6th Gurkha Rifles Regimental Association

DEDICATION OF THE 14th /20th KING’S HUSSARS MEMORIAL AT THE NATIONAL ARBORETUM

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On October 3rd, my wife Ria and I were privileged to represent the Association at the unveiling and dedication of a Memorial to all those who served in the 14th/20th Kings Hussars, our affiliated regiment. The ceremony took place at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire and we were blessed with good weather.

The genesis of the Memorial was an amazing story of dedication and determination, essentially driven by Darren Walker and his wife Rachel.  Darren had been a Bandsman in the 14/20KH  Band and as such was also a medic. He had been in support of, then Major, Richard Shirreff’s B Squadron in the Iraq War, a squadron which also included Ian Thomas as 2 IC. The Walkers felt strongly that there should be a specific Memorial to the Regiment which had been formed in 1922 but had merged with the Royal Hussars in 1992 to form the Kings Royal Hussars. The Walkers raised the funds for the Memorial, gained permission for it to be included with the other Cavalry memorials, did the design and commissioned both the stone mason and the metal sculpture. After a huge effort and despite Covid, the memorial was finally ready in 2022, appropriately, 100 years after the formation of the Regiment.

As can be seen from the photographs, the Memorial includes the all-important Prussian Eagle, the cap badge of the Regiment; the badge that during my service, we as 6th Gurkhas wore on our right sleeve. This is a beautiful piece of art produced by sculptor Alan Williams, but made almost entirely from items recovered from scrap bins in the Kings Royal Hussars tank park. As such, it is particularly special to the soldiers and officers of the Regiment who spent so much time and depended so much on their tanks and other equipment.

The service itself was delightfully low key, but very moving, with Chaplain Clive Baggallay, a former soldier in 14/20KH, leading the Dedication and prayers and Peter Garbutt reading a thought provoking poem by Darren Walker as well as the Regimental collect. General Sir Adrian Bradshaw did the unveiling of the Memorial and led the Act of Remembrance. A buffet lunch followed the service and included a toast to absent friends led by General Sir Richard Shirreff.

As well as the importance and significance of the Memorial Dedication, one thing that I found most moving was the strength of the bonds that still exist between our two regiments. You will see the crossed khukuris of the 43rd Gurkha Lorried Infantry Brigade shown prominently on the memorial, but more importantly for me was the large number of former soldiers and wives who wore a crossed khukuri or a 6 GR badge; very special!

Duncan Briggs

COMMEMORATION OF THE GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN WITH B (GALLIPOLI) COMPANY 2 RGR

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As many readers will know, our Association has affiliations with a number of companies in the Royal Gurkha Rifles based on past battle honours and these links are something that we have been trying to strengthen in the recent past. In 2 RGR, who had recently returned from Brunei, our affiliation is with B (Gallipoli) Company and so the invitation to join them for their Gallipoli Commemoration Day on 13 September was much appreciated.

My wife Ria and I were very happy take up the invitation as were two of our veterans living in the Shorncliffe area, CSgt Gyam Gurung and Ramlal Shrestha, plus, we were delighted that Gavin Edgerley-Harris was also able to join us to represent the Association. The day began with a ceremony at the Guard Room, with an extremely smart guard of honour, a short service, a minute’s silence and a wreath laying, including our Association wreath. After coffee and time to chat with the officers, men and families of B Company, we moved into a large MT Shed where 4 presentations on various aspects of the Gallipoli campaign had been prepared by the young riflemen of the Company. These had been well researched, despite limited time, and just showed how capable the young riflemen were and how good their spoken English had become. It was wonderful to see how interested and involved the young men had become with the gallant deeds of their forefathers and how much respect they had for those who fought in that most difficult of campaigns.

We were really pleased to meet with Lt Col Nicholas Moran, the Commanding Officer, with Major Tim Cummings the Officer Commanding B Company plus the current Company 2IC Captain Shiva Rai and his replacement Captain Begindra Limbu and of course many of the NCOs and Riflemen of B Company plus many wives. Our visit ended with a delicious tipan tapan and drinks, and we departed knowing that our Association had re-established strong personal links with B (Gallipoli) Company and 2 RGR.

