Some more Gurkha Pic's.

[mmackem]

Came across a few more random British Army Gurkha pics, on the MOD website.

http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/455_1083777231_45100501.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/455_1083777249_45100504.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/455_1083777261_45101193.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/455_1083777276_45106754.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/455_1083777288_45107364.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/455_1083777307_45108501.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/455_1083777344_45113839.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/455_1083777361_45130051.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/455_1083777382_45137017.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/455_1083777395_45141480.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/455_1083777404_45142739.jpg

[pinkeye]

cool pics. one of my relatives had the immense honour to serve with gurkhas in burma during ww2 and he always spoke very highly of them.

[hank]

Gurhkas kick MUCH ass. Nice post.

hank

[Sorbas2000]

Are Ghurkas something like Spanish or French "Foreign Legion" or are they a regular British army unit!?

[Geezah]

Joanna Lumley's father was a Major in the Ghurka Rifles!

For the septic tanks ;) on here that no idea who she is, she's the blonde bird on Absolutely Fabulous.

[Royal]

Are Ghurkas something like Spanish or French "Foreign Legion" or are they a regular British army unit!?

No, yes.

Try reading some of the links for more info...

[hank]

Are Ghurkas something like Spanish or French "Foreign Legion" or are they a regular British army unit!?

No, yes.

Try reading some of the links for more info...

What links are those? I don't have any links in this thread on my computer.

hank

[Geezah]

Brigade of Gurkhas (http://www.army.mod.uk/brigade_of_gurkhas/index.htm)
Gurkhas, Gorkhas, Ghoorkhas.... (http://www.himalayan-imports.com/gurkha.html)
The Royal Gurkha Rifles (http://www.regiments.org/milhist/southasia/gurkha/RGR.htm)

Here's a few to get you started :D

[Aussie E]

One of the teacher/priest at my HS back in Australia was an officer with the Ghurka's in WWII (for the life of me, I can't remember his name). Told an interesting story about a time in India when they were retreating and the local populace had blocked a bridge with hundreds of people not allowing them across. The Ghurka commander came up to the officer and said he could clear the bridge, well the officer was worried that the Ghurka was going to open fire on the locals so he told him to hold off. Awhile later things were getting a little more desperate and the locals still were not cooperating and the Ghurka requested again to clear the bridge. The officer said that he could if he didn't use violence on the locals, the Ghurka officer said no-porblem and went to work. First he lined up a bunch of his boys accros the road, second he had them drop their pants and then they started pissing, well knowing that one of the worst thing for a Hindu is coming in contact with another persons urine/feces (the whole class/sect thing), he ordered his soldiers to move forward. The locals kindly backed up and cleared the bridge. Funny things is, the British officer/teacher/priest was the spitting image of Col. Sanders.

[Dennis G]

Great photos, one of my favorite units to learn about.

thanks for the pics

[mmackem]

Yeah there are loads of storys about the Gurkhas. There was one in Burma in WW2 when some Gurkhas went out to catch some fish for General Slim because they knew he liked fish, they came back to his headquarters and went to take the fish out of their bag, to General Slim's horror they removed the heads of two Japanese soldiers and then the fish which was covered in blood, they had encountered the two Japanese soldiers when they were on there way back from getting General Slim's fish. Slim said something along the lines of 'if you want to cut of heads fine, but don't keep them in the same bag as my fish' :)

And I always liked the one where a British officer was looking for volunteers to jump out of an airplane behind enemy lines in Burma in WW2. He explained the mission to a Gurkha company and then asked for volunteers to raise there hands, only three Gurkhas raised there hands, he was suprised by this because he had heard about the Gurkhas bravery. He then had a word with the translator and realised that he had failed to mention that they would be wearing parachutes! when he informed the Gurkhas that they would be wearing parachutes they all put their hands up.

