Interview with John Morris [sound recording]

Audio recording of oral history interview with John Morris, covering the period 1916-1930. Cassette side OA1/49/1: Prior knowledge of India. Recruitment to Indian Army 1916 in 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles. Voyage to India; protocol on board. Arrival in Bombay; train journey to Dehra Dun....

Full description

Archive & Special Collections OA1/49/1-4 Closed

Date(s) of creation: 1972-1974
Level: Item
Format: Archive           
Main author: Morris; John (fl 1916-1972); army officer
Other authors: Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer

collection SOAS Archive
id OA1.49.1-4
recordtype archive
scb_item_location Archive & Special Collections
item_location Archive & Special Collections
scb_loan_type Reference only
callnumber OA1/49/1-4
callnumber_txt OA1/49/1-4
callnumber-sort OA1/49/1-4
prefix_number 1-4
title Interview with John Morris [sound recording]
scb_date_creation 1972-1974
scb_level Item
level_sort 8/Collection/Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Sub-Collection/Series/Sub-Series/Sub-Sub-Series/File/Item
scb_extent 2 hr. approx.
author Morris; John (fl 1916-1972); army officer
author_facet Morris; John (fl 1916-1972); army officer
Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer
authorStr Morris; John (fl 1916-1972); army officer
author_letter Morris; John (fl 1916-1972); army officer
author2 Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer
author2Str Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer
format Archive
scb_admin_history British officer in Indian Army.
description Audio recording of oral history interview with John Morris, covering the period 1916-1930. Cassette side OA1/49/1: Prior knowledge of India. Recruitment to Indian Army 1916 in 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles. Voyage to India; protocol on board. Arrival in Bombay; train journey to Dehra Dun. Post-war boredom of Lansdowne station. Dislike of protocol; description of calling system. Description of Gurkhas; stories illustrating their characteristics. Characteristics of British officers: dominance of senior officers; means of suppressing individualists. Cassette side OA1/49/2: Fashionable regiments. Description of various aspects of mess life in Lansdowne: dinners; conversation; breakfast; magazine subscription. Opinion that British women acted as bad influence in India; status of officers' wives; recollection of one such woman's influence on regiment. Drinking habits. Shopping by post; catalogues. Political officer's insistence on dressing for lunch. Story illustrating triviality of protocol. Cassette side OA1/49/3: Lansdowne mess and club. Respect for Indian Civil Service. Importance of hunting; Morris's disapproval. Keenness to learn language; efforts during recruiting trip to Darbhanga; success. Effects of isolation. Mess attitudes to independence. Backwater nature of Darbhanga. Liking for mountains and people of North East as opposed to North West Frontier. Attraction of Buddhist culture to men such as Younghusband. Origin of Morris's dislike of Pathans in 1922 incident. Cassette side OA1/49/4: Acting as interpreter on 1922 Everest expedition; eagerness to visit Tibet. Military composition of expedition. Unsuitable clothes. Description of Mallory. Visit to Pamirs; stay as guest of Hunza's local Mir. Holy men. Abominable snowman. Hatred of Calcutta; reaction to poverty. British incorruptibility: differing Indian attitude. Moral standards. Story illustrating refusal of army officers to associate with Indians; prevalence of this attitude. Opinions on British society in India and nature of Raj.
scb_access_status Closed
scb_conditions_gov_access Access to sound recording of this interview is currently unavailable at SOAS Library. The transcript can be consulted. Researchers can access a copy of this sound recording at the British Library Listening & Viewing Service. Reference: C1510/49/01-04. For more details see www.bl.uk/listening or contact listening@bl.uk / 020 7412 7418.
scb_copyright Copyright held by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
scb_use_restrictions Private study only. For publication or broadcast please refer to Archivist
language English
language_search English
scb_copies Copy available at British Library Listening & Viewing Service. Reference: C1510/49/01-04 Copy available at Imperial War Museum. Reference: 004948/04
scb_related_material Transcript available at SOAS Library. Reference: OA1/49/T
hierarchy_top_id_raw OA1
hierarchy_sequence OA1.0049.001-4

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