I was extremely grateful to Gavin Edgerley-Harris, Gyam Gurung and Ramlal Shrestha for making time to join us and for me it was wonderful to catch up with both Gyam and Ramlal after many years.

Duncan Briggs

Presentation of Medicina Flag at HQBG -30 August 2022

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Earlier this year, I was privileged to join a small party of retired officers from the 6 GRRA on a visit to Italy to commemorate the 77th Anniversary of the battle of Medicina which took place on 16 April 1945. We were joined by OC Mortar Platoon and five serving Gurkhas from Support (Medicina) Company and were warmly welcomed by the Mayor and townspeople of Medicina.

It occurred to me at the time that Medicina Company should have a flag of Medicina to mark the occasion and I had hoped to find one whilst we were there. Unfortunately that did not happen and so on my return to England, I decided to commission a flag from Flagmakers, the makers of all the flags used at the recent Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

On the 30 August, I took the flag to Camberley on a visit, kindly arranged by Maj Bruce McKay, RGR Regimental Secretary and presented it to Maj Daniel O’Connor, Chief of Staff. The flag will now be sent to 1 RGR in Brunei.

Anthony Vosper Visit to HQBG

Anthony Vosper 31 August 2022

6GR LINK TO THE PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS

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Most members will know of Lt Col Freddie Shaw who commanded 3/6th during the second Chindit campaign in Burma in 1944 during which two VCs were won at the battle of Mogaung. The famous photo below shows Freddie half hidden beyond on the left Brigadier ‘Mad’ Mike Calvert and on the right Major Jimmy Lumley the Battalion 2IC (Joanna Lumley’s father).

Chindit campaign in Burma

If Freddie had been alive today he would have been hugely proud of his grandson James, the eldest son of Freddie’s third son Glenn. Lt Col James Shaw Grenadier Guards was responsible for all military ceremonial for the Trooping of the Colour on 2nd June.

6GRRA 2022 ITALY BATTLEFIELD TOUR

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In April 2022, nine members of the Association and 6 members of Medicina Company 1RGR assembled in Ravenna to take part in the 77th commemoration of the battle of Medicina, as well as visiting other notable battlefields in the area. The 6GRRA party consisted of Duncan and Ria Briggs, Brian O’Bree and Ciska Roselaar, Charles and Tina Blackmore, Ian Thomas, Anthony Vosper and Hugh Patterson. From 1RGR were Captain Robert Weale, Cpl Rajen Gurung, Rfn Binod Ale Magar, Rfn Dibethang Rai, Rfn Sudan Pun and Rfn Sabin Pun Magar.

Our tour started at the Rimini Gurkha War Cemetery. Here, Duncan, as Chairman of the Association, laid a wreath before we continued up into the hills to visit the battlefields of Santarcangelo, Montecodruzzo and Monte Chicco, where  we were greeted by the farmer who remembered the Gurkhas from 1944. Being there made us realise what the soldiers of the 8th Army had to deal with as they advanced across rugged country in very wet weather.

On 16 April, the date of the battle, we drove into Medicina and, after walking the scene of the action, we went to the Town Hall for a ceremony when the kukri of the late Major Harry Watson MC was presented to the Mayor of Medicina. Harry Watson had commanded D Company at Medicina and Gaiana, where he was wounded and won his MC. In the afternoon we left Medicina to go to the Gaiana canal, the next objective for 2nd 6th on 17 April 1945. This is little more than a deep ditch with a stream at the bottom, but on either side the Italians had built flood banks. With enemy well dug in and supported by positions on the far bank, the Gaiana Canal feature was a very formidable obstacle indeed. 2nd 6th and 14th 20th did their best. The Gurkhas attacked the German positions. Some managed to cross the canal and occupy a building on the far side, but it soon became clear that the situation was untenable and the battalion was withdrawn having lost 33 men. The following day after an aerial bombardment and substantial artillery barrage, 2nd 10th GR and 2nd 8th GR successfully took the canal This battle over 2 days for the Gaiana turned out to be the last major action in Italy before the German surrender on 25 April.


