NAM.1980-05-151-1

Memoir of Brigadier William Alston (1899-1982), Volume 1, 1900-1926 (Apparently written in 1937). Chapter 1. Early Years 1900-1917 - Officers Training Corps service at Morrison's Academy Crief 1914-1917. Passed Cadet College Quetta Exam. Aug 1917. Chapter 2. Voyage out to India 1917-Oct to Dec on SS Osterley. Chapter 3. Gentleman-Cadet at Quetta 1918. Chapter 4. Newly commissioned Subaltern with the Sikh Pioneers 1918-1919 - joined 32nd Sikh Pioneers at Sialkot Aug 1918; engineering course; Quarter-Master Mar 1919. Chapter 5. Service with the 2/12th Pioneers (The Kelat-i-Ghilzie Regiment) 1919-1921 - joined at Dakka Afghanistan Jul 1919, road building in Khyber Pass; after end of war withdrawn to Landi Kotal Sept; and appointed Quartermaster. Nov joins 137 Railway Construction Coy at Peshawar on the Jamrus Railway. Back with Regt Dec; road building in 1920, becomes Coy Officer instead of QM. Chapter 6. Furlough in Scotland 1921 - Jan-Jul; voyage back on the 'Cecilia'. Chapter 7. Tour of duty with the Training Bn (10th) 2nd Bombay Pioneers at Agra 1921-23 - returned to frontier at Landi Kotal; transferred to 1/12th Pioneers on disbandment of 2/12th Pioneers, moved to Amballa. Nov 1921 joined 1/12 Depot at Allahabad. Attended British Army School of Education at Wellington Jan-Mar 1922. Joined Training Bn 2nd Bombay Pioneers 10th Bn at Agra Apl 1922; training programme etc. Chapter 8. Waziristan Interlude; service with 1st Madras Pioneers 1st Bn 1922-1924 - Moved to Razmak Oct 1923 to join 1/1 Madras Pioneers as a Captain; Feb 1924 campbuilding at Damdil. Chapter 9. Second Tour with the T Bn Bombay Pioneers at Agra 1924-26 - teaching tactics etc; and later the command of the Pioneer Division. Chapter 10. Furlough in 1926 - left Bombay April 1926 for Britain on the 'Kaiser-i-Hind'. From a collection of papers relating to Brigadier William Alston (1899-1982).

World War One, India (1914-1918)