IT WAS 10.10 AM By A. J. D'Cruz
[A.J.D'Cruz's life was featured in C. Hubert D'Souza's book 'Sloreata Saligao', which features profiles of eminent people from this North Goa village. It is reproduced here with AJD's account of the Burma Trek, contributed by his grand-daughter Patsy Menezes. A.J .D'Cruz passed away in 1959.] [Patsy Menezes, who contributed the article by her grandfather A.J D'Cruz as well as the pages from his diary, is a retired teacher living in the family home at 250/1 Mohan Nagar, Nagpur 440001 with her eldest sister Muriel and cousin Bertram.] On December 23, 1941, the Japanese came over early at 10.10 a.m and started bombing Rangoon . My son was living in Thompson Street and parked all around his house were the motor trucks which used to ply between Rangoon and China[LaTeX Command: index] carrying all materials including arms for the use of the Chinese forces. The Japanese planes spotted the trucks from the air and became furious like bulls spotting a red rag. They bombed the trucks indiscriminately, making them turn into something like matchboxes. Unfortunately, however, one of the bombs fell on the upper storey of the house in which my son was living. It passed through the roof, upper storey flooring, and burst on the ground floor in the midst of the family, killing my son and his family consisting of six members. All were killed, but my son was alive until he reached the hospital ; he died on admission. On hearing this news I left my house with all my children and grandchildren and shifted to Ady Road and remained there for 17 days, thinking that the Japs would go away or be driven away; but nothing of the kind happened. The Japanese continued to bomb Rangoon day and night and promises held out by the Burma Government were never fulfilled. Eventually, at the request of my son Victor, we all migrated to Mawlaik on January 7, 1942, leaving behind Arnold and Robert, who had to recover all valuable papers and jewellery which were deposited in the strong room of the Mercantile Bank , along with the valuables of A. Fraser Ltd. I also left the car which was to be used by them in case the Railway services were interrupted. We arrived at Monywa the following day and the Civil Surgeon of the place Dr. Crane met us at the station, at the request of my son, Victor. He took us to his house and made us comfortable till 10.30 p.m when he accompanied us to the ferry boat that plied between Monywa and Mawlaik. We arrived at Mawlaik on the third day after leaving Monywa , and Victor came on the boat and took us to his house where we made our stay for three months, again thinking that the Japanese would go away. As the days and months passed, we found however that it was a real conquest of Burma.The Japanese bombed and took every town and township. When they took Mandalay and were planning to take Monywa , there was no more safety for us; so I decided to evacuate to India. I registered myself and all my children to proceed to India in the next convoy used for Europeans. Within a few days, the evacuation officer turned up in the morning and said that the convey was leaving at 11 a.m. that day, and if we wanted to go with the family we had better get ready and be at the steamer docks by 10.30 a.m. No futher enquiries were made as to who was going to pay our passages or what we would get to eat during the journey. All we were concerned about was to get away safely. We left by the steamboat and arrived at a place called Yuwa at 6 p.m., where a camp was opened out and arrangements for sleeping, accommodation and food were made by the Government. We slept there soundly and were detained for two days for want of transport to carry us further. The following morning, about 60 evacuees who were at the head of the list were picked out and sent further, in poling boats. My daughter-in-law Ida was eight months pregnant and in a bad state of health. When I found that she was not included among those leaving, I got alarmed as there was no help in case she got ill in the jungle, so I explained to the camp evacuation officer. To our good luck, there were two European ladies who were professional nurses and were also evacuating. I begged of them to let my daughter-in-law also share their boat. When they were told that she was Mrs. Cruz, the Civil Surgeon 's wife, they told me that they would take her and attend to all her wants. They took her in their boat which left Yuwa that same day. I left after two days in similar boats and was told at some camps where I stayed that the European s nurses carried my daughter-in-law in a chair from the boat to the camp because she could not climb up. I believe on arrival at Imphal , Ida got bad, and they took her to the State hospital . When the doctor said there was no danger, they took her to Bombay and gave her over to her parents there. Now about Arnold and Robert, who remained behind