One thing that remains constant in the British Army is that of tradition. None more important than the one we have with the Gurkha’s of Nepal.

Ten years after

Robert Clive’s decisive victory at the Battle of Plassey in 1757 firmly established British supremacy in India, the British army came across bands of hill tribesmen who caused them severe problems. Because of boundary disputes and repeated raids by Gurkha columns into British territory, the Governor General declared war on Nepal in 1814.

Two long and bloody campaigns later, a Peace Treaty was signed at Sugauli in 1816. Part of this treaty allowed for large numbers of the tribesmen to become part of the British Army.

This was also due to the mutual feelings of admiration and respect that each had for the other side during these bloody battles where neither side would give ground. The Gurkha soldier displaying his many fighting qualities thus became the backbone of the army in the region.

The first regiments of Gurkha soldiers were formed all from the volunteers – As our comrades in arms they have ever since served with the British Army, and they have proved themselves repeatedly in all parts of the world to be our most trusted allies. Fighting shoulder to shoulder with our troops their bravery has never once been questioned or doubted. Gaining many battle honours and have many holders of our highest honours in their past and present ranks.

Today they still serve with distinction although due to military cut backs not as many Gurkha regiments remain.

Surprisingly enough until recently after retiring from the army they were not allowed to remain as residents in United Kingdom. Their pensions were much smaller than that which is paid to English soldiers.

There were campaigns working to give them these rights and right all the wrongs of the British political system, which denied them equality. These were not high profile campaigns and were getting nowhere fast. That was until an actress whose father had served with them in battle joined the fray. Joanna Lumley brought the plight of the Gurkha’s rights into the living room of the British public and refused to let the government sweep the case under the carpet as it had done for so many years.

Today thanks to the untiring efforts of many things have changed in May of 2010 the then Home Secretary Jacqui Smith made the announcement to the house of commons that all ex-Gurkha’s who have served more than 4 years in the British Army will have the right to settle in the UK if they wish. Being the government, they of course tried to renege on the decision but have since had to back down under pressure.

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Damp,misty and boggy.

The first requirement was a training area with terrain as close as possible to that of the Falklands. The army has a training area in the Brecon Beacons in Wales, and this provided a good foretaste of the boggy moorland of the Falklands. The Brecon beacons are also notorious for their damp,misty climate, which is very similar to that of the Falklands. Dartmoor was also considered ,but very rigorous restrictions are applied there governing the use of live ammunition, a limitation which does not apply to the same extent in the Breacon Beacons. Sennybridge ,part of the School pf Infantry ,is situated in the Breacon Beacons, and this provided an ideal administrative base. The area was studied on the ground to enable the planning of realistic exercises. At the same time, the units  within the Brigade prepared for the exercise, which meant everything from obtaining maps of the area,organizing rations and ammunition to recalling men on leave. it was hectic time for everyone.

Exercise Welsh Falcon.

On 21 April the units moved to the Breacon Beacons by road. During the next seven days of the aptly named Exercise Welsh Falcon the battalions carried out their own training.There was a minimum of super by Brigade headquarters,which was in the process of shaking itself out ,practising procedures,testing communications, and training up the additional staff who had been hurriedly called in to help. The gunners of the 4 Field Regiment Royal Artillery fired their 105mm light guns and practised gun deployment drills, including lifting them by helicopters. The sappers of the 9 Parachute Squadron Royal engineers brushed up their skills ,especially mine clearance. The Infantry battalions concentrated on three priorities. The first of these was physical fitness,not only because of the difficult terrain in the Falklands but also because being physically fit is essential to being an efficient and effective combat soldier. The remaining priorities were weapon handling which has taken up much training time while the troops were still in barracks, and  marksmanship. Every man had the opportunity to fire his weapon, whether it was sub machine gun or 81 mm mortar. Finally ,battle drills and tactics were practised. Starting at section level and working up through platoon and company, this gave commanders at all levels valuable training. It must be stressed ,however, that the troops were tackling nothing new but ,as with any skills, practice makes perfect. Understandably ,the Gurkha’s were at higher pitch of training at the outset since this was their normal role, but it was impressive how quickly the Guards ,many of whom only a few days before had been mounting guard in bearskins and red tunics in London, adapted to the unexpected situation in which they found themselves. Preparing for the worst . The second week of the exercise saw the Brigade in its new form,operating as a single unit for the first time.The scenario emphasized the worst Case situation, with 5 Bde actively involved in the recapture of the Falklands. Tactics given particular attention included the advance to contact ,the deliberate attack at battalion and brigade level, the quick attack at company level, patrolling ,and defence to cope with possible counter-attacks. The climax came with a heliborne assault involving most of the 24 available Pumas troop carrying helicopters. In addition to RAF Pumas, Army Air corps Scout and Gazelle helicopters were much in evidence in both attack and reconnaissance roles. Harriers from RAF Wittering and Jaguars from Coltishall mounted no less than 90 sorties a day,repenting both friendly and enemy air support. The media, which were starved of news on the progress of the Task Force ,were invited to attend a firepower demonstration which received wide coverage. An impressive barrage was put up by 105mm light guns and 81mm mortars while overhead fighters strafed target hulks with SNEB rockets. In reply to reporters questions the General Officer Commanding South-Est District, General Richard Trants,5Bde’s overall commander in peacetime, refused to drawn on whether or not the Brigade was to be sent to the South Atlantic . In fact no final decision had been reached. Nevertheless, it is clear that one aim of this publicity exercise was to help demonstrate to the Argentines that the British Lion still had some teeth and was prepared to use them.

