have been a certainty. Could anyone let me know which brigades of the RFA were in India so I am able to narrow my search ( a little! )

I have trawled through Ancestry but with a name like his, an almost impossibility.

Living in hope!

Here is a long shot, no real detail I'm afraid.

This is a paragraph from a diary my father kept while stationed in foothills of the Himalayas with the 1st Middlesex. Probable date April 1917 and lists some other army units in the area

Thursdays A Holiday in India.

A football league and cup was run during our stay at Standing Camp. The 'Cornwall L.I.' entered 3 teams, 'Middlesex' 3 teams, 'Irish Rifles', 'Scottish Rifles', 'East Yorkshires', 'Buffs' and 'W. Kents' one each. Went to Chaubatia to see a cup and league game. 7 miles by wagon but 4 miles by bridle path, climbing all the time. From Chaubatia we could see Almora 26 miles off, the range is thickly covered with pines and undergrowth, jungle in places, preserved for shooting. Our best walk was to Majhkhali. Had tea at the Oak Bungalow, a halting place for Europeans on tour. A Khansamas (cook) and Chankidars (man in charge) are kept there to wait on people at a fixed rate, this was 8 miles from our Camp. We could see Almora (Gurka station) quite good, 20 miles away. Also we could see along and down different ranges for 20 miles in each direction. The view of the Himalayas was of the best. Bageshwar was further on, a village where the Tibetan come to once a year, to exchange their goods. They come through the Himalayas, and over glaciers, the only possible way to get into India. We passed through a native village called Duley. The women were working on their plots of land. Some ranges were all cultivated in terraces, potatoes seemed to do well. Some fruit was being grown apples, plums etc. These fruits were growing wild near our camp but unfortunately not fit to pick up to when we left

[termar]

Here is a long shot, no real detail I'm afraid.

This is a paragraph from a diary my father kept while stationed in foothills of the Himalayas with the 1st Middlesex. Probable date April 1917 and lists some other army units in the area

Thursdays A Holiday in India.

A football league and cup was run during our stay at Standing Camp. The 'Cornwall L.I.' entered 3 teams, 'Middlesex' 3 teams, 'Irish Rifles', 'Scottish Rifles', 'East Yorkshires', 'Buffs' and 'W. Kents' one each. Went to Chaubatia to see a cup and league game. 7 miles by wagon but 4 miles by bridle path, climbing all the time. From Chaubatia we could see Almora 26 miles off, the range is thickly covered with pines and undergrowth, jungle in places, preserved for shooting. Our best walk was to Majhkhali. Had tea at the Oak Bungalow, a halting place for Europeans on tour. A Khansamas (cook) and Chankidars (man in charge) are kept there to wait on people at a fixed rate, this was 8 miles from our Camp. We could see Almora (Gurka station) quite good, 20 miles away. Also we could see along and down different ranges for 20 miles in each direction. The view of the Himalayas was of the best. Bageshwar was further on, a village where the Tibetan come to once a year, to exchange their goods. They come through the Himalayas, and over glaciers, the only possible way to get into India. We passed through a native village called Duley. The women were working on their plots of land. Some ranges were all cultivated in terraces, potatoes seemed to do well. Some fruit was being grown apples, plums etc. These fruits were growing wild near our camp but unfortunately not fit to pick up to when we left

[termar]

Here is a long shot, no real detail I'm afraid.

This is a paragraph from a diary my father kept while stationed in foothills of the Himalayas with the 1st Middlesex. Probable date April 1917 and lists some other army units in the area

Thursdays A Holiday in India.

A football league and cup was run during our stay at Standing Camp. The 'Cornwall L.I.' entered 3 teams, 'Middlesex' 3 teams, 'Irish Rifles', 'Scottish Rifles', 'East Yorkshires', 'Buffs' and 'W. Kents' one each. Went to Chaubatia to see a cup and league game. 7 miles by wagon but 4 miles by bridle path, climbing all the time. From Chaubatia we could see Almora 26 miles off, the range is thickly covered with pines and undergrowth, jungle in places, preserved for shooting. Our best walk was to Majhkhali. Had tea at the Oak Bungalow, a halting place for Europeans on tour. A Khansamas (cook) and Chankidars (man in charge) are kept there to wait on people at a fixed rate, this was 8 miles from our Camp. We could see Almora (Gurka station) quite good, 20 miles away. Also we could see along and down different ranges for 20 miles in each direction. The view of the Himalayas was of the best. Bageshwar was further on, a village where the Tibetan come to once a year, to exchange their goods. They come through the Himalayas, and over glaciers, the only possible way to get into India. We passed through a native village called Duley. The women were working on their plots of land. Some ranges were all cultivated in terraces, potatoes seemed to do well. Some fruit was being grown apples, plums etc. These fruits were growing wild near our camp but unfortunately not fit to pick up to when we left

[termar]

Thanks for the reply. The Himalayas ( area ) sounds about right fertile land etc.

Do you know why the British army was here ?

[john.pruden]

Thanks for the reply. The Himalayas ( area ) sounds about right fertile land etc.

Do you know why the British army was here ?

I think India was regarded as the 'Jewel in the Crown' of the British Empire. There were a large number of small army units scattered over Northern India to make sure the natives did not get out of hand. In the diary there are a number of references to the 'Indian Mutiny' , which had occurred over 50 years previous but was clearly very much in the minds of the troops, particulaly in the Lucknow area where the British suffered a famous massacre.

[termar]

I need to research this area ie. the British army in India more thoroughly. I envy you your father's diary.

Thankyou