MYTH OF THE GURKHA PERSONEL KUKRI CARRY PART TWO

[sirupate]

Jonathan; My Quote from Leutenant-Colonel H.J. Huxfords Official Regimenal history 8th GR; Is an accurate quote

However it does remain a mystery as to why they should pay one minute for their kukri and not the next? You can imagine the banter between the Gurkhas LOL

Also I had a great chat with Col. Horsford of the 8th Gurkha Rifles the other day and I asked him about Lt. Col. Huxfords statement; Col. Horsford "he wrote an excellent Regimental History of the 8th. But that doesn't seem right about the Gurkhas having to pay for their own kukri"
I then asked him if the 8th Gurkha's were issued kukri in WW1; Col. Horsford, "yes, absolutely"

Jonathan; its not a blanket statement meaning evry kukri at evry time & evry place was always payed for by the inlisted men! What makes you think its a blanket statement?

Where did you read that I did Jonathan?

Jonathan; After all I mentioned them making