in Rangoon. They tried to get out the documents which had been deposited in the Chartered Bank strong room along with those belonging to A. Fraser Ltd. But the bombing was continuous and they took a month to secure the documents with the help of my son's assistant H. Kelly. By this time, Robert obtained a ticket for himself and went to Akyab where his parents were. Arnold was left alone and had to frighten off the goondas who used to attack the house daily. After Arnold secured the documents the next job was to get away from Rangoon . At this time, the railway station was wiped out of existence and the train service between Rangoon and Mandalay had stopped. In spite of these difficulties, he had to find his way to us at Mawlaik. He had the car at his disposal but no petrol could be got anywhere. He went all over in search of petrol, but without success. Finally he went to the port commissioner's warehouse and godown. There he met an old acquaintance who asked him what he wanted. The godown keeper when he was told that Arnold wanted petrol said, ``Help yourself to as much as you want. There is no owner for all this property.'' Arnold filled his tank and took away 30 tins of two gallons each, took the cook in the car and left Rangoon for Mawlaik , travelling by day only. He took the road from Rangoon to Prome thence to Magwe, Yenangyaung, and Mandalay, crossed the Ava Bridge to Sagaing and arrived at Monywa. Here he had to abandon the car and the remaining tins of petrol because there was no further road beyond Monywa. At Monywa , he went to the ferry boat which plies between Monywa and Mawlaik. The boat was so overcrowed due to the great rush of Indian evacuees and the confusion that prevailed there, that she sailed for a small distance and got stuck in the mud. She remained in that position for some days. In the meantime Arnold spied a motor boat coming towards Monywa. He shouted and was told that it belonged to the Deputy Commissioner, Mawlaik . Then he told the serang that he (Arnold) was the brother of Dr. D'Cruz, the Civil Surgeon , and asked that he be taken on board, to which the serang agreed. To our great surprise, they arrived at Mawlaik the following day, while we were having lunch. As the whole family and my grandchildren Donald and Muriel were together, we remained at Mawlaik for three months. While at Mawlaik , I was much worried and unhappy for obvious reasons. When in Rangoon I was in the habit of visiting the church every evening, but from the time I arrived at Mawlaik I found there was no church nor was there any hope of meeting any priest in those parts. We wrote to the Bishop of Mandalay, but he said he found difficulty in carrying on the church services even at his headquarters at Mandalay for want of priests. The thought that there was no church nor any priest to console me in my affliction worried me.The loss I sustained with the death of my son and his family, and also the loss of my house and all it contained, touched my heart very deeply. It was a home made and sanctified by me to spend the remainder of my life in and for which reason I had disposed of my ancestral property in India and the proceeds had been invested in this house in Rangoon . I had gathered nothing from my house at the time of my evacuation While at Mawlaik, I used to meet all Goan and Anglo-Indian evacuees passing through. One day, a Goan lady, rather old and ill, arrived along with her daughter and daughter-in-law. They could not proceed further so they took up a room in the bazaar quarter. When I heard of their arrival I went in search of them and found them. The old woman was in a bad state of health. Her name was Mrs. D'Souza and she was related to the Cherons of Rangoon. Her son Daniel was in the health department and was working under my son Victor at this time. Her son was away, so also my son, attending to the thousands of evacuees who were going to India by the Kalewa -Tamu Road. I asked Dr. Reddy, Assistant Surgeon of the hospital, to attend to the old woman. He reported that she would not live for more then three days and charged those people five rupee s for his visit. After this my son returned, I told him all about the woman. He brought her to the hospital and accommodated the daughter and daughter-in-law in a building vacated by one of the nurses who was on leave. The old woman died in three days and her body was moved to the nurses' quarters. Now there was no undertaker there to do the needful for the disposal of the body and the two young women could do nothing. So I made enquiries and one Mr. Edwards offered to help me. He brought some Burmese carpenters who made a long box to be used as a coffin. I inquired and found that there was a Christian burial ground at Mawlaik in which several Europeans of the B.B.T.C. Ltd (Bombay Burma Trading Corporation) were buried. I obtained the necessary permission