9 March 17

Repeating the "celebration" from last year: 9 March 1925 was the beginning of Pink's War. This was fought between the Royal Air Force and the Mahsud tribesmen in South Waziristan, near the border between Afghanistan and northwest British India. The British air squadrons strafed tribal mountain strongholds in what became a "successful attempt to crush the rebellion," ending on 1 May 1925. The campaign's commander, Wing Commander Pink, received a speedy promotion to Group Captain. (The date of this event was noted as an excellent occasion for wearing my bright pink tie, on the document that accompanied its gifting by my daughters-in-law-to-be in 2008.)