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The Gurkhas- Bravest of Brave
“As I write
these last words, my thoughts return to you who were my comrades, the
stubborn and indomitable peasants of Nepal. Once more I hear the laughter
with which you greeted every hardship. Once more I see you in your bivouacs
or about your fires, on forced march or in the trenches, now shivering with
wet and cold, now scorched by a pitiless and burning sun. Uncomplaining you
endure hunger and thirst and wounds; and at the last your unwavering lines
disappear into the smoke and wrath of battle. Bravest of the brave, most
generous of the generous, never had country more faithful friends than you".
The words
of Professor Sir Ralph Turner, MC, who served with the 3rd Queen Alexandra's
Own Gurkha Rifles in the First World War
Click here for the Gurkha VC holder
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Introduction of Gurkhas:
Beyond
the borders of South Asia, Nepal is renowned for two things. One stands
rock-solid and has barely moved in millennia. The mountains can’t come to them,
so people come from all over the world to encounter the heart-stopping Himalaya.
The other moves around quite a bit. Most people around the world would prefer
not to encounter them at any time, in any place under any circumstances- the
equally heart-stopping Gurkha Soldiers. The Gurkhas rank at the top of the list
of the world’s all-time most formidable fighting men. Ounce of ounce only
nitroglycerine packs more devastating power. No berserkers they, but it is
highly inadvisable to disagree seriously with them, individually or
collectively. This, it is widely accepted, would be as fool-hardly as attempting
to embrace a running chainsaw.
Rare is
the person today who has not heard of the Gurkha soldiers, the brave troops from
Nepal's isolated hills who bolster the forces of the British and Indian armies.
Famed for their tenacity and loyalty in warfare since the late 18th Century,
these Kukri-wielding soldiers underscored their fame by playing a key role in
the 1982 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) crisis.
Apart from “Big Boy” and “Fat Man,” the atomic superstars of the Second World
War, three weapons shared top billing as the most famous: the Ju-87 “Stuka”,
the U.S. armed force’s quarter-ton “Jeep” and the “Khukuri”, the
knife of the Nepalese of the British Gurkha Brigade.
Gurkhas has equipped with modern SA80 Rifles and are renowned as natural
marksman. But they still carry into battle their traditional weapon - a 16" long
curved knife known as Khukuri. In time past, it was said that once a Khukri was
drawn in battle, it had to taste blood' - if not, its owner had to cut himself
before returning into its sheath.
The name, Gurkha, is a military touchstone, evoking deeds of bravery and
daring-do. The image is of a solid chunk of mountain man wielding a razor-sharp
Khukuri whose breadth is only matched by his grin. And the reality is only a
little removed from the legend. For the Nepali, serving in a Gurkha Regiment is
one of the greatest opportunities life can offer. For a Briton lucky enough to
serve with such a regiment, there is no greater privilege; it is an experience
that is never forgotten.
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Apart from “Big Boy” and “Fat Man,” the atomic superstars of the Second
World War, three weapons shared top billing as the most famous: the Ju-87
“Stuka”, the U.S. armed force’s quarter-ton “Jeep” and the “Khukuri”,
the knife of the Nepalese of the British Gurkha Brigade.
Gurkhas has equipped with modern SA80 Rifles and are renowned as natural
marksman. But they still carry into battle their traditional weapon - a 16" long
curved knife known as Kukri. In time past, it was said that once a Khukuri was
drawn in battle, it had to taste blood' - if not, its owner had to cut himself
before returning into its sheath. The name is a military touchstone, evoking
deeds of bravery and daring-do. The image is of a solid chunk of mountain man
wielding a razor-sharp Khukuri whose breadth is only matched by his grin. And
the reality is only a little removed from the legend. For the Nepali, serving in
a Gurkha Regiment is one of the greatest opportunities life can offer. For a
Briton lucky enough to serve with such a regiment, there is no greater
privilege; it is an experience that is never forgotten.
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Origin of Gurkhas
 Nepal
is the homeland of world famous Gurkhas and the country of great Himalayas. The
original definition of the Gurkhas or Gorkhali (Nepali Terms), literally meaning
'defender of cows', was a man of Mongolian stock from the ancient principality
of Gorkha about fifty miles to the west of Kathmandu, whose ruler, Prithivi
Narayan Shah, formed the Gorkhali army, for the first time By the help of the
brave Gorkhalis from Gorkha, King Prithvi Narayan Shah succeeded in uniting
modern Nepal into one Kingdom around 1768-69 AD.