But hats off to the three Gurkhas who voluntered to jump out of an airplane behind enemy lines, without parachutes. LOL

[Dennis G]

Yeah there are loads of storys about the Gurkhas. There was one in Burma in WW2 when some Gurkhas went out to catch some fish for General Slim because they knew he liked fish, they came back to his headquarters and went to take the fish out of their bag, to General Slim's horror they removed the heads of two Japanese soldiers and then the fish which was covered in blood, they had encountered the two Japanese soldiers when they were on there way back from getting General Slim's fish. Slim said something along the lines of 'if you want to cut of heads fine, but don't keep them in the same bag as my fish' :)

And I always liked the one where a British officer was looking for volunteers to jump out of an airplane behind enemy lines in Burma in WW2. He explained the mission to a Gurkha company and then asked for volunteers to raise there hands, only three Gurkhas raised there hands, he was suprised by this because he had heard about the Gurkhas bravery. He then had a word with the translator and realised that he had failed to mention that they would be wearing parachutes! when he informed the Gurkhas that they would be wearing parachutes they all put their hands up.

But hats off to the three Gurkhas who voluntered to jump out of an airplane behind enemy lines, without parachutes. LOL

yeah, great story.

I always wanted to pick up this book but wastn't sure how it would be.



http://www.militarybookclub.com/doc/mil/GlobalData/GlobalImages/BookJacketsLarge/333310_lg.jpg

Fighting the Gurkhas in traditional combat is bad enough. But woe to the army that lets Gurkha troops get close enough to use their kukris--short, razor-sharp knives used in both ritual slaughters of cows and battlefield slaughters of the enemy. For 185 years, England has been scouring Nepal to recruit young men into its Gurkha mercenary unit. Often happy enough to trade a life in the hills for the adventure of combat, these warriors have proved themselves in virtually every British campaign--major and minor--since 1816.

Read about them in Ypres, where they experience the first use of poisonous gas in history. See them in the Second World War, devastating German troops in Italy. Join them in Kosovo on a tense standoff with belligerent Serbian troops. Having racked up scores of well-deserved medals and decorations, this incredibly effective army has experienced the glory of England's greatest victories and felt the brunt of its most painful defeats. The Gurkhas is their complete combat history

Better to die than to be a coward--Gurkhas motto

[ZeroPositive]

Gurkhas have to be the best soldiers in the world in my books, they are so professional and have a great sense of humour second to none.

When I was in Hong Kong during the hand over watching them in their beating retreats it was so sad I couldn't stop sheading tears.

Great photos thanks :)

[Dennis G]

beating retreats? whats that sorry for my ignorance

[Aussie E]

Dennis G,
I've read the book as well as a couple other's about the Ghurkas. All good reads. The one common thread in them all is the way the Ghurkas take all orders and commands literially, there are stories about Ghurkas guarding the base and not allowing officers in as they had shaved their mustache off and their ID showed them with one, driving straight through round-abouts as the were told to go straight, firing their rifles at battleships in the (Sauze)? canal as they were told not to allow anyone past. All good stories.
My family also spent about 7 years in Kathmandu during the late 70's early 80's. The old man was a photographer and got into the Ghurka barracks on the day of the festival where they sacrifice animals to the goddess Kali. He had a set of photo's taken of a short Ghurka soldier coming off his feet and removing a buffalos head cleanly with his Khukri on the way down. My mother's landlord was a retired Ghurka officer, hed had a bunch of homes he rented to foreigners/westerners by the Bhouda stupa:
http://www.shieldsaroundtheworld.com/origs/P0004671.jpg
He was also the governor of some province in the mountains. Even though I was young, I still have found memories of my time in Nepal. My sister and I used to speak the language fluently, now all I can remember are a few swear words. Wouldn't mind going back someday.

[mmackem]

Beat the Retreat is when a regimental band plays a tune on their drums which orders the men to retreat or stop fighting, this is obviously used only in a ceremonial sense these days, but a couple of hundred years ago it would have been used for real, the band playing a specific tune ordering the men to fall back, or that the days fighting was over.

