Harry Beckhough Lt Col, Royal Artillery. Combined Bureau Middle East, North Africa; Inter-Service Wireless Intellignce Centre, New Delhi and Intelligence School âCâ, Calcutta. 1942 â 1945. One vivid memory: early in 1943 I was ordered to Calcutta as Bletchley Parkâs OC Intelligence School âCâ, supposedly fully manned and equipped to connect with General Bill Slimâs 14th (Burma) Army. Small units of Royal Signals and RAF short- wave listening posts were taking down Japanese cipher messages at speed. Fortunately the Japanese used Morse code. We collected all messages daily, derived all possible information for Bill Slim, and transmitted messages back to HQ near Dehli. Unfortunately Intelligence School âCâ (which I pretended was a college) was literally empty except for eight lonely trucks and a Jeep â it had neither officers nor men. So I was in sole charge until BP sent me an RAF junior officer. But with the aid of Area HQ I managed to persuade Army regiments to send me drivers, who were duly sworn to secrecy on their daily journeys into our Burma listening posts, carrying me, their precious cargo. We had some exciting adventures and escapes until mid 1945 when we closed Intelligence School âCâ, and the associated Officersâ and Other Ranksâ Messes. These had always been full of visitors to and from Burma, pleased to rest in proper beds, drink and eat and tell all their stories. They called my Intelligence School âBeckâs Hotelâ where they could have a real bath and the special privilege of pulling a lavatory chain! Life then was very real and âdown to earthâ.
Harry Beckhoughâs autobiography âThinker Tailor Soldier Spyâ can be bought from the Bletchley Park shop.
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