Here Comes The Gurkha's
Written by : Jeffrey R Hilton
Feb.24.2012
Feb.24.2012
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Any military man that's ever fought alongside the Gurkha's will tell you they were proud to do so, as the Gurkha's are both, a highly respected, and widely feared, formidable enemy, and a valuable ally. These tribal warrior soldiers from Nepal have a reputation that proceeds them and are valiant, tenacious, and hard fighting. The Gurkha's are associated with the curved Nepalese knife, 18 inches in length, with a 12 inch blade, called the, Khukuri or Kukri The blades on these knives are forward curving and deliver a deadly and powerful killing machine in the hands of a Gurkha. The tip of a Kukri, is as sharp as a needle and so cuts as well as it stabs.
In times past, it was tradition that if a Khukuri was drawn, then it had, to taste blood, and if not, the soldier would have to cut himself with the knife to honor the tradition. As a former Chief Of Staff in the Indian Army once stated, "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a Gurkha." The Gurkha's fought with such ferocity in WWI that they fought to the last man during the battle of Loos campaign, June-December, 1915, hurling everything they had against the force of the German Army.
In times past, it was tradition that if a Khukuri was drawn, then it had, to taste blood, and if not, the soldier would have to cut himself with the knife to honor the tradition. As a former Chief Of Staff in the Indian Army once stated, "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a Gurkha." The Gurkha's fought with such ferocity in WWI that they fought to the last man during the battle of Loos campaign, June-December, 1915, hurling everything they had against the force of the German Army.
The Gurkha's , originally 10 regiments, fought in many campaigns. The British Army's Brigade of Gurkha's, and , The Royal Gurkha Rifles was a God send to many of the British's successful campaigns and saved their ass more than once on some of the not so successful ones. With that, It's a shame that at some point, some pompous ass politician in Britain decided that it would be okay to exclude military pensions to any Gurkha's that joined before 1997, forcing many Gurkha's that had settled in the U.K. after WWII to return to their homeland. This has since been mostly rectified thankfully, but it's a bit of a black mark for the U.K. after the kind of dedicated service the Gurkha's have provided to the Crown.
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| Gurkha's 1923 |
The Gurkha's of today are widely split between the Nepalese Army, The Indian Army
Private security firms in Hong Kong, a long standing service from 1949 with the Singapore Police and for now, the British are still recruiting, but in smaller numbers. This years recruitment saw the British looking to fill only, 176 posts to some 12,000 applicants. And the British have made many positions redundant, slashing 1000s of them.
To be a Gurkha, is a title of prestige that doesn't come easy. A recruit must undergo some of the most difficult training in the world, completing and passing a series of grueling mental and physical tests. One of these tests is the dreaded doko race, consisting of an over 3 mile race uphill with a basket weighing 77lbs. ( 35kg ) strapped to their backs containing sand.
Private security firms in Hong Kong, a long standing service from 1949 with the Singapore Police and for now, the British are still recruiting, but in smaller numbers. This years recruitment saw the British looking to fill only, 176 posts to some 12,000 applicants. And the British have made many positions redundant, slashing 1000s of them.
To be a Gurkha, is a title of prestige that doesn't come easy. A recruit must undergo some of the most difficult training in the world, completing and passing a series of grueling mental and physical tests. One of these tests is the dreaded doko race, consisting of an over 3 mile race uphill with a basket weighing 77lbs. ( 35kg ) strapped to their backs containing sand.
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| Training For Doko |
Recruitment numbers are down in Nepal and this has left many young would be soldiers with few other options other than the Singapore police and private security. Considering the average Gurkha soldier makes more than 90 times more than a farmer, farming isn't likely to be an option for most for the many of recruits that don't qualify.
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| 31 yr old Corporal Dipprasad Pun, Awarded The Conspicuous Gallantry Medal At Buckingham Palace |
Corporal Dipprasad, was manning a checkpoint in Afghanistan, when it was overrun by the Taliban. Leaving only himself, he thought he was going to die, but was determined to kill as many of them as possible. When the fight was over, he had killed all 35 Taliban fighters, singlehandedly. The award is second to the Victoria Cross. This is why the Gurkha's are so highly respected. These are the guys I want on my side.