As Britain was handing Hong Kong over to China in 1997, the British military bands in HK played Beat the Retreat, including I assume the Gurkha band.

[ZeroPositive]

nice one mate totally spot on :D
It was really great if I can get some sort of Videos and photos I will post the pics up :D

Cheers

[Royal]

Beat the Retreat is when a regimental band plays a tune on their drums which orders the men to retreat or stop fighting, this is obviously used only in a ceremonial sense these days, but a couple of hundred years ago it would have been used for real, the band playing a specific tune ordering the men to fall back, or that the days fighting was over.

As Britain was handing Hong Kong over to China in 1997, the British military bands in HK played Beat the Retreat, including I assume the Gurkha band.

All true, but to clarify...

The band (or more specifically the drums) beat retreat to signify the end of the ceremonial parade or (less often nowadays) the end of the working day when ashore/in barracks (there is no end on operations ;) ).

[big_les]

"Fighting the Gurkhas in traditional combat is bad enough. But woe to the army that lets Gurkha troops get close enough to use their kukris--short, razor-sharp knives used in both ritual slaughters of cows and battlefield slaughters of the enemy. For 185 years, England has been scouring Nepal to recruit young men into its Gurkha mercenary unit.

Bleedin' cheek!!
I live in Colchester, we've had a lot of Gurkhas based here. When I first moved I watched a parade down the High Street of them complete with kukhris.

[Dennis G]

Beat the Retreat is when a regimental band plays a tune on their drums which orders the men to retreat or stop fighting, this is obviously used only in a ceremonial sense these days, but a couple of hundred years ago it would have been used for real, the band playing a specific tune ordering the men to fall back, or that the days fighting was over.

As Britain was handing Hong Kong over to China in 1997, the British military bands in HK played Beat the Retreat, including I assume the Gurkha band.

All true, but to clarify...

The band (or more specifically the drums) beat retreat to signify the end of the ceremonial parade or (less often nowadays) the end of the working day when ashore/in barracks (there is no end on operations ;) ).


Thanks guys very interesting

[Bombtrack]

my favourite gurkha pic:
http://deevio.tripod.com/nepal_gallery_gurkha.html
(posting the image wont work)

gurkha from 2PARA:
http://www.operations.mod.uk/fingal/fimages/gurkha.jpg
-------

http://www.diggerhistory.info/images/uniforms/gurkha-slouch.jpg
back when they use to patrol the HK/China border:
http://www.cnn.com/interactive/asianow/9909/nepal.gurkhas/01.gurkha.soldier.patrol.jpg
drawing of Gurkha from 1948/67 period:
http://www.diggerhistory.info/images/uniforms/soldier-allied-gurkha-borneo.jpg
Collected weapons in Macedonia:
http://www.mod.uk/img/sdr_new_chapter/gurk.jpg
Patrolling snow-covered streets of Kabul:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/image02/feb/apbig020602.jpg
Gurkha Snipers:
http://www.nato.int/sfor/indexinf/124/p04a/b01p041b.jpg
http://home.swipnet.se/longrange/gurka%20sniper%201.jpg
WW2 Gurkhas (First in Burma, second and third in Italy):
http://www.national-army-museum.ac.uk/images/Gurkha-12943.jpg
http://www.national-army-museum.ac.uk/images/Gurkhas-83456.jpg
http://www.battleofmontecassino.com/Gurkha.jpg
Kukhri Knife:
http://www.army.mod.uk/img/gurkhas/gurkha%20kukri.JPG
SFOR:
http://www.nato.int/sfor/indexinf/124/p04a/b01p041h.jpg
----
http://www.cameo.org/graphics/gurkha1.jpg

[mmackem]

http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/455_1083873959_gurkha.jpg

[Bombtrack]

ah yes thats the one i had trouble posting, cheers