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Gorkha Regiment Among Worlds best elite military units

Gurkhas are descended from Rajputs , So the element of courage is also there . However they are good because of their extraordinary skills at hunting , tracking . Living in the mountains they are natural hunters expert at camafloage , stealth ...and a crack shot with rifles .

And finally what elevates them above other soldiers is the fear they inspire with the Legends of their Kukris and their unparalleled skill with it .

Source please.As far as i know Gurkhas have no links with the Rajputs.The difference between the two is that a Gurkha will die no matter what while a Rajput will opt for peace and settlement if he sees that he is at a weak position and that he is certain to loose.In medieval times many rajput kings forged alliances with the Mughals.Today there are many Muslim Rajputs.They are basically the decendants of those Rajputs who preferred conversion over death at the hands of invading Muslim armies.Also there are no physical similarities between the two communities.A Rajput is strong and tall while majority of Gurkhas are short and are physically weaker.
 
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My list:
Not in any order:
1)Mongols
2)Sikhs
3)Spartans
4)Rajputs
5)Navy Seals
6)SAS
7)Spetsnaz
8)Samurai
9)Roman Centurion
10)Waffen SS.
 
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300 Spartans could destroy 2,600,000 Persians in the Battle of Thermopylae, with swords and spears. Now, imagine Spartans having Javelin Anti-tank missiles, Dragunov snipers, MP5 sub machine guns and a couple of stealth choppers. What havoc they would have created. :lol:

Seriously?And you are basing this on a hollywood movie.I can't believe that u actually think what they potrayed actually happened.The reality is that there were 8000 greeks (300 Spartans+Helots+Athenians.........).Researchers have tried to make a rough estimate about Xerxes force and all of them have come to a conclusion that the force was no more than 100,000.In fact some of them say that the force comprised of 25,000 men and not the figure u mentioned.8000 vs 25000 is not a big deal when u consider the advantage of terrain that the Greek side enjoyed.
 
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As a young USAF Lieutenant based out of the old US Embassy then in Karachi, West Pakistan, I became friends with British Brigadier (Acting) Panton, RA, who had formerly been a Colonel of Gurkhas. Brigadier Panton had a daughter close to my age. He (the Brigadier) invited me to many of his formal mess dress uniform formal dinners and had me sit next to his daughter, sort of as her "escort."

Brigadier Panton had a wall mounted, sheathed Gurkha knife in his quarters in Karachi, which he told us all at one dinner party could not be unsheathed, per Gurkha tradition, unless the person unsheathing it drew his own blood. Brigadier Panton said this was the Gurkha knife tradition long respected in the Gurkha portion of the British Army.
[

The Gurkha history I am personelly familiar with focused on the Gurkhas fighting the Japanese and came 100% from or was filtered through Brigadier Panton, who served in Burma fighitng the Japanese during WW II and thereafter in SE Asia with the Gurkhas, prior to his military attache posting to Pakistan.

Gurkhas in World War II

Gurkhas in World War II - And how these WW2 heroes are treated badly today.

Gurkha warrior Tul Bahadur Pun won Victoria Cross during the Second Chindit Expedition in Burma in 1944

Tul Bahadur Pun, a Gurkha soldier who won the Victoria Cross while serving with the Second Chindit Expedition in Burma in 1944 and later became the figurehead for a campaign on Gurkha's rights to settle in the UK, has passed away at 88.

On May 27, 1944, the 77th Indian Brigade was ordered to capture the Japanese supply centre of Mogaung. After almost a month of fierce fighting, the 3rd Battalion 6th Gurkha Rifles was ordered to attack the railway bridge at Mogaung. Pun's section - apart from himself, the section commander and one rifleman - was wiped out. The commander led his two remaining riflemen in a charge on The Red House, but he was at once severely wounded. Pun and his comrade continued the charge - but the latter, too, fell badly wounded. Pun then seized the Bren gun and, firing from the hip as he ran, continued the charge on the heavily bunkered position capturing two machine guns.
(telegraph.co.uk)

Lachhiman Gurung: Gurkha Victoria Cross winner fought Japanese soldiers and later British injustice