Back in Medicina again, we smartened up to take part in the Liberation procession. The serving Gurkhas were in the position of honour, directly behind the mayor and very smart they looked. The
Association members followed behind the 6GR flag, On return to the Town Hall, the Mayor and Duncan Briggs both laid wreaths and made speeches; Medicina has managed to keep its events at a very human level, children running beside the procession, people coming out of bars to smile and wave. And the warmth of feeling towards 6GR was palpable. They really like us and want us to be there with them.

We benefited from a number of things; beautiful weather throughout, immaculate organisation by Duncan, Brian and Ciska and the charm and friendliness of all the Italians we had dealings with. Add to this some excellent meals and delicious wine, seeing old friends and making new ones. I think that all those who took part would agree that Italy 2022 was a great success.

Tim Underhill – a tribute by Jon Titley

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As I sit here in the heat on a lovely hot day in the Gambia I close my eyes and it takes me back to my first days in 6 GR in Brunei in 1972. This is where I first met Tim, who was my Company Commander in D Company.

Tim had been commissioned into 10 GR, but the CO and he did not see eye-to-eye Tim was a square peg in a round hole and so they decided that a transfer to the Sixth would be a good idea. The best decision 10GR ever made as we were a much more laid-back regiment with a fair few eccentric, but very professional, officers.

On first meeting, Tim struck me as being everything a British Officer in the Gurkhas should be. Smart, dare I say rather dapper. Sporting a very regimental moustache and always smartly turned out, he had that easy rapport with the boys, who he plainly loved. The feeling was reciprocated by the Officers, NCOs and Rifleman who he commanded. The words “a friendly father” spring to mind. He was fluent in Gurkhali and intimate in his knowledge of “the kaida” or ways and customs of the Nepalese and those peculiar to the Regiment.

I was his “sano Saheb” or young officer and he took me under his wing straight away. He accepted my eccentricities but always steered me on the right path. Many is the time he covered up for me when I had made a cockup of something or had upset a senior officer. He did not have to do this, but I was “one of his boys”, just like all his beloved Gurkhas in Dangerous Don Company, as we styled ourselves!

The thing I loved about Tim was that every day was an adventure. Unlike a few BOs in the Brigade, who could be terribly predictable and somewhat boring, Tim’s style seemed to be one of most things almost, but never actually, turning into a minor disaster! I loved it!

The drive from the officers’ mess in Brunei, the lovely old ex-Palace of the Sultan, to the battalion lines was about 15 minutes. But Tim had a Mini Cooper 1275 GT that was very fast and could knock a few minutes off that time.

I remember one day that we were cutting it a bit fine to fit in breakfast before being on parade at 0800 hrs. We sat down in the dining room at about 0740 and only really had time for a quick cup of tea before we had to leave. Tim decided that there was plenty of time for breakfast, pointing this out to me by proudly showing me on his new Omega diver’s watch, of which he was immensely proud.

“Titters old boy, we have got time for some eggs at least. Must have breakfast before we work”.

He called the mess orderly in and the conversation went something like this: “Dil Bahadur, I would like some eggs please”. Dil replied “Huncha Saheb, how would you like your eggs”. “Mmmm, good question” says Tim.

I reminded him that time was passing rapidly and now was not the time to dither.

“Dil, I think I’ll have boiled eggs please, soft boiled, two with some toast and butter…. Actually, no, cancel that, make it two fried sunny side up….on seconds thought I think eggs rumble tumble (scrambled) would be a tad quicker to cook”.

“Bloody hell Tim, look at the time” I said. “Eggs rumble tumble it is Dil” came the order from Tim.

Needless to say, by the time the eggs arrived we had about 5 minutes to get to the office. As soon as he finished his eggs he looked at his Omega watch, tapped it, shook it and said, “bloody hell Titters, look at the time, we’re going to be late, why didn’t you warn me!”

