Teaching Staff (June 1936) [In the centre spreadof the Oct '13 issue, the names of Miss Oliphant and Mr. Sprawson were erroneously interchanged. Our apologies for this goof up. Here, Saroj Kumar Mehera [I22 K '44} shares some interesting information about a few of the people in the photograph ... Ed} Seated: Mr. WI. Clough, xyz, Mrs. Clough, Sister Welby, Miss Oliphant, Mr. E. Sprawson 1 st row: Dr. u.s. Bhai, Mr. c.es. Menon, Mr. c.t: Howell Thomas, Mr. JA.K. Martyn, Mr. A.E. Foot, Mr. H. W Barritt,Mr. R.L. Mehta, Mr. VN Kapur 2nd row: Mr. Bashir Ali Shaikh, Mr. S. C. Lal, Captain Sardar Khan, Mr. Sudhir Khastagir, Mr. Rashiduddin Ahmed, Mr. S. Muinuddin Mr. William Lyndon Clough was in charge of Holding House when I joined Doon in Spring 1940. Mrs. Clough was American. Others who joined School at the same time and were in Holding House with me were Siegfried Shankar Roy [195 T '44] (His mother was German), Jagjit Singh Dulat [18 J '44], Vivek Yeshwant Nehru [82 J '44]. Miss Oliphant went on to found Welham Preparatory Boys' School. Mr. Eric Sprawson joined the R.A.F. (Royal Air Force). Dr. H.S. Bhai taught History, also Civics. His wife was English. He left in the 1940s for a government job. Mr. c.P.S. Menon taught Maths. He was a quick-tempered man and one whom boys played up with in class. On one occasion, MiangulAurangzeb [167 H '45] invited his wrath and ducked a wooden inkstand flung at him, which hit the boy behind! Mr. Menon joined government service later. His nephew, T.c. Narayan, is an old friend of ours, who lives in Bangalore. Mr. c.L. Howell Thomas was Housemaster of Jaipur House but left in 1941 and joined the army because he was incensed with Hitler. After the war, he did not return to India but took holy orders in the Anglican Church. Mr. R.L. Mehta taught English. He left around 1945 and took a government job in Delhi and later became Secretary of a Chamber of Commerce. Mr. V.N. Kapur taught Maths, Hindi and was in charge of P.T. (Physical Training). He succeeded Mr. C.L. Howell Thomas as Housemaster, Jaipur House. Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy [275 J '44] and Vivek Nehru [82 J '44] composed a ribald song about him! Captain Sardar Khan's job was to familiarise the Headmaster, Mr. A.E. Foot, with Indian customs and practices. His son, Lieutenant-General Ghulam Jilani Khan [188 T '41], after a career in the Indian Army, followed by the Pakistan Army, became Governor of Punjab in Lahore. He hosted many Doscos, like Gulab Ramchandani [225 T '42], (later HM, Doon), Prem Lal Malhotra [155 H '43], and myself. He was the leading light in the founding of Chandbagh School in Lahore. Mr. Sudhir Khastagir, trained in Shantiniketan, was Art Master. In 1941, he suffered a terrible personal tragedy when his wife's sari caught fire while she was cooking and she succumbed to the bums. One of his pupils was Ghulam Jilani Khan [188 T '41], mentioned above. Mr. Muinuddin taught Biology and Botany to junior classes, was Scoutmaster, and Athletics coach. The Dehra Dun annual district sports were his brainchild. He was the butt of a spoonerism involving three cheers for Mrs. Foot! After Partition, he went to Pakistan and started schools there. In 1985, Doon celebrated its Golden Jubilee and Mr. Muinuddin came from Lahore as a highly honoured guest, along with a group of Old Boys from Pakistan. When my wife and I visited Pakistan in 1987, Mr. Muinuddin attended a party for us by Masood Hasan [146 J '40] in Lahore. The next day, he came to Lahore airport, to see us off, with a gift, a gesture which nearly made me weep. Rose Bowl January 2014121
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