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WAMAN BALAJI DESAI Birth: 15th July 1910 Death: 28th July 1975 Work:  World War 2 (Rank P/L/NK)  Armed Police Officer

EARLY LIFE: Late Shri. Waman Balaji Desai, son of Late Shri Balaji Narayan Desai, Was a great hero in real life. Being was born to a Hindu-Maratha family, financial conditions were substandard. He started his school journey on 2nd July 1922, at the age of 12. In the era of 1920's admissions happened delinquently because of low wages of the head of the family. On 29th June 1926, he had to leave the school on parents advice because of financial crisis. He completed his schooling from a Marathi medium school in Neral. He took the admission in this school in the year 1925 in 5th standard. Before this school, he studied in a school at Malgund district in Ratnagiri. Then, till 1935 he did some odd job to support family.

PERSONAL LIFE: He was married to Late Shri Bhagirathi Waman Desai at the Age of 22 in the year 1932. There were military recruitments in the year 1935. He got selected on 4th September 1935 and had to leave for the training at Bombay (now Mumbai). His wife was carrying their first child when the Britishers announced a war happening in 1938.They had 5 children in total. Out of which 3 are sons and 2 daughters named as:- Mohan Prabhakar Heera Shashikant Bharti</ol> (Their first son was born very very elder to the rest because as soon as he was about to be born Late Shri Waman Balaji Desai had to leave for a war). Therefore he had to leave for war training. After retiring from the army i.e. when World War 2 stopped, he was asked which profession he wanted to pursue next. After that, he joined Indian police force as an armed police officer in the year 1950. He served the police force till 1973. He passed away on 28th July 1975 due to myocardial infarction commonly known as heart attack. PARTICIPATION IN WORLD WAR II: Anglo Egyptian Sudan, Eritria, Abyssinia (North Africa) (Year 1940)

He left Secunderabad Deccan on date 17-8-40 and came to Mumbai. On date 23-8-40, he left Mumbai by a steamship. Italian planes dropped bombs on their boat as it passed through the Red Sea in Africa. Luckily, the bombs fell to the side. All Steamships stood where they were. This was the first time, so they were scared.

On the fifteenth day they landed at the Anglo-Egyptian port of Sudan. With all their luggage, they immediately got off at Gedaref station by train. There they were in the wilderness. The trenches of battle were dug there.

A few days later they drove to Kashm-El-Girba. They did the same things in the same place. A few days later they went to Bhutan Bridge. They did the same work in the same place but in greater amount. Digging trenches during the day and patrolling at night. After some days, they want to place named Sewak. There the enemy 3 or 4 was miles away. There were many elephants, deer, snakes and scorpions in the forest there. Then they reached a place named Galabad. There were many enemies. Enemies firing from cannons was reaching their place. There, the enemy was suddenly attacked and many enemies were destroyed. After a few days, the enemy fled and territory came under their control. The retreating enemy marched to Addis Ababa, the capital of Abyssinia chasing the enemies, they caught them and captivated all of them. The territory of Abyssinia taken over by Italy was given to them.

Eritrean Territory Battle of Keren, Asmara and Massawa (Year 1941)

A few days later, they came to Keren. The enemies there were terrible. They were digging tunnels in the big mountains and hoarding a lot of machine guns, cannons bombs. Going through the darkness of the night and hiding at the foot of the same mountain, and at six in the morning. The white regiment first went to fight. Their guns, bombs and rifles exploded. Many whites died while passing through the plains near the foot of the mountain. So, all the white regiment retreated.

A fierce battle

Later, the Maratha regiment moved forward and advanced from the same ground. The Marathas suffered heavy losses due to the rain of cannons, machine guns, bombs and guns, and the bodies of the enemy fell to the ground due to the barrage of cannons, planes, machine guns, bombs and guns. So, the enemy retreated and they captured the mountain. Enemies hiding and surrendering were captured.

When they started climbing the hill, the Marathas were chanting 'Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki Jai'. The chanting lasted for about four and a half hours. After going to the top of the hill, they sat on the side of the rock for a little rest. At that point the enemy was at 100 yards. They were dying of hunger and thirst. The limbs were trembling with heroism. At about one o'clock, the people behind them gave some water to drink and calmed their souls and rested under the shelter of the rocks.

