1 Gorkha Rifles
Regimental Insignia of the 1GR
Active	1815 - Present
Country	India
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Size	5 Battalions
Regimental Centre	Subathu, Himachal Pradesh
Motto	Kafar Hunu Bhanda Marnu Ramro (Better to die than live like a coward)
War Cry	Ayo Gorkhali (The Gorkhas are here)
Anniversaries	Raising Day (April 24)
Decorations	1 Param Vir Chakra, 7 Maha Vir Chakras, 16 Vir Chakras, 1 Kirti Chakra, 3 Shaurya Chakras, 1 Yudh Seva Medal and 22 Sena Medals
Battle honours	Post Independence Kalidhar and Darsana The Indian Army is the largest branch of the Armed Forces of India and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations. ... Map of Himachal Himachal Pradesh   (Hindi: हिमाचल प्रदेश, IPA: ), formerly the Punjab Hill States, is a mostly mountainous state in northern India. ... The Param Vir Chakra is an Indian military decoration given for valour in combat operations. ... The Maha Vir Chakra medal The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) is the second highest military decoration in India and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. ... Vir Chakra is an Indian gallantry award presented for acts of bravery in the battle field. ... Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. ... Sena Medal Awarded to members of the army, of all ranks, for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army. ... A battle honour is a military tradition practiced in the Commonwealth countries of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand and is an official acknowledgement rewarded to military units for their achievements in specific wars or operations of a military campaign. ...
Insignia
Regimental Insignia	A pair of crossed Khukris with the numeral 1 above
Tartan	Childers (1st Bn pipe bags and plaids) Mackenzie HLI (2nd Bn pipe bags and plaids)

The 1 Gorkha Rifles is a Regiment of the Indian Army and was transferred from the British Indian Army at the time of India's independence in 1947. Khukri knife and sheath The khukri is a knife, the national weapon and forestry tool of Nepal. ... The Indian Army is the largest branch of the Armed Forces of India and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations. ... A group of native Indian muslim soldiers posing for volley firing orders. ...

History

The Regiment was first raised in 1815 in the form of two Nusseree (or Nasiri) battalions during the Gurkha War 1814 - 1816. This article is in need of attention. ...

The Regiment soon saw its first battle when, in 1826, it took part in the Jat War where it helped in the conquest of Bhurtpore, gaining it as a Battle Honour, the first Battle Honour awarded to the Gurkha units. In 1846 the First Anglo-Sikh War began and the Regiment was heavily involved in the conflict. It was awarded two Battle for its involvement in the war; at the Battle of Aliwal which saw the Sikh forces, who had invaded British India thus provoking the war, routed by the British forces and at Sobraon which saw the Sikh forces resoundingly defeated. A battle honour is a military tradition practiced in the Commonwealth countries of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand and is an official acknowledgement rewarded to military units for their achievements in specific wars or operations of a military campaign. ... The First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–1846), resulted in partial subjugation of the Sikh kingdom by the British East India Company. ... Combatants Great Britain Sikhs Commanders Sir Harry Smith Runjoor Singh The Battle of Aliwal was fought on January 28, 1846 between the British and the Sikhs. ... A Sikh (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is an adherent of Sikhism. ... British India (otherwise known as The British Raj) was a historical period during which most of the Indian subcontinent, or present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, were under the colonial authority of the British Empire (Undivided India). ... The Battle of Sobraon was fought on February 10, 1846 between British forces and the Sikhs. ...

The Regiment experienced numerous names changes during the 1800s; one name change in 1850 saw it gain a new numerical designation to become the 66th Goorkha Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry after the original 66th had mutinied. The Regiment saw service during the Indian Mutiny which began in 1857. The following year Lieutenant John Adam Tytler won the Regiment's first Victoria Cross (VC) for the Lieutenant's actions against rebels at Choorpoorah. An engraving titled Sepoy Indian troops dividing the spoils after their mutiny against British rule gives a contemporary view of events from the British perspective. ... John Adam Tytler (VC, CB) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ...

