Gurkha Rifles: Difference between revisions
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==The kukri== | ==The kukri== | ||
The kukri ( or ‘khukuri’) , the Nepalese knife used by the Gurkha Regiments is | The kukri ( or ‘khukuri’) , the Nepalese knife used by the Gurkha Regiments is a lethal weapon which could be used to behead opponents.<ref>William Pennington in his autobiography ''Pick up your Parrots and Monkeys: The Life of a Boy Soldier in India'' (2003) reports being saved in [[Second World War|WW2 Burma]] by a Gurkha who beheaded a Japanese who was about to kill the author. Pennington also reported seeing Ghurkas playing football with severed Japanese heads.</ref> | ||
There have still only ever been 5 Officially military pattern number kukris in official British Gurkha issue.<ref>[http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.php?77657-The-20th-Century-British-Military-Pattern-Gurkha-Issue-Kukri The 20th Century British Military Pattern Gurkha Issue Kukri] by Jonathan R.S. Sword Forum. Contains images</ref> | |||
A small batch of kukris were manufactured at the Rifle Factory, [[Ishapore]] in 1927<ref>Thread from Sword Forum [http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.php?110281-1927-RFI-MKII-Kukri 1927 RFI MKII Kukri] with images. Images are also on [http://s250.photobucket.com/user/Finnarm/media/RFIfactory.gif.html Photobucket]</ref> | |||
== External Links == | == External Links == | ||
Revision as of 13:15, 16 February 2014
Gurkha tribesmen began to be recruited into the Bengal Army after the Gurkha War in 1816. They bore many names before becoming Gurkha Rifles. Articles on the regiments can be found as follows:
- 1st Gurkha Rifles
- 2nd Gurkha Rifles
- 3rd Gurkha Rifles
- 4th Gurkha Rifles
- 5th Gurkha Rifles
- 6th Gurkha Rifles
- 7th Gurkha Rifles
- 8th Gurkha Rifles
- 9th Gurkha Rifles
- 10th Gurkha Rifles
The 11th Gurkha Rifles was raised during the 1st World War then disbanded. The 25th, 26th & 29th Gurkha Rifles were raised during the 2nd World War then disbanded.
On the FIBIS website British Indian Army regiments are listed with titles as at the re-organisation of 1895. So 6th, 7th & 8th Gurkha Rifles are in articles titled 42nd, 43rd & 44th Gurkha Rifles. At the Partition of India in 1947 the regiments were given the choice of attachment to the British Army or the Indian Army. The 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th & 10th Regiments chose Britain. The 3rd, 4th, 5th , 8th & 9th Regiments chose India.
Details of the structure of the Regiments are available below.[1]
The kukri
The kukri ( or ‘khukuri’) , the Nepalese knife used by the Gurkha Regiments is a lethal weapon which could be used to behead opponents.[2]
There have still only ever been 5 Officially military pattern number kukris in official British Gurkha issue.[3] A small batch of kukris were manufactured at the Rifle Factory, Ishapore in 1927[4]
External Links
- Gurkha Rifles Wikipedia
- Gurkha Wikipedia
- Kukri Wikipedia
- Nepal including Gurkha Regiments Regiments.org, an archived website.
Historical books online
- Char-ee-kar and service there with the 4th Goorkha Regiment (Shah Shooja's force) in 1841: an episode of the first Afghan War by Colonel Haughton 1879 Archive.org
References
- ↑ Great War Forum thread Ghurka infantry establishments
- ↑ William Pennington in his autobiography Pick up your Parrots and Monkeys: The Life of a Boy Soldier in India (2003) reports being saved in WW2 Burma by a Gurkha who beheaded a Japanese who was about to kill the author. Pennington also reported seeing Ghurkas playing football with severed Japanese heads.
- ↑ The 20th Century British Military Pattern Gurkha Issue Kukri by Jonathan R.S. Sword Forum. Contains images
- ↑ Thread from Sword Forum 1927 RFI MKII Kukri with images. Images are also on Photobucket
