AFVOA Newsletter 03 of 2020

Section 5 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 03 / 2020 Page 103 of 167 with the passage of years. In short, sleep was impossible in the trenches where a better part of the night was spent. Sleeping under the stars did not look so romantic after all either. Rest was important for our performance and morale at this critical juncture. It was then wisely decided to book hotel rooms in the city, away from the noise, for anyone who wanted to get away from it. Necessary transport arrangements were also made. I was glad that good sleep was then assured. However, for me it did not work! The discussions at the bar and dining table covering the heroics of the day took toll on time. Views for next day’s plans never seemed to come to an end. The transport to the hotels would thus leave quite late and I could not get enough sleep. Besides being a pilot, I was also the adjutant of the squadron and this added to my workload. I am proud to add that our orderly room worked every day of the war and no paperwork or return was held back or delayed. As days went by, I realised that I needed to sleep and that too badly. Sometimes solution to a problem may come from most unexpected quarters. I was a non-drinker. Early in the war, I crossed a bar man in the officer’s mess. He was surprised that I had not been visiting the holy place even for that odd soft drink. I opened my heart and laid out my problem on the table. It is so easy sir – he said, and continued, just come to the bar at 7:30 PM – the bar opening time. I did. He poured out two large rums in a glass and I guess added coke to make it palatable for me. It was hard. I was reminded of the castor oil my mother would push down our throats when we were kids. I emptied the glass in quick time thus avoiding prolonging the pain. A quick dinner thereafter and