Mountbatten was appointed as a successor to Wavell from March 1947. Interestingly, before his departure for India, Mountbatten called on Churchill. He recounts this meeting and Churchill’s parting advice to him: ‘I’m sorry that you should perform this grievous duty . . . I’m not going to tell you how to do it, but I’ll tell you one thing—whatever arrangements you may make, you must see that you don’t harm a hair on the head of a single Muslim.’