from the Deputy Commissioner's office, paid for the ground and for digging the grave, invited all Christians from the evacuees ' camp and carried on the funeral prayers myself according to the daily Missal and buried the woman. Some 30 evacuees attended the funeral. While at Mawlaik, two weddings took place. In both cases the brides were Catholics. We tried to get a priest from Mandalay but did not succeed, so I gave the Deputy Commissioner my Daily Missal and he carried on the services as laid down therein. One wedding took place on Good Friday. This could not be helped as the bridegroom was going away to join his post early the following morning. The reception of one wedding was kept in the Circuit House and that of the other in the Mawlaik Club. For both the weddings, all local officials and their families were invited. We managed to get a piano and violin and I played several dance pieces and all the guests danced and enjoyed themselves. Refreshments were plentiful and everybody had a good time. As mentioned earlier, for want of transport we were detained at Yuwa for two days. After that, boats were brought and the remaining evacuees left at 7 a.m. four evacuees in each boat. Between Yuwa and Hlezeik, a distance of 35 miles, the poling boats took three days. Camps were provided by Government at stages of 12 miles each and in these camps sleeping accommodation, dining rooms, and drinking water, boiled and cooled, were provided. On arrival at each stage we were served with a cup of tea and then a plateful of rice and dahl twice a day at noon and at night. This was sufficient to keep our bodies and souls together. Moreover we did not have to worry ourselves about food. It was cooked and served to each one. Now I am giving the names of family members who left with me. They were: myself, Winnie, Emily, Arnold, Donald, Muriel, and Betram. After completing the 35 mile journey, we arrived at Hlezeik. Here a comfortable camp was made on a high plateau and we remained there for three days. After that, we had to get onto the Kalewa -Tamu road, a distance of 12 miles only. For the first five miles we walked through a thick forest but the next seven miles was an open country without any shade. All the young people walked away, leaving my poor self behind. I was 74 at that time. I walked and walked in the hot sun from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. till my knees started giving way and I could not use my legs anymore. The others left me far behind. I sat down near a small watercourse which had some water running, under the shade of a small tree. After some time, a gentleman named Lewis, a missionary of the Church of England, belonging to our party, happened to pass by and asked me why I was seated there. When I told him that I could not walk anymore, he stood on the road and waited till a truck laden with bamboo came up from Kalewa . He stopped the truck and put me by the side of the driver and told him to take me to Tamu . It was only a distance of three or four miles. I told the driver to drop me at the Tamu hospital. He did so and when the doctor-in-charge came and questioned me, I told him who I was and he took me to his house and gave me tea and biscuits and reached me to the Tamu camp in his car. At Tamu, we were detained for six days for want of coolies. On the fourth day, the camp officer Mr Atkinson said that he could not feed us any longer as the camp shelters were required for new evacuees who were arriving at Tamu every other day. He picked out young persons to trek the country and in that list was Arnold, Donald and Emily, Muriel was suffering from malaria and Winnie could not walk on account of her foot, so these two were excluded. I volunteered to go with them but was not allowed because of my age. One Mrs. Fernandes, an Arakan ese lady, wife of a telegraph official, appealed to Mr. Atkinson that she would not be able to walk 46 miles carrying her partially crippled nine-year-old son and asked to remain on till a doolie was secured. Mr. Atkinson told her in reply to throw the boy into the jungle . Finally, after six days, we left Tamu at 5 p.m. and reached the first stage at around 9 p.m. Here we had rice and dahl and slept. I must state here that on account of my old age and Muriel's fever, we were given one doolie which we used when needed. The journey was uphill, one hill after another, and at one stage our camp was pitched up on the top of a hill, and it looked as if I could touch the moon at midnight when I got out of bed. The following morning, we started very early and after completing two stages of about 12 miles each we reached the highest point. Here I noticed two sign boards which said, `To Palel ' and `To Tamu '. We had arrived Tamu and would not go to Palel . Here word was brought to me that my Winnie was down the road and could not walk. I sent my doolie to bring her up