Unto the Hills by John Twells
Unto the Hills by John Twells
£34.00
“Don’t worry-I have the fortune to be with Gurkhas”
Written by John Twells (1923-2006) 1st King George Gurkha Rifles as “virtually autobiographical although told in the third person” (Sellers)” A few incidents have been embellished and certain characters amalgamated”.
“Wartime London – Young NCO’s to be Indian Army cadets – Convoy from Clyde – Attack on Convoy – Troopship Rows – South Atlantic- Smuts in Durban – Crisis in Egypt – Red Sea engine room mutiny – Mysore – Congress riots – Indian Nationalism – Gurkha depot – GHQ – Waziristan – Khyber – Afghan border columns – Silver convoy – Pathan encounters – Ganges floods – Bihar monsoon famine.”
“The Commonwealth campaign against the Japanese in Upper Burma as seem from within a Gurkha Battalion…”.” Very heavy Japan artillery barrages morning and night and furious night attacks by elements of their Tiger and Chrysanthemum Divisions for over a month. The ridge was the last defensive position on the direct road from Tamu into the dumps and depots of the Imphal plain which the Japanese desperately needed to capture.” “The Japs never got beyond that front.”
“3/1st Gurkhas went into Burma from the N.W.Frontier (Rifles) in December 1943 with 13 British Officers of whom only 2 were not killed or wounded.”
“Sternwheeler – Hospital – Calcutta – Jungle Training Division – Murder – Hindu ceremonies – Wildlife in Viceroys preserves – Communal Riots – Kashmir – Yoga – Air trooping – The forbidden country – Walking to Kathmandu – The Court of Nepal – Peshawar – and parachutes – Peace keeping with flying columns – cricket – Partition.”
Lifelong friends were photographed and stories told Captain Subedar Major Ramsaran Pun Buhadur Indian Order of Merit – Jamader Rambir Thapor – Ghalam Hussein – Ditta Ram – Dick Welch 4th Gurkhas and so many fellow Gurkha officers John Twells M.B.E. became a successful Journalist, married with a family of four.