Actually, Guy Gibson wasn't an Anglo-Indian, ie., someone who was born of an English-Indian parentage/ lineage. However, Patrick and Tony Woods-Scawen, fighter pilots during the Battle of Britain, from Madras, may have had Anglo-Indian blood. Who are these eight VC winners who were Anglo-Indians? Cheers Mukund On 10 September 2012 13:20, John Feltham <wantok@me.com> wrote: > > > G'day > > Begin forwarded message: > > > From: jack jacob <jfrjacob@gmail.com> > > Date: 10 September 2012 3:13:07 GMT+02:00 > > To: undisclosed-recipients: ; > > Subject: [vsdh] Fwd: anglo indians > > Reply-To: vsdh <vsdh@lists.bcn.mythic-beasts.com> > > > > > > > > -------HI ALL.... FORWARDED.. > > ......JFR JACOB-- > > > > > > > > > > ----- Forwarded Message ----- > > > > Subject: This interesting for anybody from India! F > > > > History of the Anglo-Indians > > Almost a history of a bygone race - rather lovely -......our children > are missing this rainbow of culture.... > > > > This was a speech given by a Senior Anglo Indian Army Veteran at a > dinner dance in Sydney last year. > > > > Good Evening Ladies & Gentleman. Welcome to this special evening. I'm > attempting to condense over 300 years of Anglo-Indian history in to 10 > minutes. > > > > The British Empire once held absolute power in over 52 countries. About > two-fifths of the world. But there was only one jewel in the crown - India. > The first European settlers in India were the Portuguese in 1498 about 100 > years before the British. The Dutch, French and the British followed. > > > > They were all here for the duration. The inevitable happened and a new > mixed race community emerged. Even though the British came in peacefully as > merchants and traders they soon colonized the sub-continent of India. But > the British needed allies to protect the jewel in the crown and so began a > deliberate policy encouraging British males to marry Indian women to create > the first Anglo-Indians. > > > > The East India Company paid 15 silver rupees for each child born to an > Indian mother and a European father, as family allowance. These children > were amalgamated into the growing Anglo-Indian community, forming a > defensive structure for the British Raj. This was a deliberate act of self > preservation by the English. > > > > This unique hybrid individual was ethnically engineered by the occupying > British so much so that the Anglo-Indians were the only micro-minority > community ever defined in a Constitution. Article-366 of the Indian > Constitution states. An Anglo-Indian means a person whose father or any of > whose male ancestors in the male line is or was of European descent but who > is domiciled within the territory of India and is or was born within such > territory of parents habitually resident there-in and not established there > for temporary purposes only. > > > > So you can see we were intended to be a permanent micro-minority. In > 1830 British Parliament described the Anglo-Indian as those who have been > English educated, are entirely European in their habits and feelings, dress > and language. They were more "Anglo" than "Indian". Their mother-tongue was > English, they were Catholic or Anglican and their customs and traditions > were English. While most of them married within their own circle, many > continued to marry expatriate Englishmen. Very few married Indians. > > > > Without Anglo-Indian support British rule would have collapsed. > > > > RAILWAYS > > We ran the railways, post and telegraph, police and customs, education, > export and import, shipping, tea, coffee and tobacco plantations, the coal > and gold fields. We became teachers, nurses, priests and doctors. If it had > any value the British made sure we ran it. And when it came to secretarial > duties no one could touch our Anglo-Indian girls - the best stenographers > in the world and with beauty to match. > > > > Were we favored? Yes, the English trusted us. After all we were blood > related. We worked hard. We became indispensable. We lived comfortably and > were protected by the British raj. Like the British we had servants to do > all our domestic work. The average Anglo-Indian home could afford at least > three full time servants - a cook, a bearer and the indispensable nanny > (ayah). Part time servants included a gardener, cleaner and laundry man > (dhobi). Of course we learned to speak Hindi to be able to argue, give > orders, bargain, accuse and terminate employment and throw in a dozen Hindi > expletives. > > > > Imagine our horror when we were later to migrate to England, Canada and > Australia and we no longer had servants to do our domestic chores. Who can > remember looking at our first toilet brush and asking 'what do we do with > this?' We had to learn to cook, clean, garden, do the laundry and take the > garbage out and look after the kids. > > > > CHRISTMAS CAKE > > The tradition of making your own Christmas cake was a sacred > Anglo-Indian custom. Each family had a secret cake recipe, handed down from > our grandparents. About a week before Christmas the local baker was > contacted. He would turn up to your home with two very large terracotta > bowls that looked more like satellite