Gurkha Majors, Officer Commanding, Queen’s Gurkha Orderly Officers and Regimental Sergeant Majors from across the Brigade units came together on Saturday 3rd August 2019 in the Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment Officers Mess to show their appreciation for Colonel James Robinson CBE (Colonel Brigade of Gurkhas) commitment, direction, dedication and drive in leading the Brigade of Gurkhas for the past seven years.
At the dinner, the Deputy Chief of Staff Major Narendra K Gurung valiantly attempted to capture the many achievements of a man of true giant stature and the generational relationship he has to the Brigade of Gurkhas, which was followed by a special ‘khada’ ceremony wishing the family best of health and prosperity in their future endeavours.
Brigade of Gurkhas will surely miss his fatherly guidance.
Since the inauguration of the Brigade of Gurkhas Cricket Club (BGCC) in 2018 by our presiding Secretary, Major Buddhibahadur Bhandari MVO, BGCC has been fortunate enough to carry the Brigade Of Gurkhas reputation widely playing against a few big names including; Lord Traveners last year and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) this year. Currently, there are 32 BGCC players formed across the Brigade of Gurkhas.
This year BGCC had a cracking start with a very successful week of training sessions during our AGM playing and practicing against few local Cricket club in the Army Cricket Pitch, Aldershot. We are progressing and few resolutions have already been identified by our Secretary for the next year to bring more fixtures.
On the 16th July 2019 The Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) formally presented The Queen’s Truncheon to Her Majesty The Queen in a private ceremony inside Buckingham Palace in the 1844 room.
A silver ring with an inscription about the event has been added to the The Queen’s Truncheon on the staff and Her Majesty was keen to see this. Major General G M Strickland DSO MBE, talked about the Truncheon and answered her questions. Her Majesty stated it was a pleasure and nice to see The Queen’s Truncheon again which resides in the safe custody of The Royal Gurkha Rifles.
Present at the event were:
At 1240hrs Her Majesty The Queen entered the Marble Hall and was escorted to the Carnarvon Room by the Queen’s Gurkha Orderly Officers, where the Equerry presented Colonel RGR and Deputy Colonel RGR.
Her Majesty then entered the 1844 room where The Queen’s Truncheon party, Commanding Officers and Gurkha Majors were gathered to present The Queen’s Truncheon. The Queen was given a brief history about The Truncheon and an opportunity to inspect it and ask further questions, escorted by Colonel RGR.
The Queen was then introduced to the RGR Command Group, taking time to speak to all four Officers. She then spoke to the Deputy Colonel RGR who escorted her from the 1844 room back to the Carnarvon Room where in a private ceremony she presented the two Queen’s Gurkha Orderly Officer with their Royal Victorian Order medals (MVO) in recognition of services to the Royal family during their tenure as Queen’s Gurkha Orderly Officers over the last 12 months.
More images from the event can be seen here.
During the Indian Mutiny in 1857-8 the Sirmoor Battalion (which later became the 2nd KEO Goorkhas, and latterly The Royal Gurkha Rifles) remained loyal to the British Crown. The Battalion, together with the Guides and the 60th Rifles, held the key position on the outskirts of Delhi known as Hindu Rao’s House for over three months of constant attack. During this period the 2nd Goorkhas suffered 327 casualties (including 8 of their 9 British Officers) out of a total strength of 490.
Following the conclusion of the mutiny, the 2nd Goorkhas were designated as a Rifle Regiment as a mark of the bond that had been created with the 60th Rifles. This explains the dark green uniforms, the rapid marching pace, and the title of Rifleman given to Gurkha soldiers.
In addition, Queen Victoria directed that the Battalion be awarded a special truncheon to replace the Regimental Colours that could no longer be carried by a Rifle Regiment. The ornate Gurkha Truncheon (ceremonial staff), which is the Gurkha Rifles equivalent of a Regimental Colour (battle flag) was given to the Rifles by order of Queen Victoria in 1863 during a viewing of the truncheon in the Bow room at Buckingham Palace in London.
The Queen’s Truncheon is still in service today, proudly guarded by The Royal Gurkha Rifles. There is an inscribed band around the staff of the truncheon to commemorate each occasion that it has subsequently been presented to the Sovereign.
The B
rigade of Gurkhas Bhela will take place on 13th July 2019. More information can be found on this link..
