Gurkhas

If they haven't, they ought to. See how the Taliban like that.

 

Be facing the wrong way and in a jungle and I wouldn't fancy your chances too much, IIRC one Gurkha VC was won in WWII by a Gurkha taking out three Japanese machine gun nests one at a time with his Kukhri... BTW what makes you think he wouldn't be carrying a small arm as well, the Kukhri isn't a Gurkha's sole weapon.

 

KUKRI

The web site that I posted on Oct.30th. on this thread gives loads of Gurkha history, look it up.
We have the Gurkhas stationed about three miles away at Bramcote, Warks, they will be out in the streets on the Saturday before Poppy Day in their immaculate uniforms and the fearsome Kukri.
www.gurkhas-kukris.com/catalog/new

 

A really good book is "Gurkha - The illustrated history" by Peter Harclerode & David Reynolds. Its awesome!

 

I once saw a documentary about the Gurkhas. Every applicant has to walk a long distance through the Nepalese mountains in order to try and enlist. Most impressive.

 

I have seen a similar documentary. The thing that really stuck in my mind was the need to add various anti-suicide defences to a bridge near the training ground as rejected recruits will often try to kill themselves.

 

Yeah, it's hard for most Westerners to imagine wanting to join something so bad that an applicant would rather die if they are not accepted.

 

When you look at what they have to endure (running up a mountain with basket of rocks on their heads) then to have old dears telling how crap they are for not been in front. the shame is quite inbearable.

I knew a Gurkha who i saw in the bar with tars in his eyes, he told me he had failed, i was feeling sorry for him until he told me that in his eyes he ran his BFT in 7 mins 50 Seconds, a pass for him offically was 11 minutes.

 

I read that if the Gurkha recruits fail selection or training, they often never return to their homeland because they cannot bear the shame of what their relatives would think of them.

 

Given the small number of slots and the very high standards in the Gurkha units, I wonder why they wouldn't be more understanding of the ones who don't make the cut. The fact of the matter is, not everyone is going to make it; there is no shame in falling short under such circumstances if you've done your best.

 

Ahem! :angry:

 

Yes...?

Are you the prom queen? :smok:

 

No indeed! :angry: Thats not funny :angry: :bang: :kill:

 

Sorry commando, I just couldn't resist.

 

Not funny! :angry:

 

Well, if you want to complain, please fill up the following form:
http://www.aussiearmy.org/random/humour ... elings.pdf

 

post

Notmi. Out of order and not funny.

 

Yeah, I think I got a bit carried away. I'm sorry.

 

Back to Ghurka's, its well worth reading the first volume of John Masters' autobiography "Bugles and a Tiger" -- he was a junior officer in a Ghurka Regt from about 1936 and there is a lot of stuff about their customs and traditions

Tom