National Army Museum

photograph, photograph

Accession Number

NAM.1989-04-117-337-6

Description

Portrait photograph of Louis Mountbatten, arriving in Delhi to set up HQ SACSEA, 1943. Letter from Mountbatten to Mr Moffatt is included in response to a letter from Moffatt asking Mountbatten for a personal item for his exhibition. One of 13 portrait photographs of soldiers who served in Burma, 1941-1945. Associated with World War Two, Far East (1939-1945). From the Burma Memorial Collection of Mr R Moffatt.

Campaigns

World War Two, Far East (1941-1945)

Units

South East Asia Command

People

Milford Haven, Louis Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of

Inscriptions

Handwritten on front of photograph: 'Louis Mountbatten/ Arriving in Delhi to set up HQ SACSEA 1943' Letter reading: 'BROADLANDS/ ROMSEY/ HAMPSHIRE/ SO5 9ZD/ TELEPHONE/ ROMSEY (0794) 513333/ 17TH MAY 1977/ [manuscript] Dear Mr Moffatt/ My private secretary handed me your letter of/ the 3rd May as soon as I got back from an extended tour/ of Canada./ I remember seeing your model of the "Bridge on the/ RIver Kwai" at Waterbeach and am delighted to hear you/ managed to carry out the improvements I suggested./ I hope you also removed the oversized Japanese soldiers./ I am glad to hear you are having a new display on/ 25th and 26th june in aid of the Earl Soham Branch of the/ Royal British Legion and note you would like to have a personal item for your museum./ I have found a photograph taken on the day I arrived/ in Delhi in 1943 to set up the headquarters a Supreme Allied/ Commander, South East Asia. What is more I had signed/ it with my original signature and then kept it. I feel its/ rightful destination should now be your museum as this is a comparative rarity and enclose it herewith with my best wishes/ [manuscript] yours sincerely/ Mountbatten of Burma"