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|_ Commando.No.4810.2015.HYBRiD.COMiC.eBook-LiBRiCiDE _|
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| Release date : 2020-03-29 |
| ISBN/ISSN : N/A |
| Language : English |
| Format : PDF |
| Disks : 07 |
| Type : HYBRiD |
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| |
| Sam Hollis, a gunner, was no stranger to war. He had seen a lot of |
| action, but even he had never come across anything like this - a |
| solitary Gurkha by the name of Ganju Pun preparing to hold off a heavy |
| Japanese assaultà |
| |
| It made more sense to turn and run and it certainly would be no |
| disgrace, but Ganju Pun did not even consider retreat. He came from a |
| family of warriors, after all, and now it was his turn to prove that he |
| was a worthy owner of his razor-sharp kukri. |
| |
| Introduction |
| |
| Gurkhas were first recruited into British service in 1815, following |
| the closely-fought Anglo-Nepal wars between the East India Trading |
| Company and the recently-unified Kingdom of Nepal. Soldiers are |
| traditionally recruited from hill villages across Nepal and each year |
| thousands of applicants compete in a gruelling selection for the chance |
| to become part of the British Army. Amongst stringent academic and |
| fitness tests the most infamous part of the selection is the 'Doko |
| Race' which involves a 5km uphill run, carrying 25kg in a basket |
| secured around the head. |
| |
| Gurkha soldiers are world-renowned for their fitness, discipline, |
| courage and the curved 'kukri' knife which they carry. The Brigade's |
| motto is 'It is better to die than live a coward' and they have won 26 |
| Victoria Crosses; of these 13 have been awarded to British Officers and |
| 13 have been awarded to Nepali soldiers (who only became eligible for |
| the award in 1911). |
| |
| The first regular Gurkha units of the British Army distinguished |
| themselves fighting for the East India Trading Company and the Crown; |
| and during the Indian Mutiny remained loyal and fought alongside |
| British soldiers to successfully quell the rebellion. For their part in |
| this, the Sirmoor Regiment were permitted to adopt the traditions and |
| dress of the British light infantry and later awarded the Queen's |
| Truncheon. The Truncheon replaced the existing Colours and is accorded |
| the honours due to a Queen's Colour; it is unique within the British |
| Army and continues to be carried by the Royal Gurkha Rifles. |
| |
| By the First World War, there were ten full-strength Gurkha regiments |
| in the British Indian Army and the 100,000 men who served with them |
| between 1914 and 1918 saw action in France, Flanders, Mesopotamia, |
| Persia, Egypt, Palestine, Salonika, and Gallipoli. |
| |
| In the Second World War there were no fewer than 40 Gurkha battalions |
| in British service and the whole of the Nepali Army was put at the |
| disposal of the United Kingdom. Gurkha battalions fought in Italy and |
| North Africa and a number of regiments were part of the 'Forgotten' |
| XIVth Army in Burma, often employed on Chindit operations. |
| |
| Following Partition in 1947, four Gurkha battalions of the British |
| Indian Army were transferred to the British Army's Gurkha Brigade and |
| moved to the Far East where they became expert in jungle warfare and |
| served with distinction in various campaigns. After the Handover of |
| Hong Kong the Brigade relocated to the United Kingdom. One battalion of |
| the Royal Gurkha Rifles is permanently stationed in Brunei. |
| |
| Today the Brigade of Gurkhas consists of around 3000 soldiers in two |
| battalions of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, the Queen's Gurkha Signals, |
| Queen's Gurkha Engineers, Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, Gurkha |
| Staff and Personnel Support Company, the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas |
| and Headquarters Brigade of Gurkhas. Since the Second World War, Gurkha |
| units have deployed to Malaysia, The Falklands, Bosnia and Kosovo, |
| Sierra Leone, Macedonia, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan; both as |
| formed units, and to reinforce other units of the British Army. The |
| Nepalese Army and the Indian Army also employ Gurkhas. |
| |
| Jai Gurkha! |
| Note: Originally published as Commando No 2533 (1992). |
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| "You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to |
| stop reading them." - Ray Bradbury |
| |
|_ .nfo by gRISKOKARE/iMPURE!aSCII 1940. _|
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