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The war against the British in 1814 and separate action against Tibet, early
18th century, the Gorkhalis Army was enveloped in a long-drawn battle with
mercantile British East India Company. It was the Anglo-Nepal war that first
thrust the myth and legend of Gurkha bravery into Western minds. In that
conflict, British in India first experienced the effectiveness,
stubbornness, loyalty valor and indomitable bravery of Gurkhas. Impressed by
what they had seen, the British East India Company began recruiting Gurkhas
into their service. The British did not formalize Gurkha recruitment until
1886, but by the time India already had eight Gurkha Rifles units. Most of
the men were drawn from the Magars, Gurungs tribes, but others came from the
Rais, Limbus and Sunuwars of the eastern hills and from the Khasas of the
west. Over the next 50 years, the Gurkhas fought all over south Asia, From
Afghanistan to Malaya, and even as far as African Somaliland in 1903.
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The
First World War:
 At the
outbreak of the First World War in 1914 beckoned the Gurkhas to new
destinations. With the advent of the First World War, Gurkhas were called on in
even greater numbers. More than 114,000 Gurkhas were called into active service
in Givenchy, Ypres, Gallipoli, Palestine, Mesopotamia, Suez, Persia and
Afghanistan. Another 200,000 men were mobilized in the Indian Army. A battalion
of the 8thGR (8th Gurkha Rifle, name of battalion) distinguished itself at Loos
in Flanders, fighting nearly to the last man. The 6th Gurkhas won fame in the
ill-fated Gallipoli campaign when they threw the Turks back in their sector.
They were the only allied troops to reach and hold the hillcrest line, looking
down on the straits, which were the force’s ultimate objective. Two Gurkhas -
Kulbir Thapa (France 1915) and Karna Bahadur Rana (Palestine, 1918) were awarded
the Victoria Cross for their Gallantry.
The
Second World War:
In the
Second World War, Gurkha strength was expanded to 45 battalions. Soldiers saw
action in Iraq, Persia, Cyprus, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, Burma, Malaya and
Indonesia.
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When the Second World War
broke out in 1939, the Gurkhas again came to Britain’s aid. Some 112,000 men
served in 45 battalions in battles in Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Persia, Iraq,
Malaya, Singapore, and Burma (Myanmar). Ten Victoria Crosses were awarded to
Gurkhas. In addition, the Nepalese government gave money to buy military
equipment to help those made homeless in London by the Blitz. The strength
of the relationship between the Nepalese and the British forces was
illustrated in 1940 after the fall of France, when British requested
permission to recruit a further 20 battalions, The Nepalese Prime Minister
replied: “Does a friend desert a friend in time of need? If you win, we win
with you. If you lose we lose with you.” |
Post-war action:
 Two
years after the Second World War ended, with the granting of independence to
India, the Gurkhas regiments were divided. Six of the ten regiments became the
Indian Gurkhas Rifles; the four (2ndGR, 6thGR, 7thGR and 10GR) remaining the
British Brigade of Gurkhas. In India the troops plunged immediately into the
India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir; later came the Sino-Indian war
(China-India) or 1962 and further battles between India and Pakistan in 1965 and
1971.
The
British Brigade served in Malaya (Malaysia), Indonesia, Brunei and Cyprus.
Another Victoria Cross, (the 13th) was awarded to Lance Corporal Ram Bahadur
Limbu for heroism in the face of overwhelming odds in Sarawak in 1965.
 The
Gurkhas’ action in the Falkland Island added another chapter to their legend.
Perhaps the
Gurkhas was raised by the Argentine press, which belittled them as a cross
between dwarfs and mountain goats. Argentine troops guarding Port Stanley may
have heard rumor about Khukuri decapitations of troop opposing the Gurkhas in
other campaigns. For as the Gurkhas advanced on Argentina positions, the South
America troops "tuned and field." according to a British news paper report. The
BBC reported that "The Argentines dropped theirs rifles and abandoned mortars
and machine guns".
In
the end…
 Gurkha
soldiers are recruited as teenagers of 17 or 18 from their villages. There is
recruiting depot at Pokhara in west central Nepal. Strict medical tests limit
enlistment; those who succeed are provided with uniforms and good food, and are
flown to UK or Brunei for 10 months of schooling and basic training. Then they
have their first home leave, and their villages invariably treat them as heroes.
Gurkhas
today main posts in UK, India, Singapore and Brunei. Many Nepalese spend their
entire working careers in the Gurkhas. It is a position of great status, and an
important earner of foreign exchange for the country.
The
Gurkhas have loyally fought in nearly all of the world's major wars for 186
years and have earned Britain's highest service honors. They have won 13
Victoria Crosses, along with other important military awards, more than any
other single troop in the army. No country has produced soldiers of such renown
as the Gurkhas. The appellation of Gurkhas - By now the other name for Valor,
courage, Steadfastness, Loyalty, Neutrality and Impartiality come from the
Gorkha, a small hilly town located in west central Nepal.
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