Page 89 - Leadership in the Indian Army

almost everything to Thimayya, and spent very little time in the office. The
battalion soon moved to Quetta, where the city’s hectic social life and his
attractive wife kept the CO occupied, and it was left to Thimayya to run

things. Quetta was then one of the largest cantonments in India, with more
than a thousand officers stationed there. There was always something or the
other going on and Thimayya was kept quite busy. He was almost 28 years
old and was soon due for promotion to captaincy. He thought it was now
time to get married and settle down.
In January 1935, while on leave in Bangalore, Thimayya met Nina
Cariappa (no relation of K.M. Cariappa), who was a distant relative. He had

heard about her but never met her before, as she had spent most of her
childhood in Paris. It was love at first sight and they were soon engaged.
The marriage took place a month later in Bangalore. After some days at
Thimayya’s home in Mercara, followed by a few days in Bangalore, the
couple left for Bombay, from where they sailed for Karachi. After a short
voyage, which doubled as their honeymoon, Thimayya brought his bride to

Quetta. They settled down to a life of domestic bliss, which was cut short
by the terrible earthquake that devastated Quetta on 31 May 1935, killing
60,000 people. Fortunately, none of the troops were affected and were able
to assist in the relief work, which lasted several weeks.
Soon afterwards, Thimayya asked for a posting to Madras as Adjutant of
the 5th Madras Battalion, of the University Training Corps where his uncle,
Captain Ponappa would soon be completing his tenure. Leaving Nina at

Mercara for her confinement, he left on what was known as the British
Officers’ Winter Tour. He spent a month visiting villages around Delhi,
from where the men of his company had been recruited. Wherever he went,
he was welcomed with rallies and fetes, and the tour brought him much
closer to the men than he had been before. He then went on leave to be with
his wife when their child was born. On 20 March 1936, Nina delivered a

baby girl, who was named Mireille. A month after the birth of his daughter,
Thimayya took up his new assignment in Madras.
Though Thimayya was married and almost 30 years old, he had not lost
his sense of fun. In Madras, one of his duties was to act as the Master
Gunner of Fort St George, which involved control of the battery of six
artillery guns used for firing ceremonial salutes. One evening, during a
party at his home, a young college girl was gushing about the governor,

whom she had glimpsed that morning. Thimayya told her that she was more