Memories of WW II and two Easter Sundays

My brother boasted he announced to the household and immediate neighbourhood the stunning news on September 1, 1939, by placing a painted placard on the door of our play tent in Katukelle, Kandy, which read War is Declared. I did not know who was warring against whom; however pictures of Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler were etched in my child’s mind. And then restrictions and change of mode of living were felt with; however, a sense of complete security with widowed Mother managing things well, assisted by Grandfather.

Restrictions and Rationing

We soon felt the effects of war: difficulty in getting imported stuff like butter and cheese due to shipping to and from the UK being highly restricted. Torpedo laden German submarines prowled the oceans. Even local food was restricted because vast numbers of soldiers stationed in the island had to be fed – mostly local food. Later more were stationed in Kandy; the South East Asia Command (SEAC) being headquartered in Peradeniya. Dashingly handsome Lord Louis Mountbatten – Head of SEAC – resided in the Peradeniya Gardens, seen horse riding in Udawathakele. This was during the latter years of WW II when fighting was severe in the Far East, Japan having bombed Pearl Harbour on December 8, 1941.

Hundreds of soldiers were billeted in Kandy, its environs and more in Peradeniya. They were differentiated by us kids as ‘White’ – British, Canadian and Australian; Indian – with some in turbans, the name Gurkha being mentioned; and ‘Black’ – from African countries. The last were the most dreaded by us children but more so by villagers. Rare consequences of secret co-habiting were evident later by the birth of unusually dark babies with crinkly hair. Presumably more consensual than rape; soldiers being generous with money, food stuff and cigarettes. Discipline was strict among them.

Conditions then

As I mentioned earlier, food was scarce. Oliver Goonetilake was Food Commissioner liaising with the foreign army commanders. One could not even transport one’s own paddy and rice from owned village fields without a permit from the Kandy Kachcheri. Mother was managing things competently with my eldest brother helping. His greater help was keeping a strict eye on my three elder sisters’ friendships. Our family, like many others, was conservative. Romances were strictly debarred, but the elder two had their love interest intact, with secrecy. Exchanged letters and brief encounters in the much chaperoned gatherings of family friends, was all they enjoyed. I remember clearly running to the postbox at the junction of the upper Peradeniya Road and the lower road to the Kandy market, to post letters. They were my second sister’s correspondence with a relative, disapproved of by Mother as a mere clerk. She had ambitions for this most beautiful daughter: marriage to a higher grade public servant.

I also remember a widow who had seen much better times with her husband, who shot himself. Many a day she would visit, pleading with Mother to let her have some raw rice. Pity would overcome Mother’s fear of being detected ‘transporting rice’ – a punishable offence. Thus son Teddy arriving surreptitiously late in the evening to collect a bag of rice through a window in our front room.

Preparedness

Air raid practices were soon initiated in Kandy. The moment the ominous wail of the siren was heard we hurried under a bed with pencils stuck across mouths. An air raid shelter was built in the neighbourhood; Mother said we were not going down in it. Why? No exposure of elder daughters to the scrutiny of other shelter seekers and Air Raid Wardens. In schools, these practices were on at least once a week. Miss Allen, Principal Girls’ High School where we were students, would blow her whistle and march from block to block peeping into classrooms. Sometimes, kids in our class – Middle Kindergarten (age 6) – would fall asleep on their desks! A second whistle ended the practice session.

Admiral Louis Mountbatten in Kandy.

Blackout was strictly enforced with less lights being switched on or lamps in homes lit. No road lights. Very thick curtains were insisted upon and if streaks of light escaped outside, the Warden in charge of the area would visit and reprimand.

We never went outdoors after early sunset. Mother was particularly apprehensive of soldiers coming to our verandah with dating girls in mind. This was mostly due to the next door Burgher family entertaining soldiers for evening parties. Sylvia, the grown up daughter, would play the piano and sing while couples ballroom-danced; considered a heinous crime by Mother. It was whispered that that home had plenty butter, corned beef, chocolates and other forbidden luxuries. Maybe alcohol too was brought in by the soldiers.