With that he broke the world record from the Kota Istana Mangelela to Tuker Lines in his Mini, burning rubber the whole way! Disaster, just, had been avoided again.

The Panaga Club in Brunei had a late-night bar called the ACB (short for Air Conditioned Bar) which would shut at midnight unless there were three or more customers. At about 2330 hrs one mid-week evening in the officers’ mess Tim decided that he and I needed a change of scenery so we raced up there in his Mini.

Arriving with about 10 minutes before closing time, we found an empty bar apart from the barman, who had the unfortunate name of Lee Kee Kok. Needless to say, he was nicknamed “Dripping Dick”. He was not well pleased at our arrival just before he was due to knock off and go home. However, with only two customers, his exit strategy remained safe. With only two minutes to go, a head poked around the door and Tim said, “Titters, drag him in”.

A rather startled Italian diver from Sub Sea was immediately bought a beer and the barman’s face dropped. We had secured a drinking hole into the early hours. The diver, who spoke only broken English, told us had had been in the Italian Commandos and kept apologising for the fact that our two countries had been at war. He kept repeating the phrase “Gurkha – Italiano Commando – friendly pockstable?” and then embracing us both in a manly hug.

Neither Tim nor I had a clue what “friendly pockstable” meant, but he kept saying it and hugging us. Eventually Tim said, “Titters I think pockstable means basketball, damn well sounds like it. Maybe a lot of the Sub Sea divers are ex-Italian Commandos like him and he wants a friendly basketball game with the Gurkhas”. We finally left the bar, the worse for wear, at about 0300 hrs, Tim having told the Italian to be at Tuker Lines at 1600 hrs where “Italian – Gurkha friendly pockstable” would take place.

That day at the appointed time Tim and I were on parade with the whole of D Company lined up, ready for Tim to dismiss them before they changed for afternoon sport. At 1600 on the dot, a taxi arrived at the main gate and said Italian, sporting skin-tight trousers, open shirt displaying a bronzed hairy chest adorned with gold chains and a beach-blond mullet haircut, immediately rushed over to Tim, who was standing ramrod straight in front of his troops. He threw his arms around Tim and ecstatically yelled: “Italian Commando – Gurkha, friendly IS possible”! Good old Tim had interpreted “pockstable” as the word “basketball” not the word “possible”!
I was falling about in stitches with laughter and the assembled ranks of D Company broke into ecstatic applause! It is those memories, of ridiculously funny things, that will always remind me of dear Tim Bahadur.

When I was running a team of Gurkha ex-servicemen in Mozambique I took time to go to Bahrain with a view of trying to get some security contracts for GSG Ltd. Tim and Liz very kindly put me up in their married quarter. Tim was working for the Bahrain Public Security Bureau as an Intelligence Officer at that time, with the rank of Lt Col. He met me “airside” at the airport and, carrying a .38 revolver discreetly hidden in a holster on his belt, he wafted me swiftly past immigration and customs. All very James Bond-ish!

I next met him in Knysna, South Africa, where I was living at that time. In typical “Thunder” style he had found himself at the end of his contract in Bahrain with nowhere to move to. He said, “Titters, we are coming to live in Knysna”! Having never done a recce of the place or even been there before, I suggested he take a look before committing himself and his family to a place that was totally unknown to him. He replied that he trusted me, and if I said it was a nice place to live, then that was good enough for him!

There are few people on this earth that would put the future of their family in the trust of another man’s word. That is truly the mark of a man of great stature.

I knew that Tim had been unwell for some time, but he was a fighter to the last.

The Regiment has lost a fine officer and I have lost a true friend.

Thunder old chum, you left us too early. I am sure you are now safely in that place where all of us end up. The Final RV in the sky. Knowing you, you probably got lost on the way and had a few adventures but got there in the end!

Say hello to my old Gurkha mate Guy Pearson and all the others who were taken too early and reserve me a bar stool for when I arrive. Make sure the Tigers are cold!

Rest In Peace now, mate.

Your Duty is Done and we now have your Watch.

You will never be forgotten.

From your D Company Officer and your old mate.

