wcsswag@ccs.carleton.ca (Alex Klaus) (06/17/91)
From: wcsswag@ccs.carleton.ca (Alex Klaus) While I was at home last weekend, I browsed through a copy "Der Spiegel". In it they had an intersting little sidebar. They mentioned that in line with the British Army's reducion from 160,000 to 116,000 troops, the Gurkha battalions are being rundown. All of them except for the ones designated for Hong Kong defence will be disbanded. This is a week old issues. Can anybody else confirm this? Ale Klaus <<wcsswag@ccs.carleton.ca>>
bull@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (06/20/91)
From: bull@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au In article <1991Jun18.073833.13565@amd.com>, wcsswag@ccs.carleton.ca (Alex Klaus) writes: > They mentioned that in line with the British Army's reducion from > 160,000 to 116,000 troops, the Gurkha battalions are being rundown. There were reports in the general media here in Australia that some of the Gurkha battalions *might* be relocated to Australia (and transfered to the Australian Army?), or perhaps Papua New Guinea, or both (Aust & PNG are both members of the British Commonwealth). I have not heard any definate statement from either the Aust or PNG Govts on this matter. The Gurkhas are specialist jungle fighters recruited from British possessions in SE Asia (formed in WW2 to fight the Japanese I think). [mod.note: Gurkhas come from Nepal, which is not a British possession. The British fought enough of a border war (over the Indian/Nepalese border), way back in colonial days) to become impressed, and so were the Gurkhas. Sort of love at first sight... - Bill ] Bull@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au OR bull@monu1.cc.monash.oz Alias: Gareth Bull, The Opal Dragon DOD# 251 '84 VF 750 Closet Ducatisti Disclaimer: "It's a cruel world when you can't afford a Ducati."
dps@hplb.hpl.hp.com (Duncan Smith) (06/20/91)
From: Duncan Smith <dps@hplb.hpl.hp.com> / otter:sci.military / wcsswag@ccs.carleton.ca (Alex Klaus) / 6:07 am Jun 17, 1991 / wcsswag@ccs.carleton.ca (Alex Klaus) writes: > >While I was at home last weekend, I browsed through a copy "Der >Spiegel". In it they had an intersting little sidebar. > >They mentioned that in line with the British Army's reducion from >160,000 to 116,000 troops, the Gurkha battalions are being rundown. >All of them except for the ones designated for Hong Kong defence will >be disbanded. This is a week old issues. Can anybody else confirm >this? There was an article to this effect in the UK newspaper `The Independent' last week. However, a couple of days later they published a letter from someone who should know (A very senior army official) who denied that any such plan existed. `Der Spiegel' probably picked up the story from the British press. Duncan
bxr307@coombs.anu.edu.au (Brian) (06/21/91)
From: bxr307@coombs.anu.edu.au (Brian) >[mod.note: Gurkhas come from Nepal, which is not a British possession. Err, Nepal was a British "Protectorate" from about 1845. Nominally an independent kingdom, after two wars the British placed it under the "protection" of the British Empire. >The British fought enough of a border war (over the Indian/Nepalese border), >way back in colonial days) to become impressed, and so were the Gurkhas. >Sort of love at first sight... - Bill ] The Gurkhas did impress the British with their tenacity, and were some of the earliest groups of mercenaries employed by them. They served with considerable distinction during the Indian Mutiny of 1856 when they helped put down the revolting Indians. As a reward their pay was increased and more units recruited as the loyality of the Indian sewars (troopers) was in considerable question for many years after the great mutiny. Gurkhas are also employed by the Indian government and form several battalions within the Indian army. As for the report that the Australian Army might take over control of the Gurkhas, its rather doubtful. The Defence Forces here are about to undergo a 10,000 member cut I could not see them being either able or particularly interested. I'd also think the Armed Forces' Federation (the Australian Defence Force "Union" which isn't a union) would be rather upset about the matter if it was even considered. Knowing the way the union movement does operate down here, I'd be rather surprised if they would allow the Gurkha's to be employed at anything except the same rates as Australian soldiers. So there would be no savings which is of course the rationale for employing them in the first place. The battalion in question, in Hong Kong, is rather interesting because its the only one in the history of the Gurkhas which has ever had a mutiny. About two years ago a platoon on an exercise refused to undertake the commands of their officer. They were courts martialed and discharged from the service. However the fault was admitted to have lay with the officer concerned who was considered too young and inexperienced. He also didn't speak Nepalese (that requirement in all officers had been allowed to lapse in the Gurkha battalions in the mid-1970's) and so wasn't able to fully impart his commands properly. As a consequence the requirement for all officers and NCO's to speak Nepalese has been reinstated. -- Brian Ross__________________________________________________________________ "If we got it so wrong in the Middle East yesterday, what makes you think we are going to get it right this time?" _________________________________________________________Arthur Schlesinger