The next day they stayed in the same place. Nothing to eat or drink. At seven o'clock in the evening they got some biscuits and some water. They were watching all night, fearing that the enemy would attack them. On the third day, at nine o'clock in the night, they set out from the darkness to attack the enemy. The enemies were at 1000 yards.

Bodies of the dead enemies on the way were swollen. They were walking on the bodies of the swollen enemies as they could not see through the darkness. So, the boots on their feet were crawling inside like dung. They were moving left and right to miss but the situation was the same. At about eleven o'clock they reached the foot of a small hill. There, until four o'clock, everyone slept on the side of the rock by guarding in shifts. But the enemy was 100 yards from there. At five minutes past five in the morning, they made a move on the enemy. Their cannon, machine guns were crashing and they aimed their guns at the enemy with long knives. At that time, people could not be heard talking at all. They were shouting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Ki Jai.

Many Marathas were killed and some were injured and crippled and numerous enemies died and some took refuge. But the enemies were numerous so they were firing cannons and machine guns on them. Although the Marathas had no place to move forward, they fell on the enemy and enemies were retreated back. Hindustani soldiers were shouting "Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki jai". This battle was going on day and night for twelve days and at last the enemy fled from there and the territory came under the control of the Marathas. They chased after their enemies and captured many of them.

Enemies fled back to the fort at Asmara. They were also imprisoned in the same region and captured the territory. Remaining enemies fled to the city of Massawa, but they pursued them to Massawa and captured them all. The enemies feared that the Hindustani people would eat the people, so mostly they retreated. As the city was on the edge of the sea, they had no way to escape, and their armies were at sea. Shortly before their capture, they destroyed fire engines, cars, electric poles and ammunition. They destroyed all enemies in Eritrea and that territory was conquered.

Year 1942

The Marathas spent many days at Masaba where the summer was very harsh. During that time, he (Late Mr. Waman Balaji Desai) contracted lobar pneumonia and went to Asmara for a change of air. Asmara is a city of cool air. A few days later he arrived at Casing by fireboat and from there stayed at Kebrit then from there by motorcar he went to Hayappa and by armoured boat he got down at Cyprus and they took a good rest there.

Returning a few days later, they all went to the borders of Iraq, Iran, Baghdad, and Turkey and dug trenches. A few days later, they returned to Cassing, where they was ordered to return to Tobruk in the Libyan region. With all the luggage they went to tobrukh on motorcar. There, both Italy and Germany were battling the British. There they rested for two days on the back and faced the enemy. There was a lot of damage in all sorts of ways and the enemy was very large and the assassins were in many ways and even though they were not trained in such weapons, they were fighting with the enemy. But they had to back off. At that place, they used to get 1.5 Z of water by weight. We got a handful of rice and two chapatis. Even after retreating, Masamataruh came safely and the enemy was also following them. They were still fighting with them.

Misfortune and accident

General Rommel is from Germany and has been a servant of the British for a long time. He was a great commander. He encircled the British troops from Germany by wireless negotiations with Germany as a spy and on the third day he ordered them not to shoot at them because the enemy was so numerous and so close. We all had to retreat and save our lives. On June 28, 1942, at nine o'clock in the night, they started to retreat from the darkness, but it was a disaster to go through all the mines buried in the ground. There was a lot of damage on the way because it was not visible. About a hundred miles back some people were captured by the enemy that night and some were found in the morning and some returned safely. They were firing around them so there was no room for movement. Enemy planes came and raided them and as a result many people of Marathas were killed and a lot of damage was done. i.e. imprisoned. Now they all became a prisoner.

Prisoner

When one hears the word prisoner, his forehead is covered with tears, people look at him with contempt, look at him, spit on him, despise him, no one stands near him, despise him near one another, beat him and do not give him good food. They get a lot of work done from them, they give him a lot of trouble.