dishes. One for the egg whites and > one for mixing. Mum would dish out the ingredients. This was all mixed > together under her watchful eye and distributed in to about dozen or so > cake tins and labeled with your name on it. This labeling was all > important. We did not want him to return that evening with someone else's > cake recipe. Heaven forbid. > > > > MUSIC/DANCE > > Music, movies and socializing were high on the agenda. We loved a dance. > Afternoon dance jam sessions were a magnet for the teenagers where we > jived, jitterbugged, tango'd or just fox trotted. > > > > Many a lasting liaison was forged on the dance floor and today many of > us are celebrating 40-year plus marriages. Our mums sat around gossiping > and seldom took their eyes off their darling daughters. I know I speak from > experience. I met my wife at one such event and now 44 years later I still > fancy her. > > > > The Anglo-Indian railway and cantonment towns that sprung up around the > major cities cultivated a unique social and industrial blend with a > heartbeat. Their dances were legendary. At the drop of a hat the city > cousins would jump on a train and travel for anything up to six hours to > get to that up-country dance. > > > > Many of our lives revolved around the biggest and best railway system in > the world. And the trains ran on time! > > > > Today the Indian Railways transports over 5 billion passengers each year > employing more than 1.6 million personnel. Between 1853 and 1947 we built > and managed 42 rail systems. This was a legacy we can be proud of. > > > > CONTRIBUTIONS > > During World War 1 about 8000 Anglo-Indians fought in Mesopotamia, East > Africa, and in the European theatre - Eleven Anglo-Indians were awarded > Victoria Crosses. > > > > In World War II they fought at Dunkirk and flew in the battle of Britain > - Guy Gibson of the Dam Busters was one such Anglo-Indian, and we were in > North Africa, Malaya and the fall of Singapore. > > > > Merle Oberon and Juliet Prowse, Tony Brent, Engelbert Humperdinck, Cliff > Richards are all Anglo-Indians > > > > The Anglo-Indians took India to Olympic hockey glory. From 1928 India > won five consecutive Olympic hockey gold medals. In fact, when India faced > Australia in the semi-finals of the 1960 Olympics in Rome, it was a unique > occasion. The captains who came face to face were both Anglo-Indians, > Leslie Claudius and Kevin Carton. > > > > EDUCATION > > English education played a major role amongst the Anglo-Indians. > Anglo-Indian schools numbered close to 300 and were prized. They stretched > from Bangalore in the south to the cooler northern hill stations of > Darjeeling in the foothills of the Himalayas. Each was modeled on the posh > English Public school system. We ran them as teachers and principals and to > this day these schools are coveted across the sub-continent. > > > > IDENTITY DILEMMA > > The Anglo-Indian has always faced an identity dilemma because of our > mixed origins. Europeans said they were Indians with some European blood; > Indians said they were Europeans with some Indian blood. The world of > Anglo-India vanished on August 15th 1947, when India became the largest > independent democracy in the world. > > > > The British packed and went home. > > > > Over 300,000 Anglo-Indians remained. We felt apprehensive and abandoned. > So we too packed our bags and began to migrate to Australia, Britain, > Canada, the U.S.A. and New Zealand. ! Many of you will remember the dreaded > Income Tax Clearance document you need to leave the country and further > faced the strict Indian foreign exchange regulations that allowed you only > 10 pounds each. Imagine starting life in a new country with 10 quid in your > pocket. Some had to leave behind their savings; others simply resorted to > the risky black market losing a 30% of your savings. > > > > IDENTITY > > The Anglo-Indian identity is disappearing. We have found new lives and > merged into the mainstream. Our generation, sitting here tonight, who were > born in India, growing up in the 40s thru to 60s, are possibly the last > true Anglo-Indians. > > > > Look around you. Where is the next generation? Most of our children were > born abroad and their connection to Anglo-India is very fragile. They have > married Aussies, English, Canadian or other Anglo-Indians born outside > India. They prefer to be regarded as English, Australian or Canadian. Our > grandchildren will assimilate and forge a new identity based on their > country of birth. > > > > Putting aside history I believe we could regard ourselves as an exotic > cocktail that had its origins over 300 years ago. We have matured and > become a unique aromatic spirit, generously flavored and very stimulating. > > > > We were a force to be reckoned with. > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe from this email List, send an email to: > > vsdh-unsubscribe@lists.bcn.mythic-beasts.com > > _______________________________________________ > > vsdh mailing list > > %(www.vsdh.org) > > vsdh@lists.bcn.mythic-beasts.com > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > INDIA-BRITISH-RAJ-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >