At the request of my dear ones, I am writing this in great
humility, not to boast about myself but only to show what God in His mercy has done to an ordinary man like me.
Born
in Burma
I was born in Rangoon
on the 13th May 1919 to Dr. A. J. Masillamony and Mrs. Thangam Mony, a highly respectable Indian Christian family,
firmly founded in strong Christian principles.
Christian values from
my parents
My dad, earlier worked as a Burma Government Medical Officer
and later as Medical Practitioner running his own clinic at Rangoon.
He had resigned from his Govt. service mainly to ensure that all their children could get good continuous education in the
schools at Rangoon. He served the church for many years as
a senior member of the Pastorate committee and was instrumental in raising funds and completing the extension of our church,
more or less single handed.
Early role models
My dad, along with such Christian stalwarts like my uncle
Dr. M. D. David, Mr. Dharmaraj, Mr. Gnanaviran, Mr. C. T. Venugopal, a Brahmin convert and Mr. G. K. S. Dawson were all role
models for me in shaping my future Christian life. He was also well known for his social service activities in connection
with Street Boys’ Refuge and in the Rangoon YMCA. In recognition of the Social service rendered by him, he was made
an Honorary Magistrate at Rangoon by the Govt. of Burma.
My mum on the other hand took full control of running the
house in looking after and bringing up the six children in true Christian faith. She ensured that we read the Bible every
day, had family prayers every night without fail, memorized Bible verses every Sunday and saw to it that we attended church
service every Sunday, took part in Sunday school, Girls’ guild and Boys’ guild, joined the choir and served as
Altar servers in the church. This is the Christian foundation that we were all brought up in, which gave us a wonderful start
in our spiritual journey into the future.
My
parents had two sons and four daughters, my eldest brother Victor Mony and four sisters, Stella, Suri, Chandra and Kamala.
All of us started schooling at St. Gabriel’s S. P.
G. High School, Pagoda Road, Rangoon which was then a co-educational institution
up to 7th standard.
Honours at school and college
I passed my 10th
standard at the age of 14 and came out within the first 10 brightest students who passed their high school from all
the schools in Burma during that year. I was therefore allowed to do 1st and 2nd year Intermediate
course at the University of Rangoon
in one year. I joined the . B. O. C. College of Engineering, Rangoon which was then closely
linked with University of Bristol
from where the Professors of various Departments in the College were posted. I completed my B. Sc. (Hons) Engineering
in Civil and Structural Engineering with First Class Honours at the age of 19 years and was awarded the Todarmal
Talwar Memorial Gold Medal for being the best student ever turned out by the Department from the inception of the college
in the year 1928.
Extracts from
a few of the certificates given by the College Professors and Engineering Departmental Heads are given below.
From Mr A. Burton,
Supervisor of Studies, College of Engineering:
Throughout his entire
course in the Department, he was the best student of his year and in the Final examination secured First Class Honours with
exceptionally high results. This man is perhaps the most brilliant student ever turned out by
this Department and secured his Degree at a very early age. At this time, he was only 19 years of age and competed with students
6 or 7 years older than himself.
From Prof. F. Webster, Professor
of Engineering, University of Rangoon:
His academic record
in this Department has been a remarkable one and his quick grasp of the more mathematical part of the training really imposing.
From the Registrar,
University of Rangoon:
Joseph Durai Raj who
passed the B.Sc. (Hons.) Examination in Engineering of this University in March 1939 with First Class Honours, stood highest
in the aggregate of the three Examinations leading to the Degree of B.Sc. (Hons.) in Engineering in the University and is
eligible for the award of the Todarmal Talwar Memorial Gold Medal.
From Mr. R. S. Andrews,
Chief Engineer, Burma,
Buildings and Roads Department:
Joseph Durai Raj is
an Honours Graduate of the University of Rangoon
with First Class Honours in Civil Engineering. Holds the record of the University
of Rangoon being the best Engineering student
turned out by the Department from the inception of the College in the year 1928.
From U Aung Gain,
Secretary, Ministry of Public Works and Labour, Union of Burma:
From
December 1945 onwards, he is officiating as an Executive Engineer in the Buildings and Roads Department having served in the
first instance as ‘Works Officer’ in the Office of the Chief Engineer to deal with all works cases and in charge
of the Central Design Office. He had done well.
He was later put in
charge of the Rangoon Estate Division No. II, one of the heaviest
Divisions in the Department, which is in executive control of over 600 Requisitioned buildings in Rangoon. The Division was over two years in arrears but by dint
of his hard work, he has brought the work completely up to date which is commendable.
During 1948, his services
were partly lent to the University of Rangoon
to take lectures for the Final Year Engineering Degree students, as the University Authorities were stranded for want of a
Lecturer and his services were specifically requested for the purpose. On account of the noble part he played in lecturing
at the University, it was possible to turn out ten Civil Engineers to meet the urgent needs of the country.
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From soprano to alto to tenor at St. Gabriel’s Church choir
During
my stay at Rangoon till 1942 when we were made to evacuate
because of the Japanese war, I was attending St. Gabriel’s church, starting as the smallest choir member singing soprano
and then graduating to alto and tenor as time went on. Served also as an Altar server and was an active member of the Boys’
Guild of the Church taking part in various activities like musical programmes, dramas, theatrical performances etc. Collection
of rice and dhal every Sunday from the parishioners’ houses and distributing to the poor and feeding of a large number
of poor, up to about 300 during festive occasions were some of the programmes which the Boys’ Guild undertook.
Sportsman and athletic champion
Took active part in games like Football, Volley ball and Badminton at School and won many prizes
Took up even Boxing while at School. At School, I was Athletic champion for 3 years in long jump, high jump and running.
Youngest lecturer, teaching students 6 years older
After graduating from the Engineering
College, I was appointed as Lecturer in the Civil Engineering Department, later to
take charge of the Department when all the English professors had to leave Rangoon
with the onset of World War II. I had students to teach who were 5 or 6 years older than me.
As soon as I attained
the age of 21 years, which was the age for entry into Government service, I joined Burma Public Works Department as an Assistant
Engineer and was put in charge of maintaining Rangoon Mingaladon
Airport during the intense aerial bombardment of Rangoon
by the Japanese. Bombs fell even 50 feet away from the Air raid shelter where I and my Engineering
staff were taking shelter but it was only through God’s mercy that we were all saved. Our duties at
the Airport were to ensure that the runways were always kept fit for use after air raids, by bull dozing the craters
and making good the damage. During this period, I had obtained training as Air Raid Warden, Fire Brigade Officer and as Controlling
Officer at the main Monitoring Office of Air raids and was entrusted with these duties at various times.
First pay - church chandelier
At my first appointment as Lecturer in the Engineering College in 1939, I donated a small
chandelier to the church with my first pay. This was hung at the chancel of the church and I was overwhelmed with joy
when I returned to Rangoon in 1945 to see that the chandelier was the only item that was spared by the Japanese and which
was still left hanging in the church, in spite of the utter desecration of the church by the Japanese Army, using it as a
brewery during the war.