Each company of the Royal Gurkha Rifles is responsible for keeping alive the knowledge and traditions of one of the Regiment’s battle honours, and B Company of the 2nd Battalion is the guardian of Gallipoli. This year they commemorated the Gallipoli campaign on 26 July, the actual date not being possible due to operational commitments. Lt Col BM O’Bree and Major JGH Corrigan were invited to represent the 6th Gurkha Rifles Regimental Association.
The commemoration began with a short parade at the war memorial outside the guardroom of Sir John Moore Lines, with wreaths laid by the Commanding Officer, the Company Commander, the Gurkha Major and Major Corrigan. After a blessing by the Pandit all adjourned for tea and tipan tapan, followed by presentations on various aspects of the campaign. In one stand we saw an informative video made by the soldiers themselves with a brief on the background to the battle by a young NCO. Another traced the course of the Sari Bair battle on an excellently constructed sand model with the brief conducted by another junior NCO, while the third stand showed weapons and equipment of the period. The demonstration concluded with a short speech by the commanding officer, where he reminded soldiers of the importance of remembering the actions of those who came before us and of keeping alive their traditions of courage and tenacity.”