THE GHURKHAS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIV, Issue 22723, 26 October 1943, Page 2

THE GHURKHAS

Among Empire’s Best Soldiers Not British Citizens The name Gurkha is synonymous with bravery, and these little brown men, although seeking no self-adver-tisement, are better known, perhaps, than any other race of men of the heterogeneous tribes that comprise the Indian Army. And yet, brave and loyal to the British Empire as they are, Gurkhas are not British subjects. They are, to use a loose term beloved of the park orator, “hired Mongolian mercenaries.” Nepal, the country of the Gurkhas, is a small kingdom about the size of Victoria, situated in the eastern Himalayas between India and Tibet. It is a country of vast mountains, swift rivers, and valuable forests. The Terai jungle on the southern border is a shooter’s paradise and is full of tiger. The higher jungles harbour bear and panther, and many Gurkhas bear facial scars as the result of an encounter with these animals in the jungle. Everest, 29,000 ft, and Kitchinjunga. 28,000 ft, are located in Nepal, and there are many lesser mountains in the country. There are no roads in the hinterland, and transport is largely by men’s backs along rough mountain tracks. Bridges are chiefly of the village-made rope variety. Every inch of soil brought down by the rains is caught in terraces, and the chief crop is rice. The visitor to Nepal for the first time feels he is entering a new world, where the note struck is typically Chinese. The architecture, the type of house, the features of the people are all reminiscent of China. It is a complete contrast to see women serving in the shops and the whole populace happy and smiling; cheerfulness and a sense of the ludicrous are notable Gurkha characteristics. The origin of the Gurkhas is obscure, for their civilisation is contemporary with that of China and dates back thousands of years, but it Is generally accepted that they owe their Mongolian features to an admixture of Chinese and Rajput blood. The short, stocky figures and big chest development are the results of a mountain life. Tire mountainous nature of the country and lack of communication early divided the inhabitants of Nepal into tribes and communities, and this semiisolation resulted in the development of dialects and certain facial characteristics that distinguish one tribe from another. The Chettris, for instance, a tribe largely enlisted in the 9th Gurkha Rifles, are tall as Gurkhas go, and have more aquiline features. The Gurung tribe, however, which is sought by severe! other regiments, strongly resembles the Japanese. But whether they be Chettris, Magars, Gurungs, Thapas, or Newars, the Gurkhas have one thing in common—the love of a fight. The language of the country, Khaskura, Is understood among most tribes. A Source of Terror Early in its history the Gurkha race was divided by internecine war and tribal custom, but Its members closed their ranks from time to time to invade China and Tibet. They were a 1 source of terror to their less quarrelsome neighbours, and ultimately invaded India and fought several indecisive actions against British troops. The final action, which was fought not far from the present cantonment of the 2nd Gurkha Rifles at Dehra Dun' was notable not only for the bravery of the Gurkhas themselves but that of their little women. At the end of an unsatisfactory campaign a wise Indian Administration, having found a tough adversary on its north-eastern frontier, offered to provide an outlet for the Gurkhas’ pugnacity by inviting them to join the Indian Army. This decision was not a gamble altogether, for Gurkhas had journeyed to Lahore for generations past to serve in the Sikh Army. But 1815 marked the beginning of Gurkha regiments in the Indian Army. Scarcely had the peace of Segowli been signed when our erstwhile enemies trooped across the battlefield and became loyal Allies; thus forming the Ist and 2nd Gurkha Rifles. A romantic story of Indian campaigns unfolded Itself up till the Great War, brightened by thrilling Gurkha episodes at Delhi, Peiwar Kotal, Charasia, Dargai, and the Black Mountain, and more and more regiments were formed until 20 battalions were serving by 1914. During the subsequent five years 10 more battalions were raised, and Gurkhas served on every front. Gallipoli perhaps marked the coping stone of their achievement during 191418. when the sth and 6th Gurkha Rifles, both commanded by Major Allanson, together with some Maoris, fought their way to the top of Hill 971 and held on for some precious hours against the whole Turkish