Interview with Lt. Col. Denis de Gruchy Lambert [sound recording]

Discusses his career in India 1922-1947. Summary: Playback Cassette Side 1: Born near Bombay. His father was with GIP Railway after running away from home. Lambert left Sandhurst 1920 to join Scinde Horse because of family connections in Scinde province. One year with a British Regiment First as w...

Full description

Archive & Special Collections OA4/11 Closed

Order number: OA4, Memories of the British in India, Sound Cassettes, Box 1 [CLOSED]
Date(s) of creation: 4 April 1984
Level: Item
Format: Archive           
Main author: Lambert; Denis de Gruchy (b 1900); Indian army officer
Other authors: Macdonald; Margaret (fl 1984); interviewer

collection SOAS Archive
id OA4.11
recordtype archive
scb_item_location Archive & Special Collections
item_location Archive & Special Collections
scb_loan_type Reference only
scb_order_with OA4, Memories of the British in India, Sound Cassettes, Box 1 [CLOSED]
callnumber OA4/11
callnumber_txt OA4/11
callnumber-sort OA4/11
prefix_number 11
scb_previous_numbers OA2/68/1-2
title Interview with Lt. Col. Denis de Gruchy Lambert [sound recording]
scb_date_creation 4 April 1984
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 1 sound casette
author Lambert; Denis de Gruchy (b 1900); Indian army officer
author_facet Lambert; Denis de Gruchy (b 1900); Indian army officer
Macdonald; Margaret (fl 1984); interviewer
authorStr Lambert; Denis de Gruchy (b 1900); Indian army officer
author_letter Lambert; Denis de Gruchy (b 1900); Indian army officer
author2 Macdonald; Margaret (fl 1984); interviewer
author2Str Macdonald; Margaret (fl 1984); interviewer
format Archive
scb_admin_history Lt. Col. Denis de Gruchy Lambert - Indian Army (Scinde Horse) 1922-47. ADC to the Governor of the United Provinces 1931-33.
scb_custodial_history Recorded as part of the ’Memories of the British in India’ project by India Office Library & Records [subsequently the Oriental and India Office Collection, British Library]. This recording was previously held at SOAS Library as part of the 'British in India Oral Archive Project' collection [Reference OA2], removed from this collection in August 2014 to reflect the recording’s alternative provenance as part of the ‘Memories of the British in India’ project.
description Discusses his career in India 1922-1947. Summary: Playback Cassette Side 1: Born near Bombay. His father was with GIP Railway after running away from home. Lambert left Sandhurst 1920 to join Scinde Horse because of family connections in Scinde province. One year with a British Regiment First as was usual for Indian Army officers - went into Royal Irish Regiment. Joined Scindc Horse in Jubbulpore 1921, just after amalgamation. Spent 3 pleasant years there. Once out shooting partridge, bitten by snake in back of leg. Friend took him back to Military Hospital on a motorbike. Indian doctor thought he was drunk at first. Unable to identify the snake but it turned out to be a Russell's viper and Lambert was the first to be injected with antidote for this snake in India. Came to 10 days later but in hospital 2 months and refused to have leg amputated. Returned to England and hospital and thought to be unfit for army because unable to put down flat. Examined by French doctors in Algiers who told him he could return to a cavalry' regiment, as he wanted to do. Rejoined regiment which moved to Dera Ismail Khan on the river Indus. Very hot and oppressive. After a couple of years, marched up to Quetta. Took 23 days with only camels as transport. Spent 3 pleasant years there. Lots of shooting, polo and hunting. Leave was 2 months leave a year. Lambert went on trips in the high Himalayas up to 14.000 feet. Nearly caught by black bear on occasions. Led by wonderful Kashmiris over frightening country with huge drops. Others stayed in Srinagar for the break. With the Regiment, worked long hours. Daily timetable of cavalry regiment - revolved round horses. Regiment divided into classes: one squadron each of Sikhs, Pathans and Mohammedans from Delhi. Palhans and Sikhs were traditional old enemies but no trouble in his experience. Sikhs well educated and clever and used Urdu, which was universal language in Indian Army. Pathans usually could only speak own language and had to be taught Urdu - fierce, from the hills. Delhi Mohammedans were complete gentlemen. Lambert also had to learn Urdu within 2 years or leave. These squadrons had very different ways of receiving their pay which reflected their different tribes but they were welded together within the Regiment. Became ADC to Lord Hailey. Governor of UP. Very nice man - picked up a lot. After two and a half years, met his wife, who was companion to a Maharani. Before the wedding. Hailey had to go home for medical reasons. In Naini Tal. his senior officers all thought they would get the job. Surprised that Hailey named his successor as an unknown Indian Nawab. Sir Ahmed Said. He was Mohammedan in this mainly Hindu province. Treated very well by the surprised officers. Asked Lambert (nicknamed Willow) to be his ADC. His wife in purdah took over top storey of Government House. After six months, Lambert left to marry at Lucknow. Said gave them wedding party in Government House. They then visited various Rajahs. Anecdote of one with air conditioning - very unusual. This was "Puss in Boots” India. (Break) This Nawab of Rampur(?) gave large dinner party at which there was a wine waiter who had been the Chief Justice and hoped to become the Chief of Police in the state. They went home on honeymoon and returned 1935. Regiment then in Balaram(?), Hyderabad state. Great poverty there: locals allowed to take rats caught in the stables to feed family; children would pick up horse dung to pick out the grain to eat. Death close at hand in India. Case of horse with rabies. Earlier, in Jubbulpore. there was a lot of plague. Saw people earning bodies on two poles. No inoculation unless some indication. Then moved to Rawalpindi for 3 years. Lambert then passed Intelligence course and joined Government of India Intelligence Bureau in Peshawar. Mostly work on Afghan tribes. 1936 Kysora Campaign against Faqir of Ipi. Column supplied by parachute for first time. Ipi chased but never caught and went on to help Germany in World War 2. Only wireless communication. Heard something was happening - this turned out to be the Abdication Crisis. Was part of Indian Contingent for the coronation of George VI. Returned to India. 1938. Scinde Horse chosen to be mechanised. At first, very disgruntled and sorry to lose horses to become armoured car regiment. But mechanisation went smoothly, even though the men had scarcely seen an armoured car and had been used to riding horses. Taught to drive within 4-5 months and armoured cars easier to look after than horses. Regiment then took over from Tank Corps on the Frontier patrols. Only men allowed to drive, not officers. Sometimes shot at. Two years there. When War broke out. Regiment went off to the Caspian. Lambert became instructor for armoured cars, then to Burma. War changed things because there were no longer Indian Officers who had worked their way up through the ranks and who were the backbone of everything. (Equivalent of Warrant Officer) They had 15 years' service and spoke Urdu and sometimes French. Never spoke English, even if they could. Very loyal men from the villages. Regiment originally raised to conquer rebellious Scinde in 1839 by Napier. (Tells of famous "Peccav” telegram.) Now part of Indian Army, although the two Mohammedan squadrons thrown out. Indian National Army started in Burma and run by Japanese. Joined only by Sikhs who had been ill-treated as POWs in Germany and promised great things. Otherwise, came across very little sedition in India except in Bengal. Called out by civil power quite often to keep Hindus and Mohammedans apart. Apart from that, very quiet. Officers went to pray with the different religions at their festivals. It also helped that officers could speak their languages. Anecdote of how very nice was the head man of the Regiment, who became an Indian Officer (a sort of Regimental Sergeant-Major). Summary: Playback Cassette Side 2: In Rangoon, transferred to Remount Dept. War in Burma dependent upon mules - essential to getting supplies about in the flooded countryside. Japanese prisoners coming in from all sides. Perked up after a while on British rations but had lost their spirit because they were not supposed to be captured. Heard that the cathedral was to be re-dedicated after desecration - almost the first since the Middle Ages. Japs had used it as a stable and brothel. Anyone who wanted to attend asked to bring a cushion or packing case because all the pews burnt. Gave some chaps a lift in his jeep with their packing cases. Hundreds of slippers in the porch left there by Burmese Christians. Front rows given to soldiery with civilians behind. People very moved - crying for joy. Strings of bulbs from the roof for lighting. About thirty parsons of various denominations in the procession. Bishop preceded by a Burmese boy earning a bowl of something like hyssop which he sprayed like holy water. A wonderful occasion. Lambert very impressed. Not in India for Independence. Had not been home for ten years. His wife had already gone with their two sons and he felt that he must get home. Offered a job and chose a new veterinary Remount Depot. Then went on one year's leave and left a few weeks before the terrible things happened. Came as great surprise to him. At the time, commanding a big Remount Depot of 2.500 acres at Saharanpur. He was always salaamed with two hands in the air. Very peaceful there. Before his wife left, told her not to go into the bazaar because trouble was coming. But she did go, with the cook, and said the feeling there was delightful. But it felt like before a thunder storm. (Gap then music and other unrelated material.)
scb_access_status Closed
scb_conditions_gov_access Sound recording currently unavailable at SOAS Library due to preservation reasons. Researchers can access a copy of this audio recording at the British Library Listening & Viewing Service. For more details see www.bl.uk/listening or contact listening@bl.uk / 020 7412 7418.
scb_copyright Copyright held by British Library
scb_use_restrictions Private study only. For publication or broadcast please refer to Archivist
language English
language_search English
scb_originals Original sound recording of interview available at British Library Listening & Viewing Service [Reference: C63/136-138]
hierarchy_top_id_raw OA4
hierarchy_sequence OA4.0011

Similar items