Glory days

Photograph: Rajib De
Rude shock greets former RAF man in city, writes Mathures Paul
Decades of indifferent and incompetent rule have robbed Kolkata of its past grandeur, leaving most hanging on to memories and a rude shock greets those returning after more than half a century. With an eye on a scrapbook of memories, and a box of Navy Flake Smoking Tobacco, Mr AW Holden tried to understand what went wrong since 1946 and whether any of his familiar places remain. The former RAF man spent his salad days in India, facing numerous problems, but the period between 1942 and 1946 remains his glory years. The 88-year-old is travelling across India ~ Calcutta, Shillong, Delhi ~ to find old acquaintances and pay homage to a few of his friends buried at Bhowanipore Cemetery.
In his scrapbook ~ a well maintained diary ~ are photographs of RAF aircraft landing on Red Road, Kolkata’s thoroughfare, and friends celebrating here and there. A menu card from Firpo’s, dating back to 8 December 1942, made Mr Holden speak his heart out. “There was comradeship everywhere. Everybody seemed happy even though those were troubled times. And everybody was proud of what they were doing… The Partition shouldn’t have taken place,” he said.
Joining the RAF in 1939 was his way out of a “factory-like” set up at one of his early places of employment. “I wanted to see the world and wasn’t afraid to be in war zones.” Photographs of the Hurricane landing on Red Road in 1942 and clippings from The Statesman fill Mr Holden’s scrapbook. The journey that brought him to India started when he left England in November 1941. Instead of enjoying Christmas in Durban (where he arrived on 22 December), instructions were given to sail for Bombay, where he arrived in January. From Madras he took a boat to Rangoon but after two months the Japanese “threw” them out. As part of the Woodpecker Squadron, Mr Holden’s task was to recover bits and pieces of airplanes and ensure the planes were always in the sky. “When the Japanese invaded we pushed ten planes into the sea.”
Life was tough and instead of enjoying his birthday on 20 February 1942, he was packed off to Kolkata. “In Asansol we had no airplanes but marking our arrival in Alipore two weeks later were nine planes. A bout of jaundice kept me away from action for a few weeks but then I arrived at Red Road where planes usually landed. The Japanese were bombing the docks but I’m not sure of their success rate.”
During the next few months he frequently visited Kolkata, understanding what made Firpo’s stand out. “While based in Kolkata our commanding squadron leader had an apartment at The Grand with ten beds. If one had too many drinks, the night was usually spent here. During a visit, I was asked to sleep in a room that was already occupied. Since the other gentleman was all wrapped up, I couldn’t see his face. Next morning I caught a glimpse of a Chinese general’s uniform lying on a chair. Slightly scared, I rushed through the breakfast that was for him (but he was still fast asleep) and left in a hurry!”
Mr Holden was to leave the squadron in 1944 but he was posted in Kanchapara to maintain Mosquito aircraft. After halting in northern Burma, he was off to Madras via Bombay. Finally he made it to Pune, halting at Karachi, from where he returned home. In 1975 Holden retired from the RAF.
He spends his days in Codsall, England, remembering the years spent in India.
Though slightly disappointed at the way we have maintained our city, Mr Holden is on a journey that few 88-year-olds would dare to undertake. He never fails to make us realise that some of the moments stay on for the long haul. And after all these years, he still looks back with wonder.