and paid the men Rs. 2. The next journey of two miles was downhill; we did it in two days and arrived at a village. Here we bought a kid goat and had good khanna after many days. When we were nearing Manipur state, our pathway was blocked by landslides and we had to climb up other hills to find new paths. Finally we found that bulldozers were at work and had made new roads leading to Manipur, we also came across empty jeeps and trucks going towards Palel , so we asked the military drivers for lifts. At last we found ourselves in Palel, where it was raining continuously and we spent the night there. The following morning we were conveyed to Imphal in motor buses. We remained here for three days. Mrs Shaw, the lady in charge of the camp, was very kind; she gave us substantial food -- meat side dish, soup, curry and rice, pudding served free of charge and also clothing for both men and women. She was really good and motherly.We were very sorry to learn that a few weeks after we had left, the Japanese bombed the Imphal camp and killed 50 evacuees and Mrs. Shaw with them. >From Imphal we were driven to Dimapur , a railway station 120 miles by motor bus. We arrived late at night and were served a good meal. Here I came to see letters written by my Emily and Arnold and stuck to the board in the dining chamber; the entire camp was flooded as it had rained the whole day. That same night we boarded the train and left Dimapur. We met two gentlemen who had come from Akyab , at the railway station; they gave me news of my daughter Sophie and her husband. The following day we arrived at Gauhati where the ladies -- tea planters in charge of the camp -- were very hospitable and supplied us with tea, coffee, plantains and biscuits. We proceeded further and crossed the Brahmaputra in a beautiful river steamboat and arrived at Parbatiput. We stayed the whole day here, left at night and arrived at Sealdah the following night at 12 a.m. >From Sealdah station, we were taken to Loretto House where all the Burma evacuees were accommodated. The following morning I got up at 5 a.m. and went to look for Mrs. Furtado's house in McLeod Street. I met an old lady walking out of the lane and I asked her where the Furtados were living. She said, ``Don't trouble me. You look for them yourself.'' The house was a big mansion, a four-storeyed building known as Kings Chamber's. There was no signboard so I could not find them. I boarded a tramcar and though lots of people got in, no one would sit next to me. Of course, I looked like a beggar as I had been wearing the same clothes for the past 25 days from Mawlaik to Calcutta . During the journey, I walked in heavy rains and floods and also slept in the same clothes. I told the passengers that I was not a beggar but a Burma evacuee and had just arrived after trek king for 25 days. They simply smiled, they were probably afraid that I might ask for help so they left me alone. The car arrived at Esplanade in due time and I got out and went in search of Captain O'Leary. I went up by lift to his flat on the fourth floor and when his eldest daughter opened the door and saw me she shouted, ``Mr D'Cruz!'' the whole family came out and gave me a warm welcome and served me tea and cake inside. I then learnt my daughter Emily, son Arnold and grandson Donald were with them but Arnold was in hospital with malaria . Capt. O'Leary brought my luggage from the camp and also my children and we stayed there for five days. After arrival, I started showing signs of malaria , this continued for five days. Then Mrs. Furtado took us to her house and I was treated at her place by Dr. Braganza Cunha. Mrs. Furtado nursed me back to health. While in Calcutta I came to know that my Sophie had arrived from Akyab with her husband and children and had proceeded to Nagpur, leaving a note for me. I wired her of our arrival and she wired back asking us all to come to Nagpur. Thus we came here on May 15, 1942. Our passage all along was paid by the government, including the travelling expenses of all members of my family and the servant. Even after arrival here, the W.V.S. (Women's Voluntary Services ) ladies committee showed us so much hospitality and kindness and visited us frequently bringing gifts for the young people. I must mention here that Mrs. Registrar has been exceptionally kind to all evacuees in Nagpur. May God bless her and all members of the committee. ABOUT A.J. DE CRUZ: [This essay was originally published in `Sloreata Saligao ' which featured ``Profiles of Eminent People of Saligao'', and was written by the late C. Hubert D'Souza.] When a man with hardly any education, no financial backing and no influential parents, relatives or friends to help him can by his own intelligence, personal efforts and perseverance rise to the high position of a Presidency Post Master of one of the largest provinces of India , Bengal of the