World War II solders from Mumbai recall their brush with history

A frail war veteran still raring to go back to the battlefield a soldier fascinated with warplanes and the widow of ldquoa simple manrdquo whose death was mourned by thousandsAs the world commemorates Remembrance Sunday the Sunday closest to November 11 mdash observed as Remembrance Day to pay homage to the fallen soldiers of World Wars I and II we take a glimpse of how over 25 million Indian soldiers who fought for the Allies mdash becoming the largestever army of volunteers mdash in WWII saw the war that changed the worldToday around 70 WWII veterans are still alive in the country Eight of these live in Mumbai mdash and five others across Maharashtra The Church of St John the Evangelist better known as the Afghan Church in Colaba will offer a memorial service today as has been the custom since 1919 after the end of WWIThe one who cheated deathMuch of Fardoon Mehtarsquos memory has faded but he still cackles as he recalls his lucky escape while fighting the Japanese Army in Burma A bullet apparently pierced his combat helmet from behind passed over his head and shot out the other side mdash with nary an injury to him ldquoIt was surrealrdquo says Mehta at his Grant Road residence who claims to have been the first Indian to face the Japanese in 1941 directing the firing of artillery from the skies ldquoEveryone thought he was dead but he survived like he always didrdquo chimes in Vinnie the 96yearold war veteranrsquos wifeFardoon Mehta and wife Vinnie PicSneha KharabeAs the two exchange a warm look that only long partnerships bring Vinnie quickly points out that their marriage in 1960 was no less than a battle won ldquoI was a Pakistani and he an Indian The courtship was all very filmirdquo she laughsVinnie says most Indian soldiers and their families faced turbulent times during WWII ldquoIndian soldiers were always put on the front lines Since Fardoon was a Brigadier he fared better There were times when even our family didnrsquot get enough food On his trips home he secretly brought food and other suppliesrdquoShe says he also served in Punjab during the IndoPak War ldquoI was in Shimla then I couldnrsquot sleep because of the horrors of the war When he returned he said he watched planes go down He said lsquoI love watching planes You know thatrsquo I was speechlessrdquoMehta retired from the Army in 1969 after serving for 38 years but he still carries an air of military discipline As he carefully removes his coat from the closet pinned with medals of service his wife smiles ldquoYou should see his room his cupboard everything is so organisedrdquoThe couple has been religiously attending Remembrance Sunday memorial services at Afghan Church for the last 40 yearsI will always be a war foolldquoMy coat is torn but it doesnrsquot matter The medals have a shine of their ownrdquo says a beaming Madhukar Dongre 93 ldquoDonrsquot feel bad for me I can still fight in the battlefield if theyrsquod let merdquo guffaws the ailing Dombivli resident as he puts out his hand for a firm shakeMadhukar Dongre PicDatta KumbharDongre who fought in Burma and Indonesia during WWII says he almost didnrsquot make it into the Army ldquoI was 16 when I wanted to join the Army The British officers said they couldnrsquot take me the minimum age to enlist is 18 My friends who had made the cut encircled the officers and said they wouldnrsquot join until I was given the goahead The officers caved in and entered a fake age to allow me to enlistrdquo he says amidst chucklesDongre recalls a rare comradeship between British and Indian soldiers while fighting the Indonesians in Burma ldquoWe were kind of friendsrdquo His eyes crinkle and he endearingly strokes his medals ldquoIt never felt like we were fighting for another countryrdquoHe quit the Army after WWII and tried in vain to enlist again in 1951 ldquoI was heartbroken Irsquom a war fool I still miss the battlefield more than anythingrdquo says DongreHis granddaughter Ketaki who is paying him and his wife Maalati a visit says he often reminded her when she acted out as a child how he used to go to sleep hungry with nothing to shield him from the cold during WWII ldquoAzabba has time and again reminded us of what we are blessed withrdquo says KetakiAs for his Sunday plans Dongre will pin his medals on his shirt and ldquomarch my way into the churchrdquoI want to meet him in the next birth tooAn old photograph opens a floodgate of memories for Vasundara Abhyankar 83 The widow of war veteran Vinayak Abhyankar who served in WWII fought for Independence and died in 2007 at the age of 86 says the two married when he was 30 ldquowhen all the wars were overrdquoVasundara Abhyankar PicDatta KumbharldquoHe didnrsquot want to fight anymore and in the 1950s he joined as a mechanical engineer in the ST bus department in Mumbairdquo says the Kandivli residentAs she finds an old photo while rifling through stacks of documents she pauses mdash perhaps overwhelmed by a memory mdash and adds ldquoI wish to meet him again in my next birth I havenrsquot seen this picture in a long timerdquoWWII left a deep impression on Abhyankar she says ldquoHe missed his Indian and British friends with whom he fought side by side Only they knew the horrors of the warrdquoAmogh 26 Vasundararsquos grandson who lives with her along with his mother says the house was mobbed by thousands of people during Abhyankarrsquos funeral ldquoHe was a simple good manrdquo ldquoSay how he loved to singrdquo nudges Vasundara ldquoHe sang for us every day to wakes us up and to put us to sleeprdquo adds AmoghVasundara says in the days before his death Abhyankar talked of a different war mdash the war against corruption ldquoHe used to say this war was worse than the ones he had foughtrdquoAmoghrsquos memory of Remembrance Sunday services are hazy ldquoBut they made my grandfather happyrdquo