Jon

 

Robert Atkins’s Book Launch

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Over ten years ago Robert Atkins MC (8 GR 1944-1948 and 1/6 GR 1950-1958) decided to record memories of his time with the Gurkhas for his grandchildren. Fortunately he completed this just before suffering a stroke which left him with speech and writing difficulties.

A local friend had the opportunity to read Robert’s manuscript and, knowing Lt General Sir Peter Duffell who lived in a nearby Kent village and that he was an ex-Gurkha, showed him the manuscript. Recognising it’s historical value General Peter contacted our President, John Anderson. The Association had an input and the Gurkha Museum added further photos. General Peter agreed to write the Foreward. From the Association, Brigadier Christopher Bullock kindly agreed to write historical commentaries on both India at the time of Partition and on the Malayan Emergency.

Almost a year on, Robert’s ‘The Gurkha Diaries’ have been now published by Pen and Sword. Henry Wilson, a former soldier and friend of General Peter, was the commissioning editor for General Peter’s book, ‘Gurkha Odyssey’, and was enthusiastic to do the same for ‘The Gurkha Diaries’. The result is super; a must read for all who have an understanding of or interest in life in Malaya during the Emergency and of ‘jungle bashing’. Few if any who fought against the CTs in the Malayan conflict will have had as many contacts and successes as Robert, one resulting in the well deserved award of an MC.

During the evening of 20th October, some 80 or so gathered in a small art gallery in Belgravia, London for the launch of the book. The majority were friends and extended family who had come to support Robert and Anabel. 6GRRA were represented by Brigadier John Anderson, Mani and Sudha Rai and myself. Also present were four ex-Brigade soldiers now serving in the Military Provost Guard Service, one of whom was ex-6 GR and RGR.

The occasion was beautifully organised by Vicky Greenley, Robert and Anabel’s younger daughter. Robert now 94 had a long operation to remove a tumour in his neck before Christmas last year. And less than two months before the Launch Anabel had a very serious fall; despite the discomfort she was determined to be there. An inspirational couple!

The plan is to promote the book at our Reunion in Winchester on 20 November.

Brian O’Bree

Robert in front of the Gallery before kick-off

The 6 GR group with Robert and Anabel

Robert signing books assisted by his grandson James

Unveiling ceremony of the memorial statue of Rifleman Kulbir Thapa VC, the first Gurkha Victoria Cross recipient

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The unveiling ceremony of the memorial statue of Rifleman Kulbir Thapa VC, the first Gurkha VC recipient was held at the Aldershot Princes Gardens on Saturday 25th of September. The day was specially chosen to coincide with the day that Kulbir Thapa VC received his VC in 1915 for his outstanding bravery. We were blessed with propitious weather to mark this very special occasion.

The unveiling ceremony was organized by the Gurkha Memorial Project (GMP) team from the Greater Rushmoor Nepali Community. What is so remarkable is that the memorial statue has been established purely out of donations from the public and most donors were Gurkha veterans and their families. It was a very proud and momentous day for the nation to witness the unveiling ceremony of the magnificent statue of Kulbir Thapa VC saving a wounded British soldier of the 2nd Leicestershire regiment. The memorial statue was specifically chosen out of the 13 Gurkha VCs as it manifestly symbolizes the enduring and strong comradeship of the Gurkhas with the British Army for more than 200 years and how the Gurkhas have stood shoulder to shoulder with their British counterparts in every theatre of war from 1816 to the present day. It also denotes the warm affinity that exists between the Gurkhas and the British public and the local communities. Hopefully the message of strong bonds and friendship will also resonate with our Gurkha and British youths and for posterity.

The event went very smoothly from start to finish and everyone extolled on the planning, organisation and execution of the unveiling programme both in the Princes Gardens and in the Empire Banqueting Hall where food and entertainment was provided for the invited guests and donors. Looking at the proud smiling and happy faces of invited guests and onlookers which numbered over 300, it was a memorable day to remember and cherish. What a tremendously proud day for the GMP team’s two years of indefatigable hard work to see their dream come true on this special day.  The memorial statue will also mark as a celebration to the local communities and those visiting the magnificent statue.