One probably drunken soldier did enter our verandah one early night. Mother gathered all of us like an enfolding hen and we silently shivered. A rickshaw coolie parked his vehicle in the open front verandah and slept therein too; a security guard to us. He intrepidly rose to the occasion and persuaded or man-handled the intruder. Mother was so thankful that henceforth he was served dinner and breakfast!

It happened one early night that the next door neighbor – Fernandos – had to be visited to get some brandy probably, which was a panacea for all ailments then, or ginger to boil Kottamalli. Mother opted to take me along – her escort – leaving my older brother to guard the sisters. Mother decided to exit from our back door and walk along on the lower road, since Peradeniya Road was full of soldiers returning to their barracks. I remember clearly my mother clutching tight my hand and us entering a totally dark road. But glowing with many red lights surging forward. They were the lighted cigarettes between lips of a multitude of walking soldiers. Knocking on the Fernando’s back door we got what we wanted and Mr Fernando magnanimously walked us back to our door. I still picture that scene: the marching boots with no bodies seen, only the red brightening and dimming as cigarettes were smoked.

Totally unaware of the dread suffered by the elders due to the soldiers’ presence in vast numbers, we kids quite enjoyed showing the V sign to passing, open backed vans and trucks that traversed Peradeniya Road. We would stop our evening games in neighbours’ homes and run out on the road with the sign for victory held above our heads with the first and second fingers raised. We were often rewarded for our ‘patriotism’ with the soldiers throwing us chocolates, sweets and packets of chewing gum (forbidden by mothers then as teeth damagers).

Privation to foreign residents

Shipping to England was especially dangerous and thus resident British were greatly inconvenienced, being deprived of their annual furloughs in the home country and delays or non-arrival of newspapers and letters. We once were at morning Assembly in the KHS hall when Miss Allen announced the death of our Irish Vice Principal, sailing to UK when the ship she was on board was torpedoed.

I suppose this restriction was suffered by planters in our tea estates, at that time all British. It was later that locals were recruited as ‘creepers’ and took over estates and enjoyed furloughs in Britain, traveling by ship.

Easter Sunday 1942

Things were hotting up world-wide with two ferocious wars on-going in two regions: Europe and the Far East. The Japanese armies had advanced almost to the Indian border. Ceylon was embroiled with SEAC stationed here and the Trincomalee harbor used for naval forays and as a refuge for attacked Allied ships. Colombo suffered an air attack on Easter Sunday April 5, 1942, the target of the raid being the destruction of the British Eastern Fleet in the Trincomalee Harbour. Much has been written about this and a later Japanese air raid.

There was unease even in Kandy. My elder sister was married and living in Katugastota. This brother–in-law, more a father to us siblings than an in-law, suggested we move to his sister’s home where he and my sister were living then. Many schools closed temporarily and some opened branches in securer areas in the Hill Country.

Leonard Birchall who spotted the approaching Japanese armada

We moved to Ranawana, Katugastota, and lived with a family of five children. The generosity of the host family is remembered with joy and gratitude.

And then on May 8, 1945, the war in Europe was over with Allied Forces marching as conquerors to Germany – VE Day. The war in the Far East ended on August 15, 1945, with the surrender of Japan signed by Emperor Hirohito. The day was named VJ Day.

Gradually the situation in Kandy, especially, moved to how it had been before the war. We returned to our home on Peradeniya Road, Katukelle, to a secure life and resumed schooling which we had missed for months.

Easter Sunday 2019

Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019, is still painfully fresh in mind and kept in the news by the quest for the mastermind that goaded or encouraged the terrorist suicide bombing of three churches and three luxury hotels in Colombo. Some 269 people lost their lives, including at least 45 foreigners and three police officers and eight suicide bombers while 500 were injured.

Neither the affected families nor the Catholic Church have had the comfort of closure of this most terrible tragedy. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith keeps insisting on the truth being bared as he firmly believes there was a hidden hand behind the bombings – not solely that of the Islamic die-hards nor ISIS – but an instigating political push given them. The latest is ex Prez Sirisena declaring he knows who was, or whom were, the instigators of the massive massacre for personal gain. Sri Lanka needs to have the truth out and due compensation paid those who suffered.