Harkness – MacGillivray Stories

I continue trying to decode the love letters from my father to my mother during his time in Burma.

Page 5

Page 6

On Page 6, my father mentions “that you come out here darling”. On reading all the Rangoon letters, it seems that my father had a contract to work in Burma for four years; and that he could make more money working in Burma, than in Scotland. But the social and political conditions in Burma at this time were precarious. Thus, the idea of my mother joining him in Burma never materialised. Moreover, he didn’t stay there for four years. The dates are uncertain here (see CV); but it seems that my father worked in Burma as a naval officer (roughly, 1945-1946), and also as a civilian (roughly, 1946-1947).

Columbo

My father mentions that the ship docked at Columbo (Sri Lanka – Ceylon), but he writes, “I don’t think we’ll be allowed ashore.”

Page 1 or 7 (no logical sequence)

This ‘unknown page’ makes reference to the ‘Palestine Police’. This is another complex topic which we don’t have the opportunity to discuss here – the ‘creation of Israel’. My father mentions the ‘troubles in Palestine.” 

Page 10