But were they ready for the rain?.  The exercise finished on 3 May and the units returned to barracks to carry out their final preparations in readiness for the order to deploy to the South Atlantic. The exercise had done much to bind the Brigade together; it had concentrated the troops minds on what they might have to face in the South Atlantic and had gone some way towards developing the necessary procures and drills to ensure final victory. The time available for training had been limited and few members of the Brigade felt that at the end of it they were fully prepared. At least Welsh Falcon had highlighted the weak areas, and there would be time enough on the long voyage south to work on these. Only the weather had proved a problem. For much of the time the troops had exercised in glorious spring sunshine, rather than the hope -for mist ,wind and rain..Nevertheless the men who embarked on the QE2 on 12 of May did so with a new confidence. Days went by without food supplies getting through. The food was there ,in huge quantities, in the depots .The men at the depots ate well ,while a few miles away,men starved. Santiago I went two and a half days without eating, without even tasting a single thing. when a little food did arrive it was cold and watery. Some of the kids were so hungry that they sucked the rotten bones of cows that had been dead for over a month. It made me sick. the cows had died a long time before just after we arrived. They had been killed treading on mines. Interviewer In the face of such suffering were there boys who simply resigned themselves to the situation?. Santiago yes .Some said : May god  will be done If god wants to take me away, he will take me away. Others shot themselves in the foot and had to be taken to hospital. One lad I knew shot himself in the right foot, but the bullet passed between his toes and only grazed them. He was put on trial. Others got hold of rotten onions and ate them until they were ill, so that they would be taken to hospital. There  was always some kind of misfortune . On one occaasion a piece of meat a sergeant had hung up was stolen. When he found out who did it the sergeant beat him and stretched and pegged him to the ground. He did  everything to him and after not feeding him for two or three days sent him to the front line, where he fell asleep on guard duty. That lad had given up, and when asked by the corporal why he was behaving so irresponsibly ,he answered; “I don’t want to know another thing. Do you know what I want? i want a plane to come and blow me into shitty little bits. I’ve already asked the sergeant to kill me.” ‘Santiago was from a poor family in the north east of Argentina lived in the same trench from 13 April two days after his arrival in the Falklands until the retaking of the islands by the British. The Falklands are famous for their sheep and some fifty of them were stolen by one staving conscript during the Argentine occupation. The regular soldigers were seasoned troops and fare well during the campaign. Not for them the privations of the young conscripts who were beaten ,tortured and sometime shot by their own officers and NCOs. Fabian It was the worst night of my life . I spent the whole night trembling praying that we wouldn’t be found that a grenade wouldn’t hit us. At first grenades were exploding all around us and then by the sound of the voices that grew louder we could tell that the English army was moving off . The hours went by. We were still flat out on the ground and we didn’t say a single word. There was one moment when we almost died of fright. Some English ,running past and shouting passed right over our heads. They trod on the roof of our position,but somehow didn’t discover us. I thought I was going to die. My heart felt like it was going to explode. Dawn came .we thought we were the only survivors from the whole company .We had no idea what happened to the rest. We began to talk in whispers . What do we do now? we asked each other. if we get out maybe they’ll kill us. Eventually we decided  that we couldn’t hide forever . We got out of the trench with our hands above our heads . I saw the light again it was a sunny day. After the British Victory ,Guillermo and his comrades had to return to Port Stanley to wait for a passage back to Argentina as prisoners of war. The island’s capital harboured some bitter surprises.

George Thomas Saviel

25 October 2009

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From man’s earliest days the blade has been the basic form of weapon whether for hunting, defence or warfare. For close combat and ceremonial occasions it is still in use today: the dress sword of the mounted officer or the bayonet of the infantry. If you are lucky enough to be Knighted you may even get a tap on the shoulders by the British Queen with a ceremonial sword.

I would like to make it clear at this point, that this article takes no stance on the use of weaponry.

My own beliefs and convictions are not included here. This is a look at some of the non standard, more interesting and curious forms that blades have taken, with historical, geographic and cultural differences. I use the term blade because some of the forms shown cannot be described as knives or swords.

1. The Kukri

   

   Some readers may be surprised to find that the image shown is actually modern British army issue. It is issued to one of the most feared units in the British army: the Gurkhas.

   It is their weapon of choice in close combat, rather than the bayonet.

   The story of the Gurkhas is a long and historically complicated one.