In 1861 the Regiment gained its present numeral when it became the 1st Goorkha Regiment. In 1875 the Regiment was sent abroad for the first time, when it took part in the effort to quell a rebellion in Malaya during the Perak War. During the conflict Captain George Nicolas Channer was awarded the Victoria Cross for his valiant actions against the Malayans. The Regiment took part in the Second Afghan War in 1878 where they were part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade and won the Theatre Honour "Afghanistan 1878-80". Map of Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia (Malay: Semenanjung Malaysia) is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. ... The Perak War (1875-1876) took place between British and local forces in Perak, a state in northwestern Malaysia. ... George Nicolas Channer (VC, CB) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... ...

In 1886 the Regiment became the 1st Goorkha Light Infantry and a 2nd Battalion was raised in February. In 1891 the Regiment was designated a Rifle regiment when it became the 1st Gurkha (Rifle) Regiment and in consequence of this the Regiment's Colours were laid up; Rifle regiments by tradition did not possess Colours. The Regiment took part in operations in Burma and the North-West Frontier campaigns in the 1890s; at Waziristan in 1894 and the Tirah campaign in 1897. It has been suggested that Break action be merged into this article or section. ... A colour is a name for certain kinds of flags. ... The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP)-(also known as, Subha Sarhad)- is the smallest of the four provinces of Pakistan and is home to the Pashtuns (Afghans) and various other groups. ... Waziristan location map A flag used by a resistance movement in Waziristan against the British during the 1930s, with the Takbir written on it. ... Tirah is a mountainous tract of country in the west-central North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan. ...

In 1901 its title was shortened when it became the 1st Gurkha Rifles and in 1903 its title was changed to the 1st Gurkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment). This title had been adopted to commemorate due to the significance of Malaun to the Regiment; it was where the British had decisively beaten the Gurkhas in 1815 during the Anglo-Gurka War and subsequently recruited them into the Nusseree battalions. The Regiment suffered greatly during the Kangra earthquake that happened on 4 April 1905, the Regiment was located near Dharamsala when the earthquake occurred; the earthquake killed 370,000 people with the Regiment itself suffering over 60 fatalities. The Gurkha War (1814-1816), also known as the Anglo-Nepalese War, was fought between the British Empire and the Kingdom of Nepal. ... Kangra is a town in Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh state in northern India, and lends its name to the district of the same name. ... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Dharamsala is also the archaic name for a gurdwara, a Sikh temple. ...

In 1906 its title was changed to the 1st Prince of Wales's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment) in honour of HRH George, Prince of Wales (later King George V) who also became Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment that year. In 1910 King George V ascended to the throne and in consequence the title of the regiment was changed to the 1st King George's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment), thus maintaining the Regiment's links with King George. George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 - 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, as a result of his creating it from the British branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ...

First World War

In August 1914 the First World War began; the United Kingdom, France and its Allies against Germany and its Allies. Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Franz...

The 1st Battalion was deployed to France (Western Front) in December that year as-part of the Sirhind Indian Infantry Brigade, 3rd (Lahore) Division. The Battalion quickly began its participation in the Western Front campaign when they took part in the defence of Givenchy in December during the Winter which was no-doubt a culture shock to the Gurkhas. Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World Wars to describe the contested armed frontier between lands controlled by Germany to the East and the Allies to the West. ... Battle of Givenchy (December 18-22,1914) was a battle fought during World War I the saw an initially advancing British force face strong opposition and counter-attack from a solidly entrenched German force around the village of Givenchy. ...