early nineteen twenties, it shows the innate potential, talents and character of which he is made. Antonio Joao DeCruz was born in Saligao on May 7, 1868, and had his early education at the parish church school, where he learnt his reading, writing, a little arithmetic, and of course music, both to sing straight from the score and to play the violin. With no one to guide and help him and his inborn love for music, he completed his studies under the village music master and decided to proceed further in his musical career with the ambition of every boy of his day, to earn his living in the profession of a violin ist. He then joined the music classes of Maestro Francis Salvador Campos, an outstanding musician, teacher and composer of music of his time. It was Maestro Campos who discovered his talent in music with a couple of other boys his age, and made him into a first class violin ist. With a view to continue his scholastic studies, he joined St. Xavier's High School in Bombay and plodded upto the VI standard, when his financial resources earned by occasional playing at dances, and giving tuitions in the violin ran out and it became necessary for him to really earn his living so as to be independent. We next find him in Rangoon Burma in 1888 where, due to his violin playing, he attracted the attention of the English Presidency Postmaster of that city, who asked him to give tuitions to his son. Finding that the income earned would be insufficient for him, he asked De Cruz to join the postal department as an unpaid probationer. This was the beginning of his career which gave him opportunities of working in leave vacancies and earning a little income and supplementing this by playing the violin at dances, soires and the like, and giving further tuitions in music and violin . With a determination to succeed and overcome his poverty, he really educated himself and gradually rose to be Office Superintendent of the Postmaster General, Burma. In due course, with the vast amount of experience gained in various sections of the post office, he was promoted to be the Deputy Postmaster of Rangoon City General Post Office. As Burma and India were then under one postal service, he was then transferred to the post of Deputy Presidency Post Master Calcutta , then Postmaster Lucknow and then finally back again to Calcutta as Presidency Postmaster. From this post he retired in 1923, after earning a four figure salary, which in those days was fantastic and equivalent to many times its worth to-day. After retiring, he went back to Burma where he had raised a family of six god-fearing children, all well settled in life in their professions and marriage. With the Japanese bombing in Burma in 1941, he had the misfortune to lose one of his sons who, with his whole family, were wiped out by a direct bomb hit on his house. He had therefore to trek back with the remaining members of his family through the Chindwin territory of Upper Burma, where his eldest son was a District Medical Officer, through Imphal, Assam and Calcutta. He never went back to Burma again, but settled with some of his family members in Nagpur wher he died on April 5, 1959. Because of his music, he was extremely popular and as a violin ist at concert parties at Government House and took part in many musical soires. He was fair and had an attractive personality, which, combined with his deep knowledge and humorous nature, made him a popular figure even in his old age. His eldest son Victor, after being a Lieutenant Colonel in the military service during the war in Burma, became the Chief Medical Officer of the Kachin State of Burma and later an Assistant Director of Medical Services of that country on his reversion to civil service. His second son who had joined the Forest Service was the Forest Officer of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. ------------ GRANDPA D'CRUZ'S AND AUNTY WINNIE'S DIARY OF THE TREK Dec 23, 1941, 10.10 a.m.: Air raid siren sounded. Rangoon bombed at 10.28 a.m. Jumped into trench and later drove to Pazundaung Police Station after the all clear siren . A couple of hundred of evacuees are with us. Dec 23, 1941, 1.30 p.m.: Arnold brings news of Eddie's death. The bomb fell directly on their house in Thompson Street killing Connie, Winsome, Connie's mum, the baby Connie was expecting, and the Karen nanny. Eddie is crushed and survives till he reaches the hospital. Dec 23, 1941 (Evening): We move to 10, Ady Road Kokine -- Sunny Sequeira's house. It's like home with the Sequeira's, Machados, Biddy and Julie. Jan 4, 1942: Emily, Donald, Bert and Muriel move to Mawlaik to Victor's place. Jan 7, 1942: Winnie and I leave for Mawlaik leaving Arnold, Robert and Yeriah at 52nd Stree t with our papers and a few articles from our house. Jan 13, 1942: Arrived at Mawlaik after spending a night at Dr. Craen's place (Monywa ). Then we left by