Kamptee Club

Fcebook Group on Kamptee.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1391970817737169/

Kamptee Club was where we had all the fun. It was a daily haunt after school.

We had facilities for various sports, there were movies screened, and we made up our own games.

The movies were screened in an open-air ground on a white screen. When we were not allowed to watch certain movies, we simply sat on the other side of the screen and quickly ran home before the movie ended and our parents got home.

Kamptee club has also not changed at all in 43 years. When I visited there was absolutely no one, except some workers in the club. I walked about freely in every room without anyone approaching me.

The club main soft drink was Vimto and a Mango juice. Vimto is similar to Coke but also tastes nothing like Coke.

The Club secretary was Mr James and we would trouble him for old Tennis Balls.

Besides the club were Orange and Starfruit orchards belonging to Ramnath Lohia. We loved stealing the fruits from his Orchard. We ate the starfruits whole and I did not know at that time that when you slice the starfruit it has the shape of a star.

The Tennis court where my Mom and Dad played which is not used anymore. Ok, this has changed.

The main entrance of Kamptee Club.

Our Indoor Badminton Court and Hall with real wooden floor. In the far end is a stage where my brother Sydney and sister Carol acted in the play "The Bishops Candlesticks". Sydney was the Bishop, and Carol his sister. I also did a Bhangra dance over here. We used to have regular lotto (Also called Housie, Tambola, Bingo etc.) and Badminton and Table Tennis Tournaments.

We would collect the used shuttles and Mom would carefully take the good feathers from one and replace the broken ones on the other, before stitching it up. Viola! Brand new Shuttles, stronger than the original. 4 good shuttles from 6 discarded ones.

The corridors on the side which was also part of our made-up games. The corridor on the other side housed the billiards room. There was still a fine Billiards room when I visited.

The Gazebo in the background of the club and river beyond that.

View of the Club from the Gazebo

View of the Kannan River from the club.

Madhav Ghat - Kannan River, Kamptee

Kannan River, Kamptee.

 

Our House 3 The Mall

Facebook group on Kamptee
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1391970817737169/


In Kamptee we had a huge house perhaps bigger than the President's house of many countries.

We had countless chickens, a dog, a cow, a goat and a lamb. Not counting Sydney's snakes and squirrel.

With all those animals and birds, a vast flower garden,  a substantial vegetable garden, a huge house, and 5 children, our great Mom managed all of that single-handed. Dad was in the border front. They don't make Mom's like that anymore. 

In front of our house was a huge Neem tree where you could sometimes find the whole family resting on the branches, along with our dog, Penny and the lamb. The dog and the lamb were best of friends.

Our dog Penny would take care of the chicks while they were feeding in the gardens and the Mother Hen would wander off knowing her chicks were safe with Penny. Penny even killed a Hawk who was trying to grab a chick. Penny would wake my Mom up at night when it sensed a snake had entered the house and then Sydney and Danny would go into action finding the snake. Sydney would have one more snake to his collection. Penny was a stray dog whom we adopted, but he was one of the most intelligent dogs I have known.

I should have had a seperate post on Penny. Here is one comment from Chris Lobo:

I remember the Kamptee club (especially the shiny badminton court) and the river which I think was dry when we were there (mid-summer). Off course I recall your house clearly and the way that one of you used to fiddle with the water meter (I think that’s what it was).

I might have told you the story of how Penny saved my bacon one day. One evening all of us boys were playing in a sand pit near your house when suddenly we realised that it was time to go home (curfew!). Every one ran off except me and Penny as I couldn’t find one of my slippers which had been buried in the sand. As I was frantically searching I started to weep knowing that I was in for a hiding for losing my slipper. Well, to my utmost surprise it was Penny who dug out my lost slipper – imagine it – she understood what I was looking for and helped me find it!! Really an exceptional one. I gave her a great big hug - I was that grateful.

I also remember our trip to Nagpur – lunch at Kwality and ice cream after …

 



When they built a Golf Club next to our house, we would find a lot of them whenever the grass was cut. The grass could grow to 4 feet tall. We used the balls  for playing Crciket. Beats playing with a old sock stuffed with old wet newspapers, which we used before the Golf Club came along.

I could not find the house on this visit,  either because it was brought down,  or because it was cordoned off by the army. It had dense forest surrounding it, and I could not see beyond a few trees.

The Back Gate to our house locked by the Army.

Bharat Bhushan's House right in front of our house. I remember his name as it was a catchy name. These house were built during our time and we loved to play hide-and-seek when they dug up for the foundation works

Our House and gardens. Now we can only see it on Google Maps. Thank you Google

This house of then Capt Khanna was in front of our house. Then because I don't know his current rank. This was a very small house in comparison to ours.

It was a sad day when their dog died run over by a car. 48 years back in Kamptee you could count the vehicles on the fingers of one of your hands. He still had to die under one.

The best part of being in the Indian Army is the huge houses you get.

Correction by Roland Lobo

One small correction....Capt Khanna's dog did not die in a road accident. Sydney and I were going somewhere, and we exited through the gap in the fence. As we got out, we saw this little dog being mauled by a group of street dogs. We chased off the dogs, and took the little one home, but it was too late. I still remember how devastated Capt Khanna was. Talking about dogs, another of your friends had a dog called Tiger...the most ferocious dog I have ever seen.

