This story appeared in a 1942 issue of the Skegness Standard. It tells of a letter by Corpl. Frank Fowler Curtis, who is my sons' grandfather, (see below) which he sent to his parents, Mr and Mrs John Charles Fowler Curtis of 42 Cavendish Road Skegness, whilst he was serving in India.
Incidentally, Mr John Charles Fowler Curtis is the grandson of the John Curtis who built the Clock Tower in 1897/9/9.
In the letter Frank tells us about an Indian snake charmer which he saw whilst in India. Frank said the show made him feel sick.
'The individual let one of the snakes bite his tongue until blood was drawn, and finished up his performance by putting in his mouth a snake about a foot long, followed by the heads of three others, each about four feet in length'.
"He was dancing around with the bodies of these three dangling from his mouth. Quite a nice trick if you know how.'
"He was dancing around with the bodies of these three dangling from his mouth. Quite a nice trick if you know how.'
Frank said in the letter that he was hoping to soon get to Calcutta where "It will be quite a change after this typical Indian spot where, with the few smatterings of Hindustani I have picked up, I can just about make myself understood. It is great fun trying to learn the native children to understand English. Most of them run about with no clothes on, and usually have a piece of string tied around their stomachs with such things as a bunch of keys or queer little lockets tied to it as a guard against evil spirits.
"The woman do most of the work such as navvying and carry tremendous loads on their heads. All the bricklayers, labourers etc are women. The children start smoking at the age of about five - real husky, pot-bellied little blighters, and are about 50 in their ways. They have to look after themselves as soon as they can walk, and are taught to beg at an early age. They are always asking us for backsheesh.
"It is quite safe here, so please don't worry about me. It's a lot safer than anywhere in England at the moment, and we get loads of fruit. I have just eaten half-a-dozen bananas, which are only 4d a dozen. Besides that we get a free issue of 40 cigarettes and two boxes of matches a week. Woodbines and only 2d for ten here, and there are plenty of them."
Frank told his parents about his journey across India . He said the dust from the mere cart track was so thick that the men in the lorries looked like clay figures. Frank said that they had to carry loaded rifles, as they were in a district where the hills men are notorious for pillaging convoys.
Years later, Frank related to his children that he had never seen such marvelous scenery in all his life, the beauties of the landscape and his experiences throughout the long journey.
"The woman do most of the work such as navvying and carry tremendous loads on their heads. All the bricklayers, labourers etc are women. The children start smoking at the age of about five - real husky, pot-bellied little blighters, and are about 50 in their ways. They have to look after themselves as soon as they can walk, and are taught to beg at an early age. They are always asking us for backsheesh.
"It is quite safe here, so please don't worry about me. It's a lot safer than anywhere in England at the moment, and we get loads of fruit. I have just eaten half-a-dozen bananas, which are only 4d a dozen. Besides that we get a free issue of 40 cigarettes and two boxes of matches a week. Woodbines and only 2d for ten here, and there are plenty of them."
Frank told his parents about his journey across India . He said the dust from the mere cart track was so thick that the men in the lorries looked like clay figures. Frank said that they had to carry loaded rifles, as they were in a district where the hills men are notorious for pillaging convoys.
Years later, Frank related to his children that he had never seen such marvelous scenery in all his life, the beauties of the landscape and his experiences throughout the long journey.
In the letter Frank told his parents that there was one place where they stopped which was a frontier police camp, and thew airmen were the first white troops the natives had seen for years.
He said that the natives were quite friendly, and entertained the 400 Englishmen every night with weird dances, and in turn the airmen gave the natives a show.
He said that the natives were quite friendly, and entertained the 400 Englishmen every night with weird dances, and in turn the airmen gave the natives a show.
I was pleased when I found this article in the Skegness Standard in 1942, as the writer of the letter, Frank Curtis, is my sons' grandfather. Photo below: Frank, in military uniform, at his own wedding, in 1943. Corpl Frank Curtis' parents, referred to in the news article above, are immediately to the left of the groom.
Picture of Frank Curtis with grandson (my son) Roan Curtis in 1982
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