Page 90 - Leadership in the Indian Army

important than the governor. She was more intelligent, would make a
greater contribution to society, and was also better looking. In fact, like the
governor, she deserved a 31-gun salute and that was exactly what she would

get when she left for college the next morning. Everyone thought that
Thimayya was joking, but the following morning the entire city heard 31
guns booming in salute. Thimayya was able to get away with it as he was
authorised for a certain number of practice rounds and was thus not
violating any order. However, the locals did not know this, and thought that
Thimayya had defied his British superiors.
After spending four years in Madras, Thimayya was ordered to rejoin his

old battalion. The 4/19 Hyderabads had been moved to Singapore when
World War II began. Leaving his wife and daughter in Bangalore, Thimayya
spent two years alone in Singapore. Due to a series of incompetent COs,
morale in the battalion was low, and the Indian and British officers hardly
spoke to each other. There was a mutiny by a company of Ahirs, who were
joined the next day by the Jats. Thimayya was now commanding a mixed

company and was able to keep them out of the uprising. He was
instrumental in pacifying the men and the mutiny finally subsided. But by
now, Thimayya was fed up and asked for a transfer. In August 1941, he was
transferred to 8/19 Hyderabad Regiment in Agra, which was under raising.
Two months later, he was transferred to 10/19 Hyderabad Regiment, which
was also being raised at the same station.
In July 1942, Thimayya was appointed the second-in-command of the

battalion. While he was at Agra, there were violent demonstrations
triggered by the Quit India resolution, adopted in Bombay by the Congress
Party. Thimayya’s battalion was called out on six occasions to control
violent mobs. Each time, Thimayya talked to the demonstrators, who were
mostly students, and avoided opening fire. After some time, posters
appeared all over town, saying ‘Don’t be afraid of the Hyderabads—they

never shoot.’ Thimayya’s CO, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Attfield, was
annoyed and asked him why he was withholding fire. Thimayya replied that
whenever he gave a warning, the mob dispersed, so where was the need to
open fire?
After a short stint at Agra, Thimayya left for Quetta in February 1943, to
do the Staff College course. He was one of six Indians out of a total of 140
students who attended the course. When he graduated six months later, he

was placed second in the order of merit. After the course, he was given the