Saturday 30th December 1944
Got to M.R.B. at 6.15-five hours without pushing. Failed to locate S.P. there or at Jorhat. Left M.R.B. at 11 arrived Jorhat at 2.30, left 3.30, Dehing 9.00. M.R.B. to Dehing was the worst road as usual. Nathalie greeted me with a kiss x
Nathalie was Jack Kilburn’s wife. They were local tea plantation owners and became close friends of John’s. This visit would be the last time John would see them.
M.R.B = ? Material Review Board/Maintenance Review Board/Management Review Board
SP appears to refer to a self-propelled gun (SPG) is a form of self-propelled artillery, and in modern use is usually used to refer to artillery pieces such as howitzers.
Self-propelled guns are mounted on a motorised wheeled or tracked chassis (because of this they are sometimes mistaken for tanks). As such the gun can be maneuvered under its own power as opposed to a towed gun that relies upon a vehicle or other means to be moved on the battlefield. Self-propelled guns are combat support weapons; they are employed by combat support units fighting in support of, or attached to, the main combat units: infantry and armour. Self-propelled guns are best at providing indirect fire but can give direct fire when needed. It may be armoured, in which case it is considered an armoured fighting vehicle (AFV). Typically, self-propelled guns are more lightly armoured and may not have turrets and their purpose is distinct from that of tanks.
Nathalie Kilburn, wife of local tea plantation owner Jack Kilburn and close friend of John’s.
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