Dear brothers, he was also a prisoner, he did not kill anyone, he did not cause any trouble to anyone. Brothers, they were prisoners of war. On date 29th June 1942 he became a prisoner. Now that they were prisoners, they were not allowed to touch anything. They were told to work and eat whatever they was given. They were Hindu Marathas. But they had to do the work which they were not allowed and to eat what their religion did not allow. Dear brothers, at that time their bed was the ground and their covering was the sky. The territory was from Africa. Very hot during the day and extremely cold at night. It was a sandy field. No trees and stones. The wind was so strong that the wind blew the sand out of it and it became a big mountain and after some time the mountain disappeared from there and became a mountain again at another place. In such a situation, when we came to Tobrukh on foot, we did not eat or drink and we were very anxious because of the long distance. Thirst made our life miserable and we could not walk.

Everyone's situation was the same. We were guarded day and night. Many Marathas died due to thirst and urinated on the way. Some drank the urine of others. They all hugged each other and started crying but while guarding them, the guards kicked them and hit them from the back side of their guns. Due to this, some of them already choose the path to the heaven. While walking, they would see rice, peas, peas, flour, cloths, etc. lying on the ground around the road. When they tried to pick those things that time their bodyguards who carried guns and hitting them. Sometimes in vain, they even used to fire bullets on them. But in it some people hold the road to heaven. The next day, when they reached Tobrukh, their first raid was carried out. Whatever they had for eg. Cigarettes, knives, shaving kit, and clothes were taken by the enemies as a compensation. They were also beaten by back side of the guns. They screamed their birth place name in vain.

The place where they were kept was surrounded by barbed wire and they were all inside. For a few days, crushed bread weighed two ounces and a cup of water was available for 7 or 8 people. We hugged each other, eyes filled with water, sweep our hands and feet, and roll on the mother nature back. Unsatisfied with that, they would find the rice, pavte, chana peas lying on the ground and smash them with 32 teeth. And not satisfied with that much, that is, like an animal in a cage, looking down at the meetings inside. After about fortnight they started going out to work all day and got two biscuits and a cup of water every day, one biscuit and half a cup of water in the afternoon and the other half they ate in the evening. Pavte, dal, flour etc. was collected along with the soil and brought to the place where they halted. There they cooked their own food, be it half cooked but they ate as it is. They even joined the clothes which they had collected in their way and used it to prepare their bed for sleeping. Two months in that place as usual.

Then they left for Derna. On the way, their plane fired machine guns at Italian motorist, this resulted in killing four Marathas and injuring two others. They dug a hole in the ground and threw some sand on the dead people and buried the dead over there. We arrived at Derna at six o'clock in the evening. We were first searched top to bottom. Took all our belongings. How happy they must have been at that time! We slept on the soft bed there. Who would not want to sleep?

Departed at six in the morning. There were hundreds of people in one car. There was no sufficient place to stand. At that time, everyone was getting a biscuit. In the evening, they reached Begandhi. The first checking was done there and they were kept inside a secured room. There was the same food and the same bed. They used to do big things all day long. The intestines were squeezing. If they did not lift heavy weights, he would be kicked in the waist and was brutally beaten. They stayed for three months there in great comfort.

Italy Brindisi, Altamura, Avezzano and Udena.

It was during this period that the British withdrew and approached Alexandria. Fortunately, they called on the United States for help, forcing both Germany and Italy to retreat. When Italy and Germany started withdrawing, all those prisoners had to be taken back because they were their prisoners. Immediately, from Bengaji they were made to board the boat and sailed in two boats.

Unfortunately, a plane dropped a bomb on their boat near Malta. There was no prisoner flag on their boat and Italy had secretly loaded the boat with ammunition and ammunitions, and the boat hoarded a flag of prisoners.

A bomb was dropped on a boat by a plane and exploded. Some people jumped into the sea to save their lives and some people stayed inside with their limbs in remembrance of 33 crore gods. All the people who jumped into the sea, were killed. The boat that was in good condition pulled the injured boat to Greece and kept all the people inside in Greece. Those people were very bad condition. Some people died there.