 

The 4 Chokra boys after playing Holi. L to R Mervyn, Sydney, Danny & Hansel in front of the guard house of our house.

Our house in the background.

Our whole family L to R. Carol, Dad, Mervyn, Danny, Mom, Hansel & Sydney

 

Uncle Charles and Aunt Eileen, one of our favourite and closest realtives. You can see our cowshed in the background, at our house at 3 the Mall.

All the kids from ours and Uncle Charles family
L to R
Mervyn, Carol, Hansel, Danny,  Don, Roland (top) Chris and Sydney.

Dont miss our dog Penny.

Kamptee Army Area

Facebook group on Kamptee

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1391970817737169/

The Army Cantonment area in Kamptee was a beautiful place and so remains after all these years years. 

The Army Postal Service grounds where I had my first formal race which I won with my older participants. It was here that I discovered my sprinting abilities and talent football talent. My father was a Major in the Army Postal Service.

Another ground of APS, where the football team practiced. APS had a very good football team which inspired us all.

Officers Mess of the Guards, my brother, Sydney's regiment.

Another picture of the Guards officers Mess.

Brigade of the Guards museum. The indoor movie The indoor movie hall of EME Centre, is also close by. I remember patiently waiting to see the movie Dr Zhivago, which was to be screened in a few months. I found it to be the most boring movie I had seen, because of my age. When I saw it again after I was older I loved the movie

LANCE NAIK ALBERT EKKA 14 GUARDS (NO 4239746) Lance Naik Albert Ekka was in the left forward company of a battalion of the Brigade of Guards during their attack on the enemy defences at Gangasagar on the Eastern front. This was a well-fortified position held in strength by the enemy. The assaulting troops were subjected to intense shelling and heavy small-arms fire, but they charged onto the objective and were locked in bitter hand-to-hand combat. Lance Naik Albert Ekka noticed an enemy light machine-gun (LMG) inflicting heavy casualties on his company. With complete disregard for his personal safety, he charged the enemy bunker, bayoneted two enemy soldiers and silenced the LMG. Though seriously wounded in this encounter, he continued to fight alongside his comrades through the mile deep objective, clearing bunker after bunker with undaunted courage. Towards the northern end of the objective one enemy medium machine-gun (MMG) opened up from the second storey of a well-fortified building inflicting heavy casualties and holding up the attack. Once again this gallant soldier, without a thought for his personal safety, despite his serious injury and the heavy volume of enemy fire, crawled forward till he reached the building and lobbed a grenade into the bunker killing one enemy soldier and injuring the other. The MMG however continued to fire. With outstanding courage and determination Lance Naik Albert Ekka scaled a side wall and entering the bunker, bayoneted the enemy soldier who was still firing and thus silenced the machine-gun, saving further casualties to his company and ensuring the success of the attack. In this process however, he received serious injuries and succumbed to them after the capture of the objective.
In this action, Lance Naik Albert Ekka displayed the most conspicuous valour and determination and made the supreme sacrifice in the best traditions of the Army. (Source: Wikipedia)

St Josephs Convent and Church

An important landmark in Kamptee is the St Josephs convent and the adjacent church.

I studied at this school. Yes, it is a convent and yes I am not a girl, but the Nuns allowed a few boys to study here, as there was no good boys schools in Kamptee. The school had a boarding where many girls from Bombay studied. You may think lucky me, but at that age who is interested in girls.

St Joseph's Primary School. This was my first and last school in Kamptee. When my younger brother, Mervyn, joined the school, I put him in his class line at the assembly, on his first day at school. I asked him to wait in that line, and joined my own class line.

When we had our recess two hours later, he was still standing there and had not joined his class. When asked why he was standing there he said, " You told me to wait here". You can't argue with that reasoning.


The grounds in front was where the school fair was held. I remember my Mom giving us 10 Paise each (USD  0.16 Cents, not even 1 cent). I spent my 10 Paise playing those games where you almost win, but never really win. Mervyn wanted to buy something to eat. I convinced him to let me play as we could win much more. Of course, I lost it all;  the guilt has never left me. Perhaps that is why I have never gambled or bought a lottery, after that.

The Principal was Sr Agatha, quite the strict type. I was glad to hear she is     well and now lives in Jabalpur.

Sister Rita Crasta who welcomed me on my visit is standing in front of my 5th grade classroom. My teacher was then Sr Winifred. Almost nothing has changed at the convent.

I also met Sr Maria Rose who gave me a book she had written of her life working in the slums. I will read it soon

Sr Marie Rose of St Joseph's Convent has written this book which she gave to me.

The Stage which was open-air in those days. Both Mervyn and I acted in plays on this stage.

The main building of St Joseph's Convent, Kamptee.

Kamptee Catholic Church adjacent to the School. 'The Church of Immaculate Conception'. I understand this is the oldest church in Central India built in the 1800's.

Mass Timings of the church

The priest house where I met the current Parish priest Fr Felix

The side walls of the church where we played marbles and the blue building behind where I went for Altar boys practice and where some brothers of the Parish lived. Was also an office.

Another view of the church showing the primary school too.