You’ll be proud to know that there were three people from 6GR who played an active and crucial part in the Gurkha Memorial Project Team to make this vision a reality:

Captain (Retd) Gary Ghale – Project Manager
Captain (Retd) Bir Bahadur Thapa – Active member and Dance Organizer
Cpl Om Prasad Thapa – Spokes Person

Gary Ghale
GMP Project Manager

POSTSCRIPT

Along with Major Khusiman Gurung, I was privileged to represent the Regiment at the unveiling ceremony and would like to add my words of congratulations and absolute admiration to Gary, Bir Bahadur, Om Prasad and the whole team. They have created a most beautiful statue with deep and important meaning for the Nepali and British peoples and done it on their own, taking it from an idea to reality. They raised over £150,000 from personal donations and project managed a stunning but complex statue. They also created an outstanding unveiling ceremony in a quite difficult public area of Aldershot, with lots of wonderful touches and attention to detail; it really was a day to remember and cherish.

Duncan Briggs
Chairman 6GRRA

Girls from the Nepali Community dressed for the occasion

The Statue dressed before unveiling

The Statue unveiled

Manikumar Rai speaking as the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire; his first official function

Bir Bahadur with the Band

A 6GR group of old friends

THE TULBAHADUR PUN VC TRAIN

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On the morning of 23rd June 2021 at Platform 1 of Paddington Station there was an unusually large gathering, none of whom were passengers. They included invited guests, a number of Gurkha and other well-wishers, staff of Great Western Railway (GWR) and quite a gang of press and media, including BBC and ITV. All were present to witness the unveiling of the latest of GWR’s train to be named.

To commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the end of World War 2 GWR planned a series of train namings to represent the armed forces, intelligence services and Secret Service as well as politics. This was to coincide with events around VE75 and VJ75 days.

Among the small number selected were: Harry Billinge, a sapper and D-Day survivor who landed in the first wave on the beaches in Normandy; George Sheard, a Royal Marine commando ‘Cockleshell Hero’ who was one of only two to survive the famous raid in Bordeaux Harbour in 1942; Odette Hallowes, the most well-known member of the SOE in France and most highly decorated spy of the war; Wing Commander Ken Rees, a bomber command pilot shot down over Norway who took part in the ‘Great Escape’ from Stalag Luft III, made famous by the film in which Steve McQueen’s character is said to be based on Ken; and yet to be formally named are Alan Turing and Sir Winston Churchill.

To represent those who fought in Burma, GWR looked for a recently identifiable Burma ‘hero’. Tulbahadur’s name came up both as a VC winner and for having been in the public eye in 2007 during his support for Joanna Lumley’s campaign for the right of Gurkhas to settle in the UK. The arrival of Covid and resulting restrictions in 2020 delayed the naming programme. 23 June 2021, 77 years to the day since Tulbahadur’s VC action at Mogaung could not have been a more fitting alternative.

The Gurkha Brigade Association set up the event with GWR. As guests of honour, Tulbahadur’s daughter Megh Kumari and son Arjun were invited. Present from GWT were Joanna Lumley, as Vice-Patron and CEO Al Howard.  The following were invited as official guests: GBA’s President Lt General Sir David Bill, Chairman Colonel David Hayes, Secretary Major Mani Rai; Colonel Brigade of Gurkhas Colonel Jody Davies; Director Gurkha Museum Dr Daren Bowyer; and from 6GRRA Chairman Lt Colonel Duncan Briggs and past Chairman Lt Colonel Brian O’Bree.

After speeches and a reading of the VC citation, Arjun and Megh Kumari were invited to unveil the train’s name, assisted by Joanna. The name and surrounding motif included 126 small kukris in memory of those of the 3rd 6th who lost their lives during the Burma campaign — one with a small VC recognised Captain Michael Allmand’s gallantry at Mogaung and posthumous award of the VC.

