Quote:
|
Originally Posted by sirupate
Regarding your quote Jonathan from , I can't imagine he would spell there instead of their?
|
The spelling mistake is certanly mine.
So first you say that Lt.Col.H.J. Huxford OBE Official Regimental history is wrong? Fascinating as he was the regiments Commanding Officer pre.ww2, Shame you besmirch such a Gurkha heros memory in this manner, rather than thinking any one man knows evrything.
Then you seem to accuse me of lying about what Leutenant-Colonel H.J. Huxford said in print Simon? Is that correct? {Please notice I havent said we only have your apparent memmory of what any gurkha officer may of said, are you sure there was no confusion there on your part?}
He also wrote a good piece about in 1944 them making there own kukris out of scrap.. .I have posted a quote about that for you before a couple of years ago.
Interesting "sikh"post card, please share a larger versian so we can read the regimental belt buckles in case the French postcard maker got the title wrong?
Why you quote Mohammad Hayats 1990 statement about seperating religions in 1941 British army I have no idea?
Hardly relevant to Army Bearer Corps that was disbanded or rather amalgamated into the Indian Hospital Corps on 01 June 1920.
For the good members of this forum I should point out this discusian followed Simon saying this kukri on ebay ," seems to have Armourey Markings on it that don't seem quite right."
I then pointed out on IKRHS that I have similar marked kukris collected many years ago & it now appears so do quite a few others, The markings are genuine.
Heres a few photos of this piece. The Quetta arsenal stamp appears to be rare as its the only one to date Ive come across. {For whats that's worth as Ive only had 15 to 20 mk.1s in my hands & seen maybee another c.60 or more in photos & many thousands were obviously originaly made.}
This upset Simon enough that he came out with this on his forum.
I have to question why a member of the 3rd company (10 in all, some were based in Quetta) Indian Army Bearer corps would be carrying a kukri? and why a *different scabbard to the original? Who were mainly made up of Kahars (loosley 'a bearer') and Dooley (a bit like a Palanquin, but not as good) bearers, they would have to be very low caste Nepalese to be working in that corp, at that time, certainley not Gurkha caste!!
So no reason to issue kukri, which was only done to rifleman upwards in appropriate fighting regiments anyway.
Some Simon allegse that the Army Bearer corps were all low caste coolies etc so therfore could not. be of Gurkha ancestry.
To that I say you should also read this as well...
"and Indians in South Africa, under
the leadership of Mr. M. K. Gandhi, Barrister
at Law, organised themselves into an Army
Bearer Corps. It was touching that men of
high caste and station in life should brush
aside their pride of race and standing, and
work in the humble capacity of coolies. But
as more than one Indian who was thus em-
ployed has said to me, they cheerfully carried
the wounded British soldiers from the field to
the hospitals as their contribution towards
Britain's success."
From SAINT NIHAL SINGH Author of "India's Fighting Troops," 1914 marston press.
& some photos of ABC kukris & Men.
Ive got the names & army records of over 1500 ABC ww1 personal, the were all creeds,colours ,religeons & castes. Some were of Gurkha ancestry. {Over 1000 of them cam from the War Graves Commisions records.].
Also Brave Nepali men who served & survivd like.
Jagan Nath
Corps: Army Bearer Corps
Regiment No: 44342
Rank: Bearer
Kanshi Ram
Corps: Army Bearer Corps
Regiment No: 3532
Rank: Bearer
Harak Bahadur
Corps: 2nd Army Bearer Corps
Regiment No: 224613
Rank: Bearer
etc. etc. These names clearly show descent from the Gurkha/Gorka castes.
& as Dr. Premsingh Basnyat (Ph.D) states on his website when talking about the jobs of Nepalese army units on loan to the British Indian army.
"The impending tasks given to the Nepalese army were :-
Stretcher Bearer,Military Police,Sentry Duty,Artillery crew."
Which means even the Gurka solders from the Nepalese army Battalions KALIBOX, PURANO GORAKH, DEVI DUTTA, KALI BAHADUR, BARDA BAHADUR, SUMSER DAL, JABAR JUNG, PASUPATI PRASAD, RAMDAL, SHER, SINMHANATH, MAHENDRADAL, NAYAN GORAKH, SABUJ AND BARAKH were not above the task of bieng strecher bearers. I figure its safe to say they were of Gurkha ancestry as after all they were in the Royal Nepal Army!
Not to mention
ABC is the official identifying abbreviation & marking code of the Indian Army Bearer Corps.This code is used on Army Documents,medals & issued equipment.
Heres a partial list. from "The Collector and Researcher's Guide to the Great War" by Howard Williamson.{courtesy of National Archives.}
A & N.Z. SIG. SQUN. AIF Australia & New Zealand Signal Squadron AIF AUS
A. CYC. CORPS Army Cyclist Corps G.B.
A. CYCLIST CORPS Army Cyclist Corps G.B.
A. EMP. COY. A.I.F. Army Employment Company AUS
A. GYM. ST. Army Gymnastic Staff G.B.
A. MULE DEPOT. Army Mule Department I
A. PROV. C.A.I.F. Army Provost Corps AIF AUS
A. & S. HIGHRS. Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders G.B.
A. & S.H. Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders G.B.
A.A.H.A.I.F. Australian Auxiliary Hospital AIF AUS
A.A.N.S. Army Auxiliary Nursing Service G.B.
A.A.N.S. Australian Army Nursing Service AUS
A.B. CPS. Army Bearer Corps I
A.B.C. Army Bearer Corps I