Eighty years ago today Monday 9 June 1941

 Awoke fairly early after quite a fair sleep. Not much to see yet, country pretty boring, flat and dry. Rotten grub at stations and so we were pretty hungry when we arrived at Ponmalai [Tamil Nadu]. Just before we entered the hilly jungle and passed through 20 miles of it, we ran into a cyclone and at the station were dozens of cars with their owners waiting for us with macs and umbrellas. Dean and I went together and were driven 7 miles in a torrent, roads flooded, trees crashing. Arrived and introduced to Mr Clarke, grand tea, dinner and bed; how welcome.

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