First Field Assignment

Heroes Remember

First Field Assignment

Transcript

I was then posted to Peshawar District Signals now in Pakistan and there, there was another chap also from my squad with me. We were both sent to the signal training centre, sorry, signal centre run by the British there for sending all the outgoing messages, receiving messages from the inside and distributing them to the concerned addressees. So we both were deterred, I was there too, and then they put us on the normal ordinary duties. So after doing those normal ordinary duties for two months, I told the sergeants, I said, “Sir, can you not put me on the wireless set, because I’ve got a good speed of reading and writing.” He looked at me with a surprise, “You think you can operate a wireless set?” he said. I said, “I think so.” He said, “I don’t think you fellows are so fit that.” I said, “I am prepared to compete with them.” You see, I was so confident of my own. I said I am prepared to compete with them and after I kept telling him again and again he put me on the wireless set and I was very successful there.

Description

Mr. Jauhal discusses his promotion to wireless operator during his first posting in Pakistan.

Pritam Jauhal

Pritam S. Jauhal, was born in Jalandhar, Punjab Province, India on October 4, 1920. He was one of four children. At his mother’s insistence, he moved at the age of sixteen to New Delhi to further his education. Here he lived with his aunt and uncle. Mr. Jauhal’s father had served in the First World War, and Mr. Jauhal himself enlisted in 1937, citing the threat of global domination by Hitler as his reason. He joined the England Corps of Signals. He became a wireless operator, and served in that capacity during the Allied campaign to liberate North Africa. Mr. Jauhal saw no further action in the war, but remained in the Indian army. He served three tours of duty during the wars with Pakistan, and was also a member of the International Control Commission in Hanoi. Mr. Jauhal retired with the rank of Colonel.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:
Person Interviewed:: Pritam Jauhal
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: Peshawar, Pakistan
Branch:: Army
Units/Ship:: Fifth British Division
Rank:: Colonel
Occupation:: Wireless Operator

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First Field Assignment

Heroes Remember