forces. Alas, they were not reinforced in time, and were finally driven off the hill by a salvo of our own heavy shells. But this gallant band, alone among the total forces employed at Gallipoli, did attain the objective, and their bones now rest on the top of Sari Bair as lasting evidence of a love of high achievement. In addition to providing every facility for recruitment of men for the Indian Army the Nepal Durbar itself sent 10,000 men of Its own army to India to garrison the N.W. frontier, and during that period Nepalese gifts in cash and kind exceeded £160.000. Gurkha casualties amounted to 20,(57)0 and grievous as these losses were the population of Nepal suffered a further setback by the migration of large numbers of time-expired men and their families to Burma, India, and Assam. These men, having experienced the easier conditions of life in other countries, found congenial employment as policemen and watchmen in the countries of their adoption. So threatening had this migration become that the Nepal Durbar requested that the 10 extra battalions raised during the war be disbanded, and fur-, ther recruitment severely curtailed. At that time, however, India had another war on her hands in Waziristan, and Nepal, always generous, waived her request until the campaign was over. Lost All British Officers On January 14, 1920, the sth Royal Gurkha Rifles sustained 300 casualties and lost all their British officers, including the colonel killed in a bayonet charge, at Ahnal Tankl. in Waziristan, and in 1937 at Damdil the same regiment fought out an action to the bitter end. . . ’Die present war has again found Nepal by our side, and her attitude is best illustrated by a query addressed to the British Government early in the war. Inquiring whether relations between the two countries had not become strained and receiving an answer in the negative, the Nepal Durbar asked why more Gurkhas were not serving overseas. As an individual the Gurkha is a delightful character. As no foreigner may enter Nepal except at the express invitation of the Durbar, recruiting officers are located along the border, and selected N.C.O.’s tour their own districts during the recruiting season and bring down likely volunteers. These recruits are generally 17 to 18 years of age and jungly in the extreme: but once they overcome their initial nervousness at entering a railway train they are reluctant to leave it. To such youngsters India is a land of magic, with its wide roads, strange peoples, wireless sets, and picture shows, and the recruit is utterly bewildered by the time he arrives at the regimental centre. Here he is shaved, bathed, has his hair cut. is dressed in a uniform, and put into training. And one of the most difficult things he has to overcome is the tendency to lift his feet high when wearing boots. Slow marching overcomes this in about three weeks. The young recruit thinks, dreams, and lives soldiering, and a common sight between parades is to see youngsters practising some movements over end over again until perfection is attained, and his older comrades’ ribald remarks silenced. Il’ you are fortunate enough to command the recruit, company for a year it is a period of intense joy. You spend imist of every day with these boys and tee tliem grow up and develop a man's outlook and stature with good liulnr On holidays you :u < oiu|>aiiv thein shooting, fishing, or hill-elimbing. At night you attend their functions in the lines and steer t-heni away from the pil fails of the bazaar or an excess of rum. and as (he year goo. on )h’i md 1 in know *.iio company as individual

friends and it is a real wrench when, their recruitship over, they .tom one battalion or the other and are absorbed. Looking back over a few years spent with Gurkhas and having absorbed some of their history and learned much from them that is good, and seen n V’ht, in their make-up that is vile or mean, an officer may be pardoned if lie speaks proudly of an association in peace and war with such a cheerful, fearless and straightforward race of men. Their motto. "Gaiety, simplicity, bravery and loyalty," may well serve as an inspiration to those of us born and reared under conditions which we are prone to call "civilised." JI we recall that tiie I 7lh Cull,ha Hides foiii'.ht i’ll tl'(' way down the Muiu.v Peniniila and tnaniied into Singapore less Ilian HO . Hong, and t W(“ (‘tllcll <1 f’.litl'.pSt l <>f otlU'l’ (rlll’klUl regiments in Burma or Libya through the mists of censorship, we feel that the little “hired Mongolian mercenaries” are true brothers in arms and .is fi:'i'o( vigour and stoutheartedness as