Lachhiman Gurung, a Gurkha who won the Victoria Cross for holding Japanese soldiers at bay alone in a trench after a grenade exploded injuring him badly, has passed away at 93. He was heard shouting "come and fight a Gurkha" by injured comrades, whose lives he saved by preventing the Japanese advance in Burma in 1945. In recent years, Gurung became a prominent figure in the campaign to allow Gurkhas the right to live in Britain.
(dailymail.co.uk)

Victoria Cross winner Gurkha fights for granddaughter carer to be allowed to stay in UK

A hero Gurkha who lost his arm and sight in one eye fighting for Britain has appealed to the Queen and the PM for his granddaughter to be allowed to stay in UK to care for him. Lachhiman Gurung won the Victoria Cross after he single-handedly beat back a Japanese attack for 4 hours despite horrific injuries. In May 1945 Rifleman Gurung fended off a Japanese attack on his post at Taungdaw, Burma. He twice tossed back grenades that had been thrown in but a third one exploded causing grave injuries. "I have paid a great price for Britain, but I do not complain as I love this country... I would give my arm again, if Britain called me to fight to defend the British people."
(telegraph.co.uk)

Gurkhas win right to stay in Britain

Gurkhas celebrated a victory in their battle for the right to settle in Britain. Hundreds of the Nepalese soldiers and their families cheered outside the Royal Courts of Justice after a High Court judge ruled the Government's immigration policy excluding them was unlawful. They were joined by actress Joanna Lumley, whose father fought with the Gurkhas in Burma during World War II. The judge in the case, Mr Justice Blake, quoted from the military covenant that soldiers are expected to make personal sacrifices and put the needs of the nation above their own, and in return should expect fair treatment and be respected.
(independent.co.uk)

Gurkhas digging in for the last battle - They won 13 VCs but still unwanted by UK
They held union flags and pictures of the Queen, and wore rows of military medals. The banners spelled out the issue: "Gurkhas won 13 Victoria Crosses but still unwanted by UK". Hundreds of Gurkha veterans gathered outside the High Court in London to mark the beginning of a battle against the Government's refusal to grant settlement to those who retired from the regiment before 1997. The actor Joanna Lumley explained: "My father served alongside the Gurkhas for 30 years. I am a daughter of the regiment. He would be absolutely overwhelmed with shame and fury that we have behaved this way to the Gurkhas, our most loyal and constant friends."
(theage.com.au)

Imperial holdover: Gurkhas flock to British army - Britain's mercenaries
Young men are drawn from Himalayan hills to fight for another man's country far away. The Gurkhas are a British recruiter's dream: Last year 17,349 applied, and after exhausting tests 230 were accepted. These warriors could be viewed as Britain's mercenaries. But ask any Gurkha soldier, and he is likely to talk of history and a tradition of being among the world's finest infantrymen. This reputation was won in the 19th century, and from those days the cry of "Ayo Gurkhali!" has sent enemies shaking. Some have even surrendered rather than face a charge by the rugged soldiers and their kukri knives.
(usatoday.com)

Gurkhas -It's better to die than be a coward
Rifleman Thaman Gurung knew only two existences. One was the little village in Nepal. The other was the British Army. He had no special interest in what had brought him to Italy in 1944. His life was about loyalty to comrades and courage in battle. Thaman had just turned 20 when a company of the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles sent a patrol to Monte San Bartolo. As he was working his way towards the summit, he came across German troops in a slit trench preparing to open fire. Seeing that his comrades could not retreat without heavy casualties, he charged with his kukri - a knife similar to a scythe.
(dailymail)

Gurkha restaurant cannot fly regiment's flag

Asbahadur Gurung, whose family served in the Army for 70 years, wanted to show his regiment's colours above his restaurant, called "The Gurkha". But council said the flag was a form of advertising and denied him permission. But they notified him that he can run up the flag of any country, the UN or the EU. The decision has infuriated Gurung, whose father Mambahadur fought in the Battle of Kohima in Burma in World War II. "I was proud to serve the British Army for 28 years as was my father before me... we thought a lot of people would appreciate the regiment flag." Gurung spent 28 years in the Queen's Gurkha Signals, reaching the rank of captain.
(telegraph.co.uk)