The second boat arrived in the Italian state of Brindisi. There they were bathed, given a loaf of bread weighing six ounces, put on a train, and brought to Altamura the next day. They were first checked there and was given a place to stay. Gave a burmus and little clothes. It was snowing, and it was freezing cold. Their limbs were trembling day and night. There they were receiving parcels from the Red Cross Society

About a month and a half later, they were taken by train to Abissano, where they found two burmus and a cot in a wooded area. Burmus was three cubits long and two and a half cubits wide. One loaf weighing eight ounces and a few tamarinds and three or four grains of dried drumstick and a cigarette and a teaspoon of oil were given for four days. They had to stand at the tap for an hour for a cup of water. Their plan was to stay up all day lying on the salt flats.

Three months later, through Hindustani Red Cross Society they started receiving parcels. At that time, he began to gain strength. But there was no cure for the cold. They spent four months in a state with numerous lice on their body.

A loaf of bread weighing eight ounces and carrots, cabbage, dried shevagya and garlic grass were put in a big pot, a little salt was added to it and it was cooked one by one. We were getting five cigarettes a week. Too much trouble was given by them. Every week they used to check us. Our report did not work. Because we were their prisoners.

They were later brought to Brindisi for work, in a tent. At seven in the morning, the guards would pick them up. After working till noon, at twelve o'clock, they used to get a thin pudding of carrot, cabbage, shevagya and garlic grass. They used to jump on top of each other to get it. They were brought back at seven o'clock in the evening. They used to build roads, cut down trees, dig trenches and break stones.

In such a situation, they worked for three months, first they got salary of three and a half lira a day and then one lira a day, like this they received four and a half lira a day. Italy did not pay a month and a half salary. The prisoners were given shops by Italy. There was only pencil, paper, matchbox grapes and peppermint. They were flocking in droves to get it. When the US and British invaded and occupied the nearby island of Shisley, Italy brought them by train to the northern Italian city of Udina. Over there we were kept in a room surrounded by wires. There too we were first checked. Taking the food and clothes given by the nearby Hindustani Red Cross Society and also the money of the work done, they kicked them by making them naked and ordered them to stay in the line. He took our attendance seven or eight times a day and night. He used to take attendance at days as well as during the night. Food there was the same.

After one month Italy signed a treaty with British and America. Eventually, Italy became enemies with Germany. They were happy then. They were friends with Italy then. After that they feared of getting into hands of British but their fate was at a higher state. That night Germany besieged them and took them all by train to the region of Austria.

Germany

After spending a week in Austria, he moved to Ababurg, Germany. There he was given a prisoner number and returned to Limburg a week later. There we were troubled more. Food was available at that place as written on their back. Plus four cooked potatoes we used to get. Shri Subhash Chandra Bose had prepared Hindustani people to fight with the British. Many people went with them. So those who did not go were stripped naked and beaten in the snow. Some became their companions. There were three months in that place.

Year 1944

Then they were taken to triyar for work. They were kept for 8 to 10 days and brought to Bisdaaru village located at border of France. There they used to break the stones, cut tress, dig sand. That time it was snowing very much. There they were kept for 8 days and after that they were brought to a city named mines. There they were taken to a factory where tanks and ammunition were made. We roamed around the factory. As they saw the work which was done. In the factory, they refused to do it because they were war prisoners. Due to that they were beaten miserably and even the food and clothes which they had snatched away from them. They had nothing to wear and no bedsheets to sleep. Seeing no other option, we surrendered and became ready to do those kind work. After that we got something to eat and we were taken to Coblenz city. In this city We use to break the stones cut trees and dig holes. We used to work where they used to draw cotton from stones and Coal. There we worked for one year. Weighing 3 pounds of Bread of barley flour and wood flour used to be divided in five men and a handful of barley, a spoonful of jam, a spoonful of sugar, a handful of barley flour, a little butter and 1 mark (12 Aana) per day. After every Fifteen days, they were getting half a day off. The living space was good. There was water and so on.

They were the ones making the meal. At six in the morning, the guards would take them to work. He used to bring them for dinner at twelve o'clock. Then he would bring the, to work from half past twelve to six in the evening and bring us to the line half past six. They used to eat and mix with each other. If there was a slight difference in work, the Germans, their wives and children would run and kick us. So after that they would feel ashamed.

