ARMY SERVICE IN IRAQ

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25307, 6 October 1947, Page 3

ARMY SERVICE IN IRAQ

CAPTAIN R. HILL’S EXPERIENCES

former pupil of st. ANDREW’S COLLEGE An old boy of St. Andrew’s College and a former student of Canterbury University College, Captain R. Hill of ♦he British Indian Army, is at present in Christchurch on 61 days’ leave from his unit at Basra, Iraq. In an interview with a reporter of “The Press” last evening Captain Hill said that the evacuation of British troops from India was proceeding slowly. There were still 210,000 troops in India. It would take another two to three years before the evacuation was completed. His unit had been on active service in Iraq because of a small war of which little was heard in this country. A revolt by the south-west Persian tribesmen which, would have

affected the oil fields in the country had been the cause of his unit being gent to Iraq. When he left everything was quiet again and there appeared little likelihood of further trouble from this quarter. British control in Iraq was particularly strong, said Captain Hill. Re-1 ’cently some Communists had become active and set up a secret newspaper. .The Communists were discovered and iwere dealt with severely by the Prince of Iraq, receiving up to 20 years’ imprisonment. The army was withdrawing from Iraq, but small Air Force and naval units were remaining. Iraq possessed two aerodromes and there was a small naval force in the Persian Gulf. About 100,000 tons of dates were exported from Iraq annually. New oil fields had recently been brought into use in the Shekhdom of Kuwait, probably by British and American money, said Captain Hill. United States personnel were very busy at present in Saudi Arabia bringing in additional oil fields. One scheme they were undertaking was to take the oil by pipe-line into the Mediterranean and across the desert. What was believed to be the largest oil refinery in the world was at Abadan, Irag. Europeans Not Wanted Referring to the Indian problem, Captain Hill said no European was wanted in India. They were tolerated because of their brains and organising ability, but the general feeling among the Indian people was that they would be glad when all Europeans had left. In his own unit, comprised of Moslems. Sikhs and Hindus, there had been no sign of trouble. The Indian troops were sepoys first and politicians last. They took the partition of their country as a matter of course and showed very little interest in the event. One matter of concern to them was the satety of their families.

He had been in Lahore, the chief city of the Punjab, at the beginning of the rioting. Stabbings, shootings and burnings were taking place in the city and trade had come to a standstill. One hundred and fifty extra trains were put on to cope with the transfer of population, but this number had proved insufficient. It was his opinion that perhaps the only solution to the rioting was the transfer of population. He believed the trouble would terminate before long, but he could not see any possibility of India ever becoming a united country. He had met Mr Gandhi and had been very impressed with his sincerity, said Captain Hill. He had not been impressed with those who were behind Mr Gandhi.

Captain Hill left New Zealand in February, 1939, and spent a year at Cambridge before joining up with a former public school artillery regiment. He has been with the Indian Army for five years. This is his first holiday in New Zealand since 1939.