Nepal Cup, Tug of War, Ladies Volleyball ( V/Ball) and Thelo
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Time |
Event |
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0940 |
Players line up for third place match of the Nepal Cup |
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0955 |
2 x Pipers from the Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment (QOGLR) escorts Nepal Cup third place match. |
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1000 – 1045 |
Nepal Cup third place – first half. |
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1030 |
Thelo Preliminary Round. |
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1050 |
Ladies Volleyball semi-final Team escorts by Numati Panchai Baja. |
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1100 |
Ladies Volleyball semi-final matches start. |
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1100 – 1145 |
Nepal Cup third place – second half. |
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1200 |
Tug of War Semi final 1 and semi-final 2. |
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1230 |
Tug of War Final. |
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1250 |
Ladies Volleyball Finalist Team escorts by Naumati Panchai Baja. |
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1300 |
Ladies Volleyball Final. |
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1430 |
Thelo Final start. |
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1450 |
Brigade of Gurkhas Band escort Nepal Cup Final Teams. |
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1500 – 1545 |
Nepal Cup Final – first half. |
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1545 – 1600 |
Brigade of Gurkhas Band Display and followed by Recruit Intake 19 Gurkha Company Catterick Display. |
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1600 – 1645 |
Nepal Cup Final – second half. |
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1700 – 1725 |
Prize Presentation |
Colonel Brigade of Gurkhas |
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1730 – 1800 |
Cultural Dance and Live Concert by Preety Ale Magar |
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Activities
Family Fun Fair
General Stalls
Food Stalls
Retail Stalls
NB: Timings may be subject to change. Changes will be broadcast on the PA system.
On the 10th July 2019 members of the Brigade of Gurkhas and their guests gathered for a cocktail party with a performance of Sounding Retreat by the Band and Pipes and Drums of the Brigade of Gurkhas.
The event took place on the parade square in front of Old College, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The back drop of Old College at the is an impressive scene. Guests gathered and old friends from across the Brigade caught up with each. The Brigade is diverse covering a number of trades and Arms across the British Army. Many of the Warrant Officers and Officers joined with other numberies but then followed different career paths across the Brigade and this type of event may be one of a few occasions when they get to catch up with the friends they made in basic training in many cases over 20 years ago.
After the sounding retreat the attendees moved into the Old College Dining Hall supported once again by the Band and Pipes and Drums of the Brigade of Gurkhas.
The main guests for the evening included:
The officer taking the salute at the of the Sounding Retreat was the Colonel Commandant, Lieutenant General Sir Nick Pope KCB, CBE.
The Dinner Night took place in the Dining Hall old College. Music during the Dinner was supplied by the Hill Boys band from the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas. During the final speech Lieutenant General Sir Nick Pope thanked the Brigade for another impressive year, on Operations, training and various military competitions. He then thanked the Colonel of the Brigade of Gurkhas, Colonel James Robinson CBE, for over 37 years dedicated service to the Brigade and seven of those years steering the Brigade forward as the Colonel Brigade of Gurkhas and he wished him well from the whole Brigade as he retires from the Army in a few weeks time. General Pope also retires from the Army in a few weeks but will remain as the Colonel Commandant Brigade of Gurkhas.
All the photos from the event can be found on this link.
Brigade Week 2019 took place from 8th – 13th July involving numerous Gurkha personnel and administrative staff support for many meetings, a briefing day, cocktail party, Dinner night and finally the Brigade Bhela on 13th July.
On Monday 8th July series of meetings were held including
With most of the Headquarters deployed over to Shorncliffe for the Royal Gurkha Rifles 25th Anniversary there were no meetings on the Tuesday. However on the Wednesday the 10th July the Brigade held its annual briefing day. Over 800 Gurkhas covering all ranks and guests gathered at Churchill Hall, RMAS for a day of briefings and guest speakers:
On the Thursday 11th July.
On the Friday 12th July:
See all the photographs of the meetings and briefs here.
Over the last few weeks A Company 1 Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) have been in the Balkans. On arrival at Zagreb International Airport, unsuspecting tourists were seemingly aghast at the array of soldiers, equipment and vehicles that represented a fraction of the military footprint that comprised North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)’s premier multinational exercise.
A Company 1 RGR have been working alongside the 3 Parachute (PARA) Regiment Battlegroup (BG) for the last 18 months so were straight into a week of ‘in-theatre training’ to help acclimatise to the notable heat of the Croatian summer and to conduct battle prep for the upcoming missions. This included night training, building clearances and Company-level advance to contacts.
On conclusion of this training, the BG moved to a staging location and on orders from 16 Air Assault Brigade Headquarters (HQ) we began to prepare for a night mission to secure Ubdina airfield. A Company were the first boots on the ground as we inserted in several waves of aviation to secure the hills overlooking the airstrip to allow British and French paratroopers to land on their respective drop zones. As the tailgate lowered and Gurkhas streamed out of the Chinook helicopter, it was clear that, contrary to the intelligence brief, the enemy had surrounded the landing zone and we found ourselves under contact from 360 degrees. Regardless, we fought through and regained the initiative by securing several objectives before clearing across dense vegetation to the top of the hill. Having facilitated the PARA insertion, we subsequently helped to secure the rest of the Area of Operation, combatting a challenging enemy armour threat to ensure the airfield was safe for follow on forces to move in and conduct a rapid air landing.
