Zulf Shaikh

Zulf Shaikh was at boarding school in the Himalayas on VE Day

I was 12 years old and in boarding school in the Himalayas when the war ended. The school was in an old Gurkha fort situated on the top of a mountain in Mussoorie – a hill station in United Province. The school was modelled on Eton and the principal, Reverend W. J. Biggs, had a first class degree from Oxford. 

We were aware of the war because Mussoorie was a convalescent area for American and British soldiers. Once a month, we were allowed out by ourselves to the town and we used to talk to them. There was also an ex-pupil who was in the RAF – he used to fly over the school quite often and always dropped a little parachute with some sort of treats down for us. 

“I had my first sip of beer, but didn’t think much of it!”

One day at morning assembly, the principal got up and said the war had ended in Europe. He said we could all have the next day off and we’d each get a goodie bag. We cheered like hell!

On VE Day a group of us went into town and met a whole lot of convalescing Americans. We had our goodie bags with sweets, chocolate and a piece of cake in them and the Americans put a whole lot of chewing gum in them!  They were celebrating and bottles were going around – I had my first sip of beer, but I didn’t think much of it!