Another snippet saved from the dustbin of history. No envelope but almost certainly sent to Mrs Phyllis Margaret Groom at the Alwington Rectory, Fairy Cross, Bideford, Devon. Hut Q 153 Gulmarg Kashmir June 26th 1943. C/O Grindlay & Co. Bombay. Dear Mrs Groom, (1) I was so pleased to get your letter of 14th February a few days ago, and to hear all your news. Many thanks for it. I suppose Nigel (2) will be leaving Cambridge this month and joining up. I hope for your sake he won’t be sent overseas immediately, and perhaps by the autumn the European part of this war may be ended. I don’t see how any nation can stand up to the appalling bombing. I have had no letter from Claude (3) yet. I had the official wire from Simla in the new year, saying he was a prisoner of war in Malaya since 14. 2. 42 and that was just marvellous, after 11 months without news and to hear he was alive, how I just long to see his handwriting again. But I must not grumble as I am so lucky to have had news when quite a number are still without news. I am glad to hear Rachel (4) is at home with you now, though it is quite a long trek for her into Bideford every day. I suppose no buses run these days, so I imagine it means bicycling. I had a happy letter from John (5) about 10 days ago. He is somewhere in E. Africa and is now a Staff captain! He loves his new job and is very busy. I was touched with the remarks in your letter that my two are not forgotten in church each Sunday. I do thank you both it does help so much. I am in Kashmir and expect I shall remain up here for the duration. I feel nearer to Claude here. We are in a spot called Gulmarg, a summer resort 8000 ft. high and a very renowned golfing centre, and at the moment packed with women and children and crowds of young fellows up on short leave. We all live in huts which stand in – out of the pine trees. There are most beautiful walks through the pine woods, you get a lovely view of the snowy range of mountains from the circular walk. We have a dear little church, which stands on top of a hill in the centre of the golf links. It is generally very full for the 11 o’clock service Sundays and the children’s’ service which takes place before it at 10 am is really a sight. All these children and some little mites, have their hill ponies and ride to church, so outside the church there are masses of ponies and inside, the church is full of children, nurses, mothers and a few fathers scattered here and there. The children love it and it is so nice for them. The evening service is never very full, people go off to the woods for picnics after lunch and take tea with them. This place is under snow all the winter and comes to life again beginning of May, some few come up about the 15th April and dig their way in, through the snow. I stay in Srinagar during the winter, it stands on the Jhelum river, many people live in house boats there and others in houses. I don’t care for Srinagar so much, it is more a town, but it isn’t so bad in the winter, the “out of season” time and it is cold and a certain amount of snow during January and February, which I don’t mind. Even Srinagar is 5000 Ft. odd high. I wonder when we shall all be at home again. I am learning all I can about cooking! As I gather there won’t be any servants after the war. Luckily Claude’s Barton (?) is fairly labour saving and it shouldn’t be too difficult to learn without them. I am so sorry to hear that Mr Groom (6) is so crippled with his feet. Is there nothing he can do for them? Perhaps the summer and warmer weather will help him, I hope so. Please remember me to him and with my best wishes to you all. Yours very sincerely, Doris Pine-Coffin 1. Mrs Phyllis Margaret Groom, nee Jones. 06/12/1889 – 03/01/1991. Married Reginald W Groom, 1923 Winchester. 2. Nigel S Groom. B: 1924. Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. 3. Lt.-Col. Edward Claude Pine-Coffin. I.A. 565. Served with 2/27th Punjabis. Married Doris Lindsay Tennant 05/03/1920 Rawalpindi. Served in Malaya with 3 I.R.C., 11th Indian Division. Captured at Singapore 1942. Retired 11/09/1946. 4. Rachel G Groom. B: 1924. Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. 5. Lt.-Col. Trenchard John Pine-Coffin. (112831) B: Kashmir 12/06/1921. Educated at Wellington College and Sandhurst. Commissioned 2nd Lt. 31/12/1939. Served with Devonshire Regiment, King’s African Rifles & the Parachute Regiment. 6. Reginald W Groom. 1939 Register: Alwington Rectory, Fairy Cross, Bideford Rural District. Clerk in Holy Orders.
How does Richard Pine-Coffin fit into this family tree, I wonder? Edit: Younger brother of Claude. Richard Pine-Coffin - Wikipedia
For a photograph of the little church amongst huts see here and scroll down to posts 84 & 85. Chindit Unit ID
The letter. I am not sure that I have transcribed the section in red correctly as the hand writing is difficult to read.