Having successfully delivered a joint theatre entry against a strong enemy, the BG was issued orders to secure a notional train station that represented an important logistical hub for critical national infrastructure. A Company was commended for our efficient clearance of dense woodland, where well-practiced jungle tactics proved invaluable. The final mission saw the BG move to a mountainous region near the border with Bosnia, tasked with flushing the enemy out of Croatia and cementing NATO’s foothold in the region. Guided by 3 PARA Patrols Platoon, A Company conquered some extremely testing high ground where the Riflemen surpassed expectations by effortlessly navigating boulders and dense vegetation, whilst navigating at night. After a final skirmish with Croatian armoured vehicles, and with the objective secured, the BG looked to administrate itself after a challenging but thoroughly rewarding exercise.
The Company Quarter Master Sergeant ensured a superb evening of messing that was enjoyed by Commanding Officer 3 PARA and other members of BG HQ who all had very kind words to say regarding the performance of A Coy. Following a couple of days R&R in the stunning Plitvice Lakes National Parks, the Company travelled back to the UK and earnestly begins preparation for our upcoming operational deployment to Bosnia in the Autumn.
Exercise SWIFT RESPONSE proved to be an excellent opportunity for the Company to demonstrate its ability to work as an integral part of the Air Assault Task Force that successfully demonstrated a capability to project force against a peer enemy. The experiences and lessons learnt from this exercise will undoubtedly prove invaluable as 1 RGR assumes the role of 16 Air Assault Brigade’s Air Manoeuvre Battle Group in July.
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales paid a visit to 1 Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) who were hosting an event to mark the 25th Anniversary of the formation of RGR. The Prince of Wales is also the RGR Colonel-in-Chief.
The event also included a medals parade for the members of the Battalion, Parachute Regiment and other attached personnel who support the Battlegroup including medics and administrative support, who returned from 6 months on Operation TORAL, Afghanistan in May 2019. 306 medals were awarded on the parade.
RGR was formed on 1st July 1994 as a result of The Government’s announcement for change across in the Army 1991 and with the handing back of Hong Kong. This led to a reduction in the size of the Brigade of Gurkhas.
Upon arrival HRH The Prince of Wales was met by the Commanding Officer and his arrival marked with a bagpiper from the Regiment. The National Anthems of the United Kingdom and the Nepal were then performed by the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas.
Also in attendance were:
Serving members and veterans of the Royal Gurkha Rifles and their families attended the event and Prince Charles was given the opportunity to meet serving Gurkhas, Officers, veterans, families and other guests.
This was followed by a formal photograph and a cake cutting ceremony, where the Prince of Charles cut the cake with a very large Kukuri.
The event also saw the opportunity for the Prince of Wales to present:
After HRH The Prince of Wales left various sporting events took place, with a Curry buffet and entertainment programme to close a very successful and significant day in the history of the Brigade of Gurkhas.
Hundreds of photographs from the event can be found on this link. GOOGLE PHOTOS – RGR 25th Shorncliffe
Event photographer: Mr Mick Latter
Nepal Cup 2019 started at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 4th July 2019.
Nepal Cup 2019 scores update for 4th July 2019:
Group D
1 Royal Gurkha Rifles (2) – Gurkha Company Catterick (0)
Group B
2 Royal Gurkha Rifles (7) – Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas (1)
Group C
Queen’s Gurkha Signals (3) – Gurkha wing Mandalay (1)
Nepal Cup 2019 scores update for 5th July 2019:
Group D
1 Royal Gurkha Rifles (2) – Queen’s Gurkha Engineers (1)
Group A
Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment (3) – Gurkha Company Sittang (0)
Group B
Gurkha Staff and Personnel Support (4) – Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas (1)
Nepal Cup 2019 scores update for 8th July 2019:
Group C
Queen’s Gurkha Signals (7) – Gurkha Company Tavoleto (1)
Group B
2 Royal Gurkha Rifles (3) – Gurkha Staff and Personnel Support (0)
Group A
Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Support Battalion (2) – Gurkha Company Sittang (1)
Nepal Cup 2019 scores update for 9th July 2019:
Group A
Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment (3) – Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Support Battalion (1)
Group C
Gurkha Wing Mandalay (2) – Gurkha Company Tavoleto (1)
Group D
Queen’s Gurkha Engineers (2) – Gurkha Company Catterick (1)
Nepal Cup 2019 Semi Final scores update for 11th July 2019:
1 Royal Gurkha Rifles (3) – 2 Royal Gurkha Rifles (1)
Queen’s Gurkha Signals (4) – Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment (1)
Nepal Cup 2019 Third Place Match scores update for 13th July 2019
Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment (2) – 2 Royal Gurkha Rifles (1)
Nepal Cup Final Match score update for 13th July 2019
Queen’s Gurkha Signals (1) – 1 Royal Gurkha Rifles (0)
The Top scorer for Nepal Cup 2019 was awarded to Lance Corporal Prasant Tamang.
Click the image above to watch Queen’s Gurkha Signals Free Kick winning goal score by Lance Corporal Prasant Tamang against 1 Royal Gurkha Rifles (1-0) in Nepal Cup 2019 Finals Match.
