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 13^th 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 7^th standard.

Honours at school and college
I passed my 10^th 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 1^st and 2^nd 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.