MY BROTHER HUGH Born 5th October 1920 died 9th May 2006
But with Father there were tensions. At the time the War Department was winding down, and selling by auction vast quantities of supplies that were now surplus to requirements, and which were going for a song. Father in fact bought a Motor Torpedo Boat for £300 which he converted into a comfortable house boat moored in Yard Cove, Trincomalee. I purchased a huge quantity of khaki shorts to sell to the coolies and this annoyed Father who said: “We are Tea Planters, Not Bloody Street Traders”….Tensions grew and I decided that now in 1947 that I must come Home on leave to England which I had not seen for 8 years.
Just before leaving I decided to do a week-end jaunt of a cross country jungle trail of about 20 between two Govt. roads. It was a dry time of the year and should have been an interesting time, but once down there off the track there was an unseasonable storm that cut roads all over the island, and the railway line was out of action for weeks. I was about 10 miles in the middle of nowhere from the nearest track. It took me a whole day to extricate myself with the ground so wet and slippery. I spent my time pushing it over ridges, and each time I went to ride, I would slip off. Instead of getting to the main road on Sunday evening , it was 4.30 am before I finally made it. At the local resthouse I ordered some food and they had tea and rice, and opened a can of bully beef which I had brought with me, to eat with the rice, which I noticed had an ominous dent in it , presumably from a knock on one of my falls. Anyway I felt better and drove easily the remaining 70 miles back to the estate and after a hot bath to clean up fell fast asleep. I awoke at midnight to find myself stiff and sore and my legs and arms very cold and I wanted to retch and get sick. I tried to get to the toilet and even in the few paces I had already wet my pants with the most unexpected diarrhoea . Next I was vomiting and I shouted for my old retainer Perumal who lived in a cottage below the garden with his family. He heard me and came running, and I asked him to phone the local primitive hospital in Welimada and ask for the Medical officer to come. I heard Perumal phoning the exchange and nothing more till I awoke at 8 am, to find the doctor by me. He had pumped my stomach out whilst I was unconscious …..obviously some sort of food poisoning from the damaged can of beef….especially in the hot low-country climate. I had no sooner recovered, but still feeling weak and ghastly, when the Tea-Maker came to say that due to the storm, the railway was cut and we only had 3 days supply of petrol, and a weeks supply of fuel oil for the factory diesel engine. I drove 30 miles to Bandarawela where I persuaded an Indian to sell me two oil drums of petrol and then down to Badulla to persuade an engineering company to sell me 1,000 gallons of fuel oil. I was still very ill when Father arrived back from Europe. I told him that I must go on leave and see Europe, and I had sold my car and most bits and pieces. I also discussed with him at length my plans for taking a look at Africa. He said that in a couple of years he should be able to let me have £2,000 a year to start another estate in Africa as a hedge against Ceylon Politics, and he thought that this was a good idea. We parted amicably and I managed to get on a troopship and finally landed at Birkenhead. A great time on the ship back lots of farewells as we docked and more farewells on the train to London where I was met by the efficient Helen my sister who had arranged for a flat on the corner of Cromwell & Earls Court Road.