An American in Kashmir, 1943

If you&rsquore in Kashmir, can romance be far behind Every summer droves of American troops stationed in India in the 1940s were sent vale-wards for some compulsory R&ampR, &ldquoas a protective measure against malaria&rdquo. Lovaria was a harmless side effect.

Life magazine went on a date with two lovebirds, Lieutenant Vaden Carney of Fort Worth, Texas, test pilot at a US air depot, and London girl Pamela Rumbold, a WVS hostess at the Srinagar Club and &lsquothe most beautiful girl in Kashmir&rsquo. Carney had stationed himself in a houseboat on the Jhelum with two of his buddies (tariff a princely $3 per day, &ldquoincluding food and servants&rdquo).

Shikaras, with names like &lsquoMae West&rsquo and &lsquoLove Comes to You&rsquo, all with &ldquobest spring seats&rdquo, could be hired for as little as a dollar a day. The shikara doing exemplary service here is named &lsquoCareless Rapture&rsquo. Life&rsquos caption for the image &ldquorhythm of the paddles is like the beat of boogie woogie&rdquo.

This was one of Life staff photographer William Vandivert&rsquos cheerier subjects. Just two years later, he was one of the first photographers to capture the burned-out bunker in Berlin where Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun spent their last hours.