On behalf of 6GRRA, Duncan Briggs presented Megh Kumari and Arjun with copies of our 200th Anniversary brochure and in addition to Megh Kumari a copy of the 1991 photo taken with her and her father with guests and Gurkha Officers during their visit to the Regiment in Hong Kong on the occasion of the presentation of the Michael Allmand’s VC to the Regiment. A hard-backed copy of the 200th Anniversary brochure was also presented by our Chairman to Ruth Busby, HR Director of GWR, who headed their team. The inscription, kindly prepared by Mani, read:

To Great Western Railway

On behalf of the Regimental Association of 6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles

as a mark of our appreciation and pride in the selection of

Tulbahadur Pun VC 6GR as the name of your latest Intercity Express Train

It was a proud day for Gurkhas as a whole; all the more so for those of us who served as 6th Gurkhas.

The tradition of naming trains in the UK is as old as the railways going back to the 1820s and George Stephenson’s Rocket. This followed the convention of naming ships and gave an extra sense of character to the technology. Catching the ‘Flying Scotsman’ sounds more of an event than the ‘11.37’ from King’s Cross. I wonder who might be the first Association member to travel on the ‘Tulbahadur Pun VC’ train?

Mani thanking GWR on behalf of Tulbahadur’s family


Arjun, Megh Kumari and Joanna after the unveiling


Duncan Briggs, Arjun, Megh Kumari, Laxmi Tamang (family friend), Joanna, Ruth Busby GWR and Mani Rai


Former 6th Gurkhas with Megh Kumari and Arjun – Gary Ghale, Mani Rai, Duncan Briggs, Brian O’Bree, Nathusing Thapa, Shyamkumar Thakuri, Al Howard (courtesy of Stanley Kaye)


Presentation of our 200th brochure and 1991 photo to Arjun and Megh Kumari, supported by two family friends


The 126 small kukris in memory of those of the 3rd/6th who did not go home

THE “SLIM SAHEB” PRESENTATION

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It finally happened, after so many postponements due to Covid restrictions, the much awaited presentation on “Slim Saheb” finally took place at the Gurkha Museum on Friday 03 June.

It had of course been planned for 2020 to link with the Journal and to recognise that it was 100 years since Captain William Slim had joined 1/6GR, but it was more than worth the wait. Much had been written about Slim, but little about his very formative years as an officer in the Gurkhas of the British Indian Army and it was intended to try to fill this gap. What made it even more special was that we had 9 members of the Field Marshall Slim’s family attending, including his daughter, 5 grandchildren and a great grandson also called Bill.

The presentation was led by John Mackinlay, covering Slim’s early links with 6GR at Gallipoli and then his service in 1/6GR on the North West Frontier. Bob Couldrey from 7GR covered the middle period of Slim’s service, including his command of 2/7GR and Ray Pett dealt with Slim’s later service including the Burma campaign, highlighting how important his service with Gurkhas had been for getting the best out of the many British Indian Army units that he had under command. It was an outstanding presentation; so much in depth research and so professionally presented in the lovely Macdonald Room at the Museum.

After the presentation and a few drinks, we returned to the Macdonald Gallery for a very special moment; the unveiling of the full length portrait that had been presented to the Museum by the President and Chairman of the Association. This was in fact a professional copy of the portrait of Field Marshall Slim that previously graced the Officers Mess in 6GR and had been copied under the expert artistic eye of John Mackinlay. The Honourable Una Rowcliffe, (nee Slim), the Field Marshall’s daughter kindly unveiled the portrait to great applause.

The day concluded with a delicious bhat provided by the Museum and lots of discussion about “Slim Saheb” and his years in the British Indian Army. It was a wonderful occasion, made extra special by the presence so many of the Slim Family. It was also memorable as the first Association event after the Covid19 Lockdown and we look forward to many, many more. Jai Sixth.

Duncan Briggs


PHOTOGRAPHS

8489    Una Slim about to unveil her father’s portrait in the Macdonald Gallery.
8503    The portrait of Field Marshall Slim.
8506    Members of the Slim Family who attended the “Slim Saheb” presentation.

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