8th Gorkha Rifles
8th Gorkha Rifles | |
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Khukris with the numeral 8 above | |
Tartan | Government (pipe bags and ribbons) |
The 8th Gorkha Rifles is a
History
Formation and early campaigns
The 16th Sylhet Local Battalion, a unit of the British East India Company that was formed in 1824, can be traced as the regiment's ancestor.[1] The first designation change came in 1826 when the unit was redesignated the 11th Sylhet Local Battalion. In 1861, it became part of the Bengal Native Infantry and was briefly designated the 48th (Sylhet) Light Infantry, before its numerical designation was changed to the 44th. A number of minor name changes occurred until 1886 when the Goorkha title was adopted and the regiment became the 44th Regiment of Goorkha (Light) Infantry. In 1891, the regiment's title was adjusted to 44th Gurkha (Rifle) Regiment of Bengal Infantry. The designation of the 8th Gurkha Rifles was adopted in 1903, but it remained a single battalion regiment until 1907, the regiment gained a second battalion, subsuming the 43rd Gurkhas, which had been briefly redesignated as the 7th Gurkha Rifles.[2][3]
Military assignments commenced as soon after the raising of the regiment when the first battalion formed the spearhead for operations in the
The regiment's second Victoria Cross was awarded to
The Younghusband Expedition of 1904 was another operation that brought a VC to the regiment, awarded to John Duncan Grant—no relation to Charles Grant—for his actions during the British expedition to Tibet. Braving the high altitude climes of Tibet, the expeditionary force successfully stormed the Tibetan fortress of Gyantse at 18,000 feet.[8]
World War I
World War I (1914–1918) testified to the enigmatic valour and heroism of the regiment during the course of combat service in Italy, France, Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) and Egypt. During the fighting in France, the 2nd/8th[9] distinguished itself by fighting virtually to the last man during the Battle of Loos on 25 September 1915, hurling themselves time after time against the weight of German defences. Having mustered almost eight hundred men to begin with, by the end of the day they had a frontage of just one officer and forty-nine men.[10]
The regiment won 14 battle honours during this period:
- La Bassee, Festubert, Givenchy, Neauve Chapelle, Aubers, France and Flanders 1914–15; Egypt, Megiddo, Sharon, Palestine, Tigris, Kut-at-Amara, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1916–18.[11]
Following the war, it also participated in the
Inter war years
During the years between the two World Wars, the 8th Goorkhas were based in India, where they undertook various garrison duties, in between service on the North West Frontier.[citation needed] It was whilst the 2/8th was based at Quetta in the mid-1930s that a member of the Regiment would display outstanding courage, this time not during war but during peace. In 1935 a series of powerful earthquakes rocked north-west India and thousands of people were killed. The men of the 2/8th worked tirelessly in their efforts to help free many of the civilians that were caught beneath the ruins. Nandlal Thapa received the Empire Gallantry Medal for repeatedly risking his life entering buildings that were in danger of collapsing amidst the aftershocks in order to rescue injured survivors.[13] At the time the Empire Gallantry Medal was the highest award for gallantry for actions performed not in the face of the enemy, although later when the George Cross came into being in 1940, Nandlal Thapa received the George Cross to replace his Empire Gallantry Medal.[13]
World War II
The regiment's battalions also saw active overseas actions in Iraq, Egypt,
The regiment's World War II battle honours include:
- Iraq 1941, North Africa 1940–43, Gothic Line, Coriano, Sant' Angelo, Gaiana Crossing, Point 551, Italy 1942–44; Tamu Road, Bishenpur, Kanglato-ngbi, Mandalay, Myinmu Bridgehead, Singhu, Shan-datgyi, Sittang, Imphal, Tanbingon, and Burma 1942–45.[11]
Post independence
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The 8th Gurkha Rifles, along with the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 9th Gurkha Rifles, was transferred to India on independence in 1947.[16] The regiment became one of the Gorkha regiments (India) when the spelling was changed for all of the transferred regiments.[citation needed]
Kashmir operations
Soon after partition, the 2/8 Gorkha Rifles saw action in the Leh operations of 1948. The battalion made a forced march over inhospitable terrain and reached Leh. Major Hari Chand and his company were involved in a series of raids that demoralized the Pakistani forces, this included destruction of the Pakistani mountain guns at the village of Basgo which had been brought in to consolidate the raiders hold over Leh. In this action, Major Hari Chand and four other ranks were awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) and Vir Chakra (VRC) respectively.[17]
Sino-Indian war of 1962
One
Later period
The regiment was also involved in the
In 2000, the 5/8, while performing duty in Sierra Leone was involved in Operation Khukri and played a pivotal role.
When the 1/8 became a Mechanised Infantry Regiment, a further battalion was raised on July 1, 1979, and named the 7/8 Gorkha Rifles.[citation needed]
Battalions
- 1/8 Gorkha Rifles (later became the 3rd Battalion, Mechanised Infantry Regiment) (PVC Paltan)
- 2/8 Gorkha Rifles (George Cross Battalion)
- 3/8 Gorkha Rifles (presently located at Jammu and Kashmir)
- 4/8 Gorkha Rifles ( VC Paltan )
- 5/8 Gorkha Rifles (formerly the 4th Battalion, 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles))
- 6/8 Gorkha Rifles
- 7/8 Gorkha Rifles[1]
Notable officers
The regiment produced on the first
Notes
- ^ a b "8 Gorkha Rifles". www.indianveterans.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ "8th Gorkha Rifles". Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on 13 January 2006. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ Lunt 1994, p. 11
- ^ Parker 2005, p. 392.
- ^ Parker 2005, p. 392.
- ^ Parker 2005, pp. 88–91.
- ^ Parker 2005, pp. 91–92.
- ^ Parker 2005, pp. 92–93.
- ^ 2nd Battalion of the 8th Gurkhas.
- ^ Parker 2005, p. 98.
- ^ a b Parker 2005, p. 388.
- ^ Rodger 2003, p. 208.
- ^ a b Parker 2005, p. 152.
- ^ Parker 2005, p. 393.
- ^ "No. 37195". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 July 1945. p. 3861.
- ^ Parker 2005, p. 224.
- ^ "Siachen Glacier: Battle of Roses", Kapadia, Harish, Chapter 7
- ^ Cardozo, Chapter II: The Sino-Indian War 1962.
References
- Cardozo, Ian (2003). Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle. New Delhi: Roli Books. ISBN 978-81-7436-262-9.
- Lunt, James D. (1994). Jai Sixth!: 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles 1817-1994. London: Leo Cooper. ISBN 0-85052-423-7.
- Parker, John. (2005). The Gurkhas: The Inside Story of the World's Most Feared Soldiers. Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7553-1415-7
- Rodger, Alexander (2003). Battle Honours of the British Empire and Commonwealth Land Forces 1662–1991. Marlborough, Wiltshire: The Crowood Press. ISBN 1-86126-637-5.