In another example of fearlessness, a 35 yr old, Gurkha soldier in the Indian Army was travelling home by train after he took voluntary retirement when the train was taken over by 40 robbers who quickly collected 20 gold necklaces, $400,000 in cash, 40 laptops, 200 cell phones and other belongings. There fun soon ended as they began to strip an 18 yr old girl, travelling with her parents with the intention of raping her in front of her parents. The soldier pulled his Kukri and deftly killed 3 of the men and injured 8 others
causing the remaining bandits to flee, leaving behind all their loot. The wounded bandits were quickly arrested by the police.
In another example of fearlessness, a 35 yr old, Gurkha soldier in the Indian Army was travelling home by train after he took voluntary retirement when the train was taken over by 40 robbers who quickly collected 20 gold necklaces, $400,000 in cash, 40 laptops, 200 cell phones and other belongings. There fun soon ended as they began to strip an 18 yr old girl, travelling with her parents with the intention of raping her in front of her parents. The soldier pulled his Kukri and deftly killed 3 of the men and injured 8 others
causing the remaining bandits to flee, leaving behind all their loot. The wounded bandits were quickly arrested by the police.
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| Indian Army Rifles |
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| 5th Gurkha Rifles Japan 1946 |
The Gurkha's had won 13 Victoria Crosses up to 1947, and 26 in all. for their British service, and during the two world wars, 43,00 Gurkha's lost their lives. The Gurkha's are Nepalese warriors originating from different tribes in Nepal. They are usually small in stature, but very powerful and quick. They have been heavily involved with the British, working Afghanistan and are said to have an affinity with the Afghan people, which helps the British efforts more. Prince Harry lived with a Gurkha battalion while serving in Afghanistan.
Recently while a Gurkha platoon was sent out to locate a high value target, ( A Taliban leader ) they were told that they would have to prove they killed the right man. One of the soldiers after a hard fought battle with the insurgents drew his kukri and sliced the head off the Taliban leader to bring back as proof. Whoops ! that's not quite what we meant, but good job!
During WWII, a Gurkha soldier involved in hand to hand combat with a German soldier deftly swung his Kukri at the German, who yelled, Jai ! ( Missed ) The Gurkha stood his ground and said to the German, "Try shaking your head !" It's also said that Gurkha's would sneak behind German enemy lines where the Germans were lined up in rows sleeping, the Gurkha's would silently slit the throat of every second man in the row
causing widespread terror and fear among the German ranks.
Recently while a Gurkha platoon was sent out to locate a high value target, ( A Taliban leader ) they were told that they would have to prove they killed the right man. One of the soldiers after a hard fought battle with the insurgents drew his kukri and sliced the head off the Taliban leader to bring back as proof. Whoops ! that's not quite what we meant, but good job!
During WWII, a Gurkha soldier involved in hand to hand combat with a German soldier deftly swung his Kukri at the German, who yelled, Jai ! ( Missed ) The Gurkha stood his ground and said to the German, "Try shaking your head !" It's also said that Gurkha's would sneak behind German enemy lines where the Germans were lined up in rows sleeping, the Gurkha's would silently slit the throat of every second man in the row
causing widespread terror and fear among the German ranks.
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| Gurkha's Army & Navy 1846 |
Modern times have caught up with the Gurkha's and women are now asking for the right of joining the Gurkha's. While it's under consideration, the majority of the Gurkha's are against it, and the women wouldn't be allowed on the front lines anyway. Of course, all this could change in favor for either side, we shall wait and see.
Watch this short video tribute to the Gurkha's
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| Gurkha Soldier |
The Gurkha's have a 200 year old tradition serving with the British and the Indian Army and one can only hope that they continue their tradition proudly. To be part of an army, with a reputation of striking paralyzing fear into the hearts of the enemy must be an honor indeed, and when we pay homage to war veterans every year, the Gurkha's should always be included and never forgotten.
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Jeffrey R Hilton
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