PARTITION - additional recordings I Andrew Whitehead I _____________________________________I CD-17 Transcript of a conversation by AW with Major Ben Suter and his wife Marguerite, recorded at their home in Worplesdon, Surrey, 4th August 2002 - mainly about their memories of Tom and Biddy Dykes Ben Suter = bom 1920, attended Sandhurst, joined Indian Army in 1939, joined First Sikhs but spent the war with the Frontier Corps, mainly in South Waziristan, learnt Urdu and Pushtu. Left India in July 1947. (Ben has extensive photographs, largely of the Frontier but some of Kashmir - nothing of the Dykes’s. Also has 8mm film - the National Army Museum has transferred onto video his material re the Frontier, but also a lot in his personal possession relating to leave in Kashmir). Secretary of Sikh Regimental Association for last 8-9 years. Marguerite Suter = from an Indian Army family, and lived in Indian until about 9. Met Ben when he was at Sandhurst in 1938-9. Married on New Year’s Day ? 1946, when Ben was on long leave. Travelled out to India by ship in early 1947, lived at Noushera, and headed back in July. Track 1 Ben Suter: ‘I spent most of my army life, Indian army life, on the Frontier, away from my regiment, seconded to the Frontiers Corps ... and at the end of my tour there ... I was posted back to my regimental centre, which was at Noushera at that time, and there I met Tom Dykes who was the second in command, second to the commandant there. I hadn’t met Tom before. I knew he’d been in the 4th Battalion, I’d heard about him, and there they were there. We lived close to them, they backed upon our bungalow compound, and there we were at that time. I wasn’t there very long. I didn’t get to know Tom well. I wasn’t actually working with him or near him I knew him because he was a member of the Centre but my work to my away from his work to a great extent’. 1’30 WHAT DID HE LOOK LIKE: Tom? Erect, soldierly of course, very strict in his manner, in his work,. He didn’t suffer fools gladly. What little I knew of him wasn’t altogether too happy, because on one occasion, I met him when we were out walking one afternoon, in the evenings we used to walk round, it was very hot of course at that time. And the order was that one should wear a certain dress which avoided mosquitos, long trousers for instance. Well, I’d been put some time and I still had my shorts on from the morning’s exercises. And he took exception to this and I didn’t of course dare answer him back. He was not in fact of a rank senior to me but he was second in command ... Anyhow that came off alright and I understood what the trouble was and that was more-or-less our first meeting and so we didn’t have very much conversation after that. I knew him from a distance, tallish, as I said very strict in his interpretation of what should be done each day. Came from the 4th Battalion and had been involved with the 4th Battalion in their fighting in various theatres. Very good at that, very good reputation. ... [digression re Burma] ... HE WASN’T SOMEBODY WHO PEOPLE WARMED TO? Well, I think you’re right there. I 1