On 10 March 1915 the Battalion took part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle which lasted until 13 March. In April the Battalion took part in the Second Battle of Ypres, fighting in the subsidiary Battle of St. Julien which began on 24 April and concluded on 4 May. Later that month the Battalion took part in the Battle of Festubert and in September the Battle of Loos began, the last major engagement on the Western Front that the 1st Battalion took part in. March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (70th in leap years). ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Battles of Neuve Chapelle and Artois was a battle in the First World War. ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... Combatants France United Kingdom Australia Canada Newfoundland German Empire Commanders Horace Smith-Dorrien Albrecht of Württemberg Strength 8 infantry divisions 7 infantry divisions Casualties 70,000 dead, wounded, or missing 35,000 dead, wounded, or missing The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used chemical weapons... Combatants France United Kingdom Canada Newfoundland German Empire Commanders Horace Smith-Dorrien Albrecht of Württemberg Strength 8 infantry divisions 7 infantry divisions Casualties 70,000 dead, wounded, or missing 35,000 dead, wounded, or missing The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used chemical weapons on... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... Battle of Festubert was an attack by the British army on the Ypres salient of the western front during World War I. It began on May 15, 1915 and continued until May 25. ... The Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. The battle was the British component of the combined Anglo-French offensive known as the Second Battle of Artois. ...

In December 1915 the Battalion, with the rest of the 3rd Division, arrived in Mesopotamia to take part in the campaign against the Ottomans which had begun in 1914. The Sirhind Brigade was given a numerical designation, the 8th Brigade. In 1916 the 1st Gurkhas took part in a number of attempts, including the attack on Dujaila Redoubt in March, to relieve the siege of Kut-al-Amara, besieged by the Ottomancs since 7 December 1915, but those attempts failed and Kut was surrendered to the Ottomans on 29 April. The Regiment took part in the Allied Offensive against the Ottomans later that year; this included the effort to recapture Kut, begun in December, which was recaptured in February 1917 and the capital Baghdad which was taken the following month. Mesopotamia refers to the region now occupied by modern Iraq, eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and Southwest Iran. ... The Mesopotamian Campaign was a theater of the First World War fought between Allied forces represented by British and Anglo-Indian troops, and Central forces of the Ottoman Empire. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... Combatants Britain, British India Ottoman Empire Commanders General Townshend Baron von der Goltz†, Khalil Pasha Strength 30,000 50,000 Casualties 23,000 10,000 The Siege of Kut-al-Amara (December 7, 1915 – April 29, 1916) was part of the Mesopotamian Campaign in World War I. The British Mesopotamian... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... Baghdad (Arabic ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ...

The 1st Battalion was later moved to Palestine in early 1918. It was involved in the effective Allied offensive against the Ottomans in September, the Battle of Megiddo, and also saw action at the Sharon. Map of the British Mandate of Palestine. ... Combatants British Empire Australia India New Zealand United Kingdom France Arab insurgents Ottoman Empire German Empire Commanders Edmund Allenby Otto Liman von Sanders Strength 12,000 mounted troops 57,000 infantry 540 guns 3,000 mounted troops 32,000 infantry 402 guns Casualties 782 killed 382 missing 4,179 wounded...

Elsewhere the Regiment also saw service in the North-West Frontier of India. In 1917 a 3rd Battalion was raised and was eventually disbanded in 1921.

The war formally ended on 11 November 1918 with the signing of the Armistice. The Western Front was a completely different location to what the Regiment had been used to in the sub-continent, however, they acquitted themselves commendably, and performing with distinction in the many battles they took part in, proving the capability of the Gurkhas once more. The Regiment won 11 Battle Honours and 4 Theatre Honours during WWI. November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... A white flag is traditionally used to represent a truce. ... A subcontinent is a large part of a continent. ...

In 1919 the 1st and 2nd battalions saw service during the Third Afghan War for which they gained the Theatre Honour "Afghanistan 1919". The Rise of Dost Mohammad It was not until 1826 that the energetic Dost Mohammad was able to exert sufficient control over his brothers to take over the throne in Kabul, where he proclaimed himself amir. ...

Second World War

In 1937 the Regiment's name was altered slightly when it became the 1st King George V's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment); the only change being the addition of a V.