   Succinctly: Gurkhas hail from Nepal which was part of India. In its Empire building days, Britain made India one of its colonies. The Gurkhas were seen as brave and heroic fighters who were recruited into the colonial Indian army as a “Martial Race”, a term which meant that they were not classed as mercenaries.

   With the independence of India in 1947 four regiments became part of the British army. Prior to this they have fought in both World Wars and latterly were part of the forces that in the 1980’s defeated the Argentine army in the Falklands and also served in the Middle East.

   The Kukri shown above is the standard army issue with karda and chakmak.

   Traditionally the blade is 12-15 inches (30-38cm) long. The karda is a small accessory blade used for many tasks. The chakmak is unsharpened and is used to burnish the blade. It can also be used to start a fire with flint.

2. The Shamshir

   

   The Shamshir is a sabre that is part of the scimitar group of swords.

   Originating in Persia in the 16th century, it was the weapon of the Persian cavalry.

   Somewhat unwieldy and inaccurate in a thrusting stabbing motion, its strength was in its slashing ability. The curved blade which made it unwieldy for thrusting made it dynamic for a downward slashing movement, normally against un-armoured foot opponents. One writer said that “bright shamshirs which fell on the head cleft men to the waist.”

3. The Khanda

   

   The Khanda is a straight, heavy double edged Indian sword

   This example clearly shows that the weapon is broader towards the tip than half way down the blade, complete with spike at the base of the handle. Because of its size and weight, this again was a weapon that was more useful for slashing and hacking rather than a stabbing movement.

   It is mainly associated with the Sikhs, Marathas and other clans of the Kshatriya warrior class of India. It is also used in Sikh martial arts.

4. The Quoit

   

   The quoit, surely this is a ring of rope used by passengers on luxury liners in days gone by in deck games, or perhaps the ring used in Hoopla on the funfair?

   These pastimes of idling away time do not have much to do with reality.

   The reality was that the quoit was a solid razor sharp ring of thin steel used by the Sikhs of India. (The example above is actually inlaid with gold

   
   Image sourceSikhs with chakrams, 1844

   The quoit also known as a Chakram measured anything between 5-12 inches (13-30cm)

   This weapon was thrown at the enemy. It was released either vertically in an underarm throw to fall under it own weight on the heads of opponents, or would be twirled around the index finger raised above the head and released.

   It is said that in the right hands it could kill a man at 80 paces.

5. The Kora

   

   A somewhat rare and fierce weapon, the Kora served as part axe and part sword.

   This Indo/Nepal weapon was used for fighting and for sacrifice.

6. The Tang

   

   A tang on a knife or sword is that part that will be enclosed by the handle.

   This is probably how the weapon got its name. At first glance it appears as if the pointed part is like the tang waiting to have the handle fitted with the parts to right and left being hand guards.

   The tang shown is actually 58cm long and 65 cm wide (23 and 26 inches)

   This is actually a “pole arm”. A shaft fits into the opening in the bottom left.

   It derives from China in the 19th century and consists of a 13cm (5 inch) spear type point with two 33cm (13 inch) blades either side.

   This type of weapon was used by police forces or others who needed to keep crowds in order.

7. The Ayda Katti

   

   The Ayda Katti is the national sword of the Coorg of Malabar, the South West coastal area of India.

   It is one of the rarest swords in the Indian arsenal and of a very peculiar shape. It is single edged and is reminiscent of a scythe or other farming agricultural tool. However it is a real weapon and a deadly one in experienced hands.

   The blade of this one is 38cm (15 inches) long and 10cm (4 inches) wide at its widest point with a massive steel bolster.

8. The Katar

   

   The Katar, shown in the introduction, is a short punching sword from India. The hand fitted into the grip so that the blade was above the knuckles. It was a weapon used by the Rajput, referred to as “the most valiant warriors of the Indian sub continent.”

   Used in close combat the blades were said to be able to punch through armour.

   The fascinating example above incorporates two small pistols alongside the hand grip. this was used by the Maharatti cavalry. An earlier example of this pistol weapon did not have triggers but was fired by squeezing together the two “swallow tails” at the back, which was attached to the firing mechanism.

9. The Badek

   

   The Badek (or Badik) is a knife from Java, Indonesia. It is characterized by its single edge blade with straight back and up-curving edge, and the pistol grip shape handle.

   It measures from 20 to 40 cm in length (8-16 inches)

   It sometimes features in Silat Melayu – martial arts from the countries around the Malay Archipelago.

10. The Kris

    

    The Kris or Keris is a dagger that originates from Indonesia and Malaysia.

    The Glenbow museum describes them “Kris knives with decorative scabbards are used throughout Indonesia as weapons and ritual objects, and are part of men’s ceremonial attire. The wavy iron blade of the knife represents a snake in movement and is thought to have power to protect its owner.”

    In the past disputes were settled with this double edged dagger. The more people it killed the more valuable it became.

    There was a superstition that it should not be drawn in the presence of the person who gave it to the owner.

    The kris was also supposed to have a spirit that could be good or bad. The same weapon may be bad for one person but good for another.

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