All this talk about Indian participation in the World Wars jolted my memory about an old gent from Goa, Basil Irmao( Irmao means brother in Konkani). We kids knew him as Uncle Basil and he was our next door neighbor in Mainnavaddo, Aldona. I was all of eleven or twelve ,then and we used to go to the manos ,by the river to swim with my Dad and the boys of the village. One day, on about our 11 zillionth trip to the swimming hole ,walking along with my Dad, brothers and cousin,Uncle Basil started talking. We paid him half a mind ,because he often rambled on,but for some reason , my Dad stopped dead in his tracks to listen to him. We did too. He said that the dusty fields reminded him of Mesopotamia and the dryness of the desert. Thank God there was no wind in Goa like there was in WW1 in the Western Desert. He said that he was the batman to the English officer who commanded the Indian Troops that fought beside the Australians against 'Johnny Turk'.There was a terrible battle ,he said, with horrific casualties. The only reason that he was not a casualty was because ,according to him, the English commanded from the rear. He, being the Officer's batman (valet), had to stick with the officer.My Dad ,just stood there and gaped at Basil Irmao. You mean ,you were at Gallipoli ? he asked. Yes ,he said and to the day I die I will always remember the young Australians who were slaughtered by the Turks and more than a few Indians too for that matter! He was then overcome with emotion and turned and continued walking. This was in 1958 when I heard this story. Basil Irmao has long passed, but when I walk by those fields ,like I did , this time last year in Goa,all this happened yesterday ! Dennis.