In September 1939 the Second World War commenced between the UK and its allies against Germany. In December 1941 the Japanese entered the war when it launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and launched a number of swift invasions of British and other countries territories. During the course of the war the Regiment raised a further three battalions, the 3rd in 1940, the 4th in 1941 and the 5th in 1942; the Regiment saw much service in the war but most notably in Malaya and Burma. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Husband Kimmel (USN), Walter Short (USA) Chuichi Nagumo (IJN), Mitsuo Fuchida (IJNAS), Shigekazu Shimazaki (IJNAS) Strength 8 battleships, 8 cruisers, 29 destroyers, 9 submarines, ~50 other ships, ~390 planes 6 aircraft carriers, 9 destroyers, 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 8...

The Regiment saw ferocious fighting during the Japanese invasion of Malaya; the 2nd Battalion, part of the 28th Brigade, saw heavy fighting at Jitra where the Battalion eventually fled in panic at Asun having being confronted by overwhelming Japanese forces which included tanks. The 1st Battalion saw action at Kampar and were absolutely mauled by the Japanese during an engagement at the Slim River Bridge on the 7 January. The Allies had withdrawn from Malaya, to Singapore, by January 1942. The Japanese subsequently launched an invasion of Singapore and bitter fighting ensued; Singapore, which had once been perceived as impregnable, fell on the 15 February 1942 with 130,000 British, Australian and Empire troops, including men of the 2nd Battalion, taken prisoner by the Japanese. Kampar is a town in the state of Perak, Malaysia. ... January 7 is the seventh day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... February 15 is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ...

In Burma, a similar situation occurred, the Allies having to - having come under intense attacks from the Japanese who had began their offensive in December - commence a retreat to India from February 1942 which was completed in May. The battalions of the Regiment saw heavy fighting in 1944 in the Arakan and during the Japanese offensive against north-east India where two important battles, Kohima and Imphal, took place from March to June 1944. Imphal was besieged by the Japanese until the Allies achieved a decisive victory at Kohima in June and the Japanese fled back into Burma. The Regiment subsequently took part in the successful Allied offensive into Burma and on the 3 May the Burmese capital Rangoon was liberated by British forces. There were still Japanese forces present in Burma but the fight against the Japanese was now ostensibly a mopping up operation. Arakan is a state in the North Western part of Myanmar, formerly Burma. ... The Battle of Kohima was a battle of the Burma Campaign in World War II, fought around the town of Kohima in northeast India from April 4 to June 22, 1944. ... The Battle of Imphal took place in Manipur district of North East India from April until June 1944. ... Imphal is the capital of Manipur, India. ... Kohima is the hilly capital of Indias north eastern border state of Nagaland which shares its borders with Burma. ... May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (124th in leap years). ... Yangôn, formerly Rangoon, population 4,504,000 (2001), is the capital of Myanmar. ...

