+http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8060607.stm+

Congrats to actress Joanna Lumley (her father was an officer in the Brigade of Gurkhas) for forcing the government to take notice of massive public support for her cause and change their policy.

Are these Gurkhas veterans for the British Armed Forces? If they are, and if they aren't, good on them.
They deserve to be in the U.K. a lot more than certain anti-British citizens.

I served with Gurkhas in Korea. They were some of the finest soldiers in the world.

I haven't had what I would consider the good fortune to have served/known any Ghurkha Soldiers, but I have read some about them and have even purchased some authentic Khukuri's from the authorized supplier of these fine weapons. The 'factory' (per se) is in Nepal.

I would consider it an honor to serve with a Ghurkha Soldier. God bless them. (Even though I don't believe that Christianity is a prevelent faith among them.)

Namaste'

quote:

Originally posted by KoKhara:
Are these Gurkhas veterans for the British Armed Forces? If they are, and if they aren't, good on them.
They deserve to be in the U.K. a lot more than certain anti-British citizens.

Yes, that's the whole point. Colonial soldiers who served Britain for a couple of hundred years. Some of the nicest people you'll meet. Unless you are their enemy.

quote:

Gurkhas are best known for their history of bravery and strength in the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments. The Gurkhas were designated by British officials as a "Martial Race". "Martial Race" was a designation created by officials of British India to describe "races" (peoples) that were thought to be naturally warlike and aggressive in battle, and to possess qualities of courage, loyalty, self sufficiency, physical strength, resilience, orderliness, the ability to work hard for long periods of time, fighting tenacity and military strategy. The British recruited heavily from these Martial Races for service in the colonial army.[3]

Interesting history - worth a read.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurkha

-

HM's government has long since owed the Gurkhas this right. They have fought in every major engagement with distinction and deserve to live in the country they served so well the last 150 or so years.

Another interesting read is some of the Victoria Cross citations for the Gurkhas. One of the most impressive is this one:

http://tashuk.wordpress.com/2007/06/06/1114/

George MacDonald Fraser's book "Quartered Safe out Here" about his experience in Burma noted that after a charge by a Gurkha unit on a dug-in Japanese position, their Lee-Enfield rifles were all dropped about three yards from the Japanese pits. The Gurkhas had dropped them so they could go into the melee armed only with thier Kurkri knives.*



Sullivan013

*"Knife" is somewhat misleading. It's actually a glorified meat cleaver. Wielded by a Gurkha it's one of the world's deadliest weapons.

quote:

Originally posted by DMarkUhler:


I served with Gurkhas in Korea. They were some of the finest soldiers in the world.

I was at Yongsan Garrison where there were a few Gurkhas, arrived 4/69 and ETS 2/70. Where and when were you there?