Letter from the Chairman

Well, I hope that you all feel that we fared better in 2021 than in 2020; but sadly, we still had a number of deaths among our veterans and our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and friends who will still be feeling their great loss. On a brighter note, we also had quite a few new Members who joined the Association and I would like to offer them a particularly warm welcome.

Our own year started with a new life in the family with our youngest daughter giving birth to our granddaughter, a really special moment and a reminder how wonderful life can be. Similarly, life has returned to the Association with a number of very successful events during the year. The first presentation on “Slim, the Gurkha Officer” by John Mackinlay, Ray Pett and Bob Couldrey finally took place at the Gurkha Museum in June and was a resounding success. It was made even more special by the attendance of 10 members of the Slim Family, including the current Viscount, Mark Slim. Two further presentations took place to great acclaim and this now forms part of the Museum’s digital archive as well as being the subject of an article in this Journal. Christopher Bullock also gave a superb digital presentation describing some of his experiences as a company commander in Borneo on Claret Operations, told with his usual delightful understatement.

It was also Christopher who alerted us to the intention of the Great Western Railway (GWR) to name one of their new high-speed trains after Tulbahadur Pun VC as one of a number of World War 2 heroes to be honoured. A group from the Association, the Gurkha Brigade Association (GBA) and the Gurkha Welfare Trust, plus Tulbahadur’s daughter and son gathered at a very noisy working Paddington Station for the short but lovely ceremony to name the train. This included a stirring speech by Joanna Lumley, who we were extremely pleased to congratulate more recently on being made a Dame in the New Year’s Honours List to the delight of everyone connected to the Association and the Welfare Trust. So, if you are travelling on GWR, do look out for the train and check out the small crossed kukris around the name.

Another event where I was privileged to represent our Association was the unveiling of the statue of Kulbir Thapa VC in Princess Gardens in Aldershot. This was a wonderful occasion, the culmination of an extraordinary effort by the Nepali Communities in the Aldershot and Farnborough area to raise the finance and with our own Gary Ghale playing the key role of Project Manager and Biru Thapa as a committee member. Kulbir was the first Gurkha to be awarded a Victoria Cross and it was for an extraordinary rescue of a British soldier during a battle in World War I. The statue is a most beautiful sculpture and demonstrates the strong links between the Gurkha and the British soldier and by extension between the people of Britain and the people of Nepal.

Thankfully, in 2021 the GBA events in November, including the Remembrance events were able to take place. Viscount Slim kindly joined us for the Field of Remembrance and the laying of wreaths at the Slim and Gurkha statues in Whitehall. The Cenotaph March and the service at the Chautara in the National Arboretum were also held but were not well attended and I would like to urge all Members, who are able to join us, to attend one or the other. We were also able to hold our own Service of Remembrance in Winchester Cathedral, our Association Annual General Meeting and our Reunion on 20 November. These were really well attended, and the Reunion was the most relaxed and happy event, where we were able to welcome a number of guests: Charles and Becky Russell from C (Mogaung) Company RGR, Peter Williams, who has weaved his magic as Designer of our Journal for the last nine years and Robert LlewellynSmith, whose great uncle, Duncan Lloyd briefly commanded 1/6 GR after Sari Bair. Robert has recently produced a fascinating book of letters covering the era which we are hoping to see in print. The Reunion also contained a couple of lovely surprises.

The Chairman and friends at the unveiling of the Kulbir Thapa VC statue, Aldershot.

The AGM included a final report from Mike Channing on the development of our Memorial Project. Wonderful progress had been made, despite the immense difficulties caused by Covid, leading to a firm and final plan which we all felt sure would deliver an outstanding memorial to the Regiment, sited in Pokhara. We are all extremely grateful to Mike and his teams in both UK and Nepal for their unstinting efforts over a long period. The request for donations is circulating as I write and I urge all Members to give as generously as they possibly can to facilitate this wonderful project being completed in the year of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee.

A further initiative discussed at the AGM was the proposed Information Legacy or Archive Project. Given that none of us are getting any younger and that it is 27 years since the last officer and soldier joined 6 GR, it was felt that we should consider what legacy of information we wished to leave to posterity. It was unanimously agreed that this was an important issue and that we should strive to create the best and most comprehensive legacy of information. Consequent on this decision, Brian O’Bree has kindly agreed to chair a small committee to implement the Project, but it is vital to spread the workload and he will be looking for volunteers from the Association to take on specific tasks. Please look at the separate notice below and get involved.

Looking forward; we are hoping for a full programme of events in 2022. I am hoping to join our Nepal Branch in March for their Annual Reunion as well as visiting other centres in Nepal. I had also hoped to visit our veterans in Darjeeling and Dehradun, but Covid restrictions currently prevent

this. We also have a small group visiting Medicina in April to celebrate the liberation of the town by 2/6 GR and the 14/20 King’s Hussars. This is the visit that we arranged two years ago which sadly had to be postponed because of the Covid outbreak. The Gurkha Brigade Bhela is scheduled for 9 July in Aldershot and the Association will have a tent, so please come and join us for the main Gurkha event of the year to meet former and serving soldiers and officers; it really is a great day out. In September we will have our own All Ranks Reunion in Farnborough which is arguably the best and most important event in our Regiment’s annual calendar. Do make an effort to join us; it is so good to catch up with so many old friends over a beer and a delicious bhat. Lastly, our AGM and Reunion is set for 19 November in Winchester and everyone is welcome. In conclusion, I would like to thank our committee, particularly Rick Beven, our Journal Editor; Anne Griffith for managing the family news; James Herbert for supporting and improving our web site and lastly David Bredin, our Honorary Secretary, who I believe has done an outstanding job keeping us informed and up to date as well as representing our interests. Finally, my sincere thanks to you our Members for your support and good fellowship, making the Association the wonderful organisation that it is and continues to be. Jai Sixth!

In his letter, our Chairman has mentioned the Association’s Information Legacy Project which was strongly endorsed at the last AGM. In preparation for this, we ask all members to consider what papers, diaries, photographs, and cine or video footage of historical significance that they or their relatives may have. It may be in an old suitcase gathering dust in the attic, or in long-forgotten albums in the bottom of some cupboard, but could be added to the 6 GR archive in The Gurkha Museum. Copies of originals can be made.

Do you have unwanted copies of any old Association Journals and the Gurkha Brigade annual Kukri journals? We want these too please for digitising purposes.

If you think you have something which would enable future generations and historians to better understand the life in, and exploits of, the 6th Gurkha Rifles and those who served with it please contact Brian O’Bree either by email at brianobree@gmail.com or by phone on 07733 296 588.