The war concluded with the formal surrender of Japan on 2 September 1945 on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay; the Allies had prevailed after nearly 6 years of fighting. In French Indochina that same day the Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh, declared their independence from France as the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Shortly afterwards the British began to send units of the 20th Indian Infantry Division, which the 1st and 3rd Battalions were part of, to occupy the south of the country while the Nationalist Chinese occupied the north; the deployment was completed by October. The force was intended to disarm the Japanese forces and help in their repatriation back to Japan. The force, however, soon became embroiled in the fight against the Viet Minh and was soon helping in the restoration of French-control over the country. The British were, due to a lack of sufficient manpower, ironically forced to have the Japanese forces working alongside the British forces in Indochina to maintain peace and stability. The operations against the Viet Minh gradually became more intense and after substantial French reinforcements arrived the British and Indian forces departed by May 1946, and the Indochina War would begin shortly afterwards. September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Radars: AN/SPS-49 Air Search Radar AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar Fire control: 4 × Mk 37 Gun Fire Control 2 × Mk 38 Gun Director 1 × Mk 40 Gun Director EW: AN/SLQ-32 Other: AN/SLQ-25 NIXIE Decoy System 8 × Super Rapid Bloom Rocket Launchers (SRBOC) Armor... Tokyo Bay from space Tokyo Bay ) is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. ... French Indochina was a federation of protectorates in Southeast Asia, part of the French colonial empire. ... The Viet Minh (abbreviated from Việt Nam ộc Lập ồng Minh Hội, League for the Independence of Vietnam) was formed by Ho Ngoc Lam and Nguyen Hai Than in 1941 to seek independence for Vietnam from France. ... Hồ Chí Minh   (Chu nho: 胡志明, May 19, 1890 – September 2, 1969) was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman, who later became Prime Minister (1946–1955) and President (1955–1969) of North Vietnam. ... The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (Vietnamese Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was founded by Ho Chi Minh and was recognized by China and the USSR in 1950. ... The Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist Party of China (Traditional Chinese: 中國國民黨; Simplified Chinese: 中国国民党; pinyin: Zhōngguó Guómíndǎng; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo Kuo-min-tang; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongguo Guomindang; literally the National Peoples Party of China... The Indochina War was an almost thirty year war in Vietnam between 1946 and 1975, affecting the three Indochinese nations, namely Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. ...

From September 1945 the 7th Indian Infantry Division, which the 4th Battalion was part of, was deployed to Siam (now Thailand) as part of an occupation force sent there to disarm the large Japanese forces present. The Battalion subsequently moved to Malaya in 1946 and then onto India. For the country formerly called Siam see Thailand SIAM is an acronym for Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. ...

The three battalions were raised during the war - the 3rd, 4th and 5th - were disbanded in 1946.

1 Gorkha Rifles

The Regiment, in consequence of the Tripartite Agreement between India, Nepal and the UK, was transferred to the Army of the newly-independent India. The Regiment retained its name until 1950 when it became the 1 Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment), also adopting the Indian spelling of Gurkha, following India's transition to a republic. The regiment remains in existence and is comprised of 5 battalions. In 1961 Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria won the posthumous Param Vir Chakra (PVC), the Indian equivalent of the Victoria Cross, for his actions in the Congo when the 3rd Battalion, of which he was part, was on United Nations service. This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary using the Transwiki process. ... Gurkha, also spelt as Gorkha, are people from Nepal who take their name from the eighth century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath. ... Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, was born on 29 November 1935, in Gurdaspur, Punjab . ... The Param Vir Chakra is an Indian military decoration given for valour in combat operations. ... The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ...

Battle honours

• Bhurtpore, Aliwal, Sobraon, Afghanistan 1878-80, Tirah, Punjab Frontier
• The Great War: Givenchy 1914, Neuve Chapelle, Ypres 1915, St. Julien, Festubert 1915, Loos, France and Flanders 1914-15, Megiddo, Sharon, Palestine 1918, Tigris 1916, Kut al Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1916-18, N.W. Frontier India 1915-17
• Afghanistan 1919
• The Second World War: Jitra, Kampar, Malaya 1941-42, Shenam Pass, Bishenpur, Ukhrul, Myinmu Bridgehead, Kyaukse 1945, Burma 1942-45
• Kalidhar, Jammu and Kashmir 1965, Darsana, Jammu and Kashmir 1971, East Pakistan 1971

Valour Awards

• Victoria Cross
  • John Adam Tytler
• Param Vir Chakra
  • Gurbachan Singh Salaria

Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ... John Adam Tytler (VC, CB) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... The Param Vir Chakra is an Indian military decoration given for valour in combat operations. ... Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, was born on 29 November 1935, in Gurdaspur, Punjab . ...

See Also

• Gorkha regiments (India)
• Indian Army
• British Indian Army

Gorkha regiments have been serving in the Indian Army ever since independence in 1947, when the Tripartite Agreement was signed. ... The Indian Army is the largest branch of the Armed Forces of India and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations. ... A group of native Indian muslim soldiers posing for volley firing orders. ...

Links

Bharat-Rakshak