ABSTRACT

INTERVIEWEE NAME: Colonel and Mrs. W.A. SalmonCOLLECTION: 4700.582

IDENTIFICATION: Britons in pre-Independence India

INTERVIEWER: Frank De Caro, Rosan Jordan

PROJECT: British Voices in South Asia

DATES: 3/6/78 FOCUS DATES: 1930s

Tape 850, Side A

grandfather=s service in India; boat trip to India; denied replacement passport due to questions of citizenship since he was born in India; indignation at denial of passport; born in Poona; first six months of service are probationary; Salmon made deal with other officer to get service in India; ways in which soldiers could get out of foreign service; prime ministers of various religions; Salmon=s first appointment in Malta; places stationed in India; European community in Karachi; story about one of the wealthiest men in Karachi; topis; planning a special dinner, trying to borrow band from Scottish and British regiments; Scottish people in business community; Salmon=s Scottish regiment; history of his 73^rd Highland regiment; loyalty of 73^rd Highland regiment; more history of regiment; possessions of regiment=s founder; toasting an emperor; table settings, toasts; stick religiously to traditions; being called a Anew boy@; use of calling cards, calling on people; protocol regarding calling on Hindus and Moslems; woman who was offended at him not calling on her; how people became aides to governors; responsibilities for running governor=s house, arranging dinner parties; his first post at Khanpor?; haunted places, ghosts.

walking to dinner in order of seniority; Sunday evening was the only informal night; amazing dinners, eating for two hours solid; curries; battle days celebrated by different regiments; book called The Officer=s Mess; description and meaning of the mess; initiation ceremonies to regiments; Indian pipers, many trained by pipers from Highland regiment; etiquette; hill station of Peshawar; very difficult life for women; how women spent their time; expectations of British women in India; books on India; sports in India; importance of keeping fit; Governor Paine, a born artist, who did many sketches of India; pig sticking; Indian plains; Indians couldn=t pronounce letter As@; polo; hunting; few pastimes during rainy season; popularity of hockey; Abundabus@?, word used for many purposes; borrowing items for dinner party; Anglo-Indians formed close community; serving with Indian regiment; Awhips@ were hunt servants in Peshawar; corresponding with bearer many years later; difficulties for Indians at time of partition; took course with Indian regiment; long separations from home; moving around within India, transporting belongings of regiment; comparison of mess buildings; provided guard for small arms factory; history of his bungalow, description of typical bungalow; published articles on India to pay for his hunting exploits; Kashmir hunting trips; camera he used; bearers and porters on hunting expeditions; had to bring food, couldn=t live off country; gave his hunting trophies away, displayed in mess; size of staff for governors, living arrangement for staff, tasks of different servants; the Adog boy,@ servant who looked after dogs.