It seemed that particularly in the last eight months there had been vast tracts of land that were Thai territory only and forbidden by treaty to the Nips. One of these areas started a little way over the railway at the back of our camp. They went the first part of the journey by car along a road kept intentionally bad to slow up the progress of any Nip mechanised raiding party that might come that way; and the last agonising eleven kilometres they did on horseback at a fast trot over rough country. The Governor pointed out an M.G. post here, a pill-box there, a sentry somewhere else, all along the route. He said the Nips had only once sent a patrol into the area, and of the seven Nips, six were killed and one badly wounded. After that the Thai Governor put in a strong protest to the I.J.A. because they had broken their treaty!

At length they reached the American Paratroop H.Q. It was a Thai house armed like a fortress, full of Sten guns, sawn-off Tommy guns, bazookas, rifles, sticks of H.E., etc., etc. It was manned by only two Americans: Bud and ‘Hank the Drunk’. These two stalwarts had been dropped about the time we were all confined to our huts by Nogoochi two and a half months before. They got all their supplies from lowflying R.A.F. Dakotas by night and, with Thai help, they had armed and trained 1,200 men in that area! Jack saw 300 of them at exercise and he said they looked keen as the devil and very efficient. This H.Q. had all civilised amenities, including several beautiful Thai girls wearing dresses of parachute silk. Johnnie Walker and Players were on the table, and copies of Lilliput and Penguin books. Typical American efficiency!