ferry for Mawlaik . The Japs have bombed Mandalay and they plan to bomb Monywa , so we register ourselves to be evacuated to India . March 1942: Robert and Arnold try to get our house papers and valuables from the bank, but the bombing is continuous. Later they manage to get them, thanks to H. Kelly. Arnold tries to get away to Mawlaik by car. The railway station has been bombed out of existence. Arnold and Yeriah leave by car for Prome, Magwe, Yenangyuang, Mandalay, Sagaing and Mawlaik and arrive safely, doing the last journey by ferry. Robert leaves by sea for Akyab to be with his mother. Guha's son (Guha's father is a teacher in Caraciol's School) informs him at Dacca that Sophie, Noreen and Patsy are living on a boat on the river at Chittagong. He then helps them on to India and finally they land at Domnic Nazareth's house (Carey's brother-in-law). April 7, 1942: 50 evacuees leave for Yuwa in small paddle boats arriving there at 4.30 p.m. Stayed at camp with sleeping accommodation and food provided by the Government. Early April 1942: Ida's (Victor's wife) name is not on the list of those who can leave, so Grandpa begs two American ladies to take her with them. They are professional nurses. They agree and take care of her even carrying her in a chair at the camp. Ida is expecting (Gladys) and at Gauhati , Imphal , Ida takes bad but recovers and the two missionaries proceed with her to Calcutta . They put her on a train for Bombay and wire her brother, Lawrie Sequeira to meet her. (From Carey's diary): Sometime end of April or beginning of May, whilst I was searching the train full of evacuees , I hear someone call out to me, and it's Ida. She's very ill but she wants to go on to Bombay. (Gladys is born on June 25, and Ida dies July 9.) April 10, 1942: Left by punting boats and arrived at B.B.C.Camp at Yenanggi . April 11, 1942: Arrived at Tilangwa. Every 12 miles there were camps providing food (rice and dahl cooked) and a place to sleep. April 12, 1942: Left Tilangwa and arrived Hlezeik on 15th after completing 35 miles of walking. Good camp facilities. Camp is on a high plateau. April 17, 1942: Left for Tamu walking. Bags are sent by bullock cart. I [grandpa] leave in a truck loaded with bamboos. The camp has no arrangements but we climb the hill and ease ourselves there. April 18, 1942: Emily, Donald and Arnold join a walking batch and the Naga coolies carry us in a `doolie'. It's all uphill. Muriel has cerebral malaria so used the `doolie' first day, then I used the `doolie'. We have to pay for it. Bertram and Winnie and I walk six miles with Dr. and Anne Menezes and reach Middleton's camp. This is all uphill. We rest. April 23: We left Lockaw , reached Kongkang and bought a goat. We, campmates, celebrate our escape from Burma. April 25: Left Thingapal and arrived Palel on Indian boarder. It was raining heavily and the military truck helped us along the way. April 27: Arrived at Imphal by bus. The tea planters' wives made us welcome, giving us warm clothes and good food. We left by train and then by bus for Dimapur. Here we got a letter from Sophie that she and the family have left Akyab . April 28: We arrive at Pandy by train at 12.30 a.m. This is on the Brahmaputra . At Gauhati we get a letter from Sophie asking us to come to Nagpur . Thank God they are safe. We leave at 3 p.m. and cross the Brahmaputra by boat arriving at Amengoan at 6 p.m. April 29: Arrive at Prabatipur by train at 10 a.m. then we leave for Calcutta . April 30: Arrive in Calcutta at midnight and are taken to the refugee camp at Loretto House . May 1: I go in search of Furtado's house. No one is ready to show me the way. People shy away from me in the tram. I am wearing the same clothes, for the last 25 days during the trek. Later I meet up with Capt O'Leary, who takes us to his house. Emily, Donald and Arnold have reached before us and they are with them. Arnold is in hospital with a bout of malaria . Sophie wires us at Loretto House to come on to Nagpur . We shift to Furtado's house. I am very ill but with the doctor's treatment I am getting better. Donald and Muriel leave for Nagpur, on May 3. May 14: We -- Emily, Bertram, Winnie, Arnold and myself -- leave for Nagpur . May 15: The last batch of evacuees have arrived. We are all safe, thanks be to God. [FOOTNOTE: Songs of The Survivors is available in bookshops in Goa and Austin's Saligao Supermarket, at Rs 295.] -- Frederick Noronha http://fn.goa-india.org Ph +91-832-2409490 Links from Goa: http://goalinks.livejournal.com/ Campaign for real beauty : watch this film. Talk to your daughter before the beauty industry does :: http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/home.asp _______________________________________________ Saligao 403511 website http://saligao.goa-india.org Saligaonet mailing list Saligaonet@goacom.org http://lists.goacom.org/mailman/listinfo/saligaonet