Fortunately, the U.S. military was able to reach the area about 60 miles [60 km] away. At that time, planes, bombs, and bombs had been set ablaze on dams, barracks, factories, and railway bridges in Germany before him. American and British planes flew over Germany for 24 hours every day. German villages were deserted. Prisoners were in agony. Germany has done this because at that time American planes were coming to drop bombs, they were lined up, doors and windows were closed, petrol was poured on the line and set on fire. Approximately about 4000 prisoners were burnt alive.

Year 1946

As the US military approached, they were evacuated. They were taken out at three in the morning and brought on foot to the town of Diederf, 28 miles away. From there they were brought from Limburg, Solingen city to Haadaama city. They used to walk for 26 miles in the day, like this they walked for approximately one week. But they were not provided with enough water or food. They had some storage offered which was given to them by the Indian Red Cross company. From that they used to eat a little little and used to save the rest for later sometimes they used to see carrots, potatoes, garlic grass on roads and used to pick them up but the bodyguards used to fire bullets on them. So, in that fighting some people used to die in some use too be injured.

Freedom from the prisoner Jail

After reaching Haadaama they got a place to stay in the horse stable. Outside their stable a bodyguard carrying gun always use to be there. Approximately 3 days passed good day arised and their fortunes brightened. The American military forces besieged the region that night on 26-3-43 and captured all the German forces.

Their happiness has now on the top of the world. They started dancing, singing, they got free from the prison. Brothers, they were released on 28-3-46. They ran and shook hands with the American army and hugged them. American army treated them with respect, entertained them, fed them, lined them up at Limburg by car and gave them good food and clothes, arranged for them to sleep and walk around on the way out. Whenever they saw a German man in the house or outside, they gave him a good scolding. They used to go home and find Kavathe, Chicken Pav and eat it and wander all day long.

France and Belgium

Approximately they were there for three weeks after that some people were taken to England by planes from America given into the hands of British while some people were sent to Belgium via France by boarding train from Hanau station in Germany. Their America had depot. There after getting fresh they were given fresh clothes to wear and England had given 5 pounds to each and every person that time 1 pound me meant 13 rupees the food which we were given was of our religion. Over there they wrote our name under number and give us permission to go home. On the second day they sat in a train to Belgium and they reached Brazil city. There the British Army was already present. Over there the food was of OK quality. In that village they roamed through tram free of cost. While reaching Brazil they had many tea breaks and they also received some free of cost things.

England

On the second day they sat in a Steamboat and reached Liverpool in England. Over there the Marathas were already present and they had prepared some good food. Consuming that food on the second day through train they reached bury. Over there they had made some arrangements to live over there. They took their name and number and their address they gave them some good clothes. Living and food arrangements were already made. For their arrangements, there were a lot of Marathi peoples. They roamed over there a lot. We saw Indian cinemas too much and free of cost. There we also saw Norwich a London city. Approximately after three weeks again by train we reached Liverpool and over there we sat in a Steamboat. In that boat food, water etc all the arrangements were made.

India The boat reached Mumbai Dhakka on the 23rd day after leaving from eden border crossing Gibraltar, Malta and Suyej. After that immediately we reached Bori bunder station by motor car from there they boarded a train to Belgaum station. There they were felicitated. They then went to their depot where they stayed for six days. They got some clothes, money and a railway warrant and were sent home to visit their mother, father, brother, sister, children and friends on a three-month leave.

LIFE AFTER RETIRING FROM MILITARY SERVICE: After retiring from the military he joined the police force as a constable. He was a very strict police officer. After few years, he got promoted to head constable. While he served for the police force, he wanted each and everything to happen as he wanted. He once had caught a criminal and was taking him to the court. while travelling the criminal said that he wanted to go to the washroom. At those times, for washroom they had to go in the jungle. therefore Late shri Waman Balaji Desai had to open his ropes so that he can go to the washroom. As soon as his ropes were opened, he fled away. But Late Shri Waman Balaji Desai knew where he would go. He caught that criminal again at the railway station and brought him back. Then he was presented before the court. when he served for the military he had brought some money back from those countries. images of which are given here. He retired as a Police officer in the year 1973. On 28th July 1975, he took his last breathe. He is still alive with us in our memories, as he was, he is and he will always be loved.

Category:World War II Category:Waman Balaji Desai