Indian Gurkha soldiers show little interest for British compensation
Unlike former Gurkha soldiers living in Nepal, Gurkha soldiers in India have shown little interest in collecting compensation for being taken prisoner by the Japanese during the Second World War. In the 5 months since the British set up an office in Kathmandu to make payments of 10,000 pounds each to former Gurkha soldiers who were POW in the Far East, it has got 1, 400 requests. Of these 890 were interviewed by 3 teams from the British defence department headed by James Gondelle around Nepal and 101 Gurkhas were compensated.
(hindustantimes)
WWII Gurkha hero now wants his Victoria Cross medal back
World War Two Gurkha hero Tul Bahadur Pun is now trying to get his Victoria Cross medal back from the British authorities, who took it away from him 30 years ago because it required "safekeeping." Pun, who came to Britain from Nepal for medical treatment, went to see his medal on display in a case at the Gurkha Museum in Winchester. Museum chiefs use a picture of Pun on their leaflet - but when asked if he could hold the medal, they refused. A sad Pun said: "It is mine. I want it back. I must have it back." He won Victoria Cross in Burma in 1944 after he charged a Japanese machine gun nest that had wiped out his platoon.
(andhranews.net)
Victoria Cross hero Gurkha banned from living in Britain "no strong ties"
Gurkha Tul Bahadur Pun's courage in the face of almost certain death - almost all his comrades were wiped out - earned him the Victoria Cross medal as he single-handedly stormed Japanese machine-gun positions during World War 2. His extraordinary act of valour won him royal admirers and he was invited to the Queen's Coronation and had tea with the Queen Mother. Yet, despite his glorious record, his application to live in Britain has been refused. The old soldier was told: "You have failed to demonstrate that you have strong ties with the UK."
(politic.co.uk)

Battle of Monte Cassino tribute to World War II Gurkha soldiers

Military buffs of the North East Hobby Militia group are climbing Helvellyn to re-enact the fight to hold a hilltop position during the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy, 1944. Despite suffering heavy losses a Gurkha battalion held Hangman's Hill for 16 days against a German division. Members will climb the 950m summit on 21 July carrying 2 wooden period ammunition boxes to raise cash for the Gurkha Welfare Trust. "We have been shocked by how little support the welfare trust is given, even though the force has served in almost every major conflict of the 20th Century and has 13 Victoria Crosses to its credit."
(-bbc)

Commando group -- The 326th First Air Command Airdrome (Article no longer available from the original source)

Lee Lowery was shipped overseas with an air commando group to fight the Japanese. "We went in by glider hocked up to an airplane and were dropped in by parachutes. When we went to get the first spot for our ammunition, we got ambushed by a Japanese squad. We got all of them without firing a rifle or gun, with our bayonets, because we didn't want to give our whereabouts away." "I had 25 GIs under my command, and 25 Gurhka soldiers under my command. The Gurkhas didn't like rifles. They would take the rifles and throw them away. They used their handmade swords, which they also used to sacrifice goats, which was part of their religion."
(suburbanchicagonews)

Gurkhas and VC ceremony - Solo stand against 200 soldiers

Two Nepalese Gurkha Victoria Cross (VC) winners have attended a ceremony to mark the 150th anniversary of the medal. 4 of 12 living VC holders are Gurkhas from Nepal. Gurkha soldiers were first recruited by imperial Britain in 1815, and are admired for their fearlessness. Rifleman Lachhiman Gurung made a solo stand against 200 Japanese troops during the Second World War after being blinded in one eye. In recent years, some Gurkhas have been involved in disputes over retirement issues. Captain Limbu led a group petitioning British PM to demand the same rights as British-born soldiers.
(bbc)
 
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Gurkhas are descended from Rajputs , So the element of courage is also there .

You dont need to be a rajput to have an 'element of courage'. You just need your existence, culture, family, etc in danger to enhance your bravery and courage like the Rajputs, Sikhs, Marathas have faced in India.

Source please.As far as i know Gurkhas have no links with the Rajputs.The difference between the two is that a Gurkha will die no matter what while a Rajput will opt for peace and settlement if he sees that he is at a weak position and that he is certain to loose.In medieval times many rajput kings forged alliances with the Mughals.Today there are many Muslim Rajputs.They are basically the decendants of those Rajputs who preferred conversion over death at the hands of invading Muslim armies.Also there are no physical similarities between the two communities.A Rajput is strong and tall while majority of Gurkhas are short and are physically weaker.

The legend states that Bappa Rawal was a teenager in hiding, when he came upon the warrior saint while on a hunting expedition with friends in the jungles of Rajasthan. Bappa Rawal chose to stay behind, and care for the warrior saint, who was in deep meditation. When Guru Gorkhanath awoke, he was pleased with the devotion of Bappa Rawal. The Guru gave him the Kukri (Khukuri) knife, the famous curved blade of the present day Gurkhas. The legend continues that he told Bappa that he and his people would henceforth be called Gurkhas, the disciples of the Guru Gorkhanath, and their bravery would become world famous.

Most Gurkhas you see today are not obviously Rajputs, but they claim it. Most are ethnic Mongolid groups from Nepal that just used the label Gurkha to identify themselves, even though the original 'Gurkha' came from Rajasthan.
 
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Brigadier Panton had a wall mounted, sheathed Gurkha knife in his quarters in Karachi, which he told us all at one dinner party could not be unsheathed, per Gurkha tradition, unless the person unsheathing it drew his own blood. Brigadier Panton said this was the Gurkha knife tradition long respected in the Gurkha portion of the British Army.

A slight correction :-

Actually it is "once unsheathed the Khukri ,as the Gorkha knife is called, must taste blood of its enemies and if no enemy is there atleast the blood of the person who drew it".
 
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As a young USAF Lieutenant based out of the old US Embassy then in Karachi, West Pakistan, I became friends with British Brigadier (Acting) Panton, RA, who had formerly been a Colonel of Gurkhas. Brigadier Panton had a daughter close to my age. He (the Brigadier) invited me to many of his formal mess dress uniform formal dinners and had me sit next to his daughter, sort of as her "escort."

Brigadier Panton had a wall mounted, sheathed Gurkha knife in his quarters in Karachi, which he told us all at one dinner party could not be unsheathed, per Gurkha tradition, unless the person unsheathing it drew his own blood. Brigadier Panton said this was the Gurkha knife tradition long respected in the Gurkha portion of the British Army.
[

The Gurkha history I am personelly familiar with focused on the Gurkhas fighting the Japanese and came 100% from or was filtered through Brigadier Panton, who served in Burma fighitng the Japanese during WW II and thereafter in SE Asia with the Gurkhas, prior to his military attache posting to Pakistan.


What is your point? The Sikh regiment is the most decorated in the Indian Army, so why are you making such a fuss and not acknowledging others? At least Sikhs fight for their motherland and not for job prospects.
 
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What is your point? The Sikh regiment is the most decorated in the Indian Army, so why are you making such a fuss and not acknowledging others? At least Sikhs fight for their motherland and not for job prospects.

:what:

Where did he make a fuss or be-little others ?

He just narrated an incident from his military life about the Gorkhas.

And its the Kumaon regiment that is actually the highest decorated in the Indian Army.

Please stop comparing the Gorkhas and Sikhs because two groups of soldiers can never really be compared objectively.
 
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This whole talk of Martial Race is nothing but hogwash created by the British as a part of their Divide and Rule policy. Every race or group of people can become Martial Race if they share firm belief in the ideals of the nation and the willingness to give and draw blood for the Motherland. Vietnamese and Israelis are the two greatest 20 th century examples of the above.

How USA with their 500 years of history became the sole superpower of the modern world? Is it because they are a martial race or because they are pretty smart. As the famous American General George S Patton once said:
"The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his"
This pretty much outlines American Strategy that made them King of the Hill.
 
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Well ask any indian army officer, the best indian army regiment at present is KUMAUN REGIMENT, from the hills of uttrakhand. they are the bravest and the best.

you know kumaoni soldiers are nick named man eaters in army because of their unparalled skills and bravery.
 
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loved u r reply.

elite units cannot ever be compared especially when they r seperated by centuries of time.

the bravery of gurkhas is well known around the world. it has been said by Gen Manecksgaw that if a man says he is afraid to die, either he is lying or he is a Gurkha.

Similarly, rajputs, nagas, marathas have also left their mark on footprints of history through their corage and valour.

mistake
isn't it
if a man says he is NOT afraid to die, either he is lying or he is a Gurkha.
 
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And here starts the weeny measuring contest :D

Seriously guys you are all Indians and part of the Indian Army.:rolleyes:

arey i was just taking some pride cause my father is in jat regiment. but see, i am no where related to kumaun regiment but i still say they r the best, cause they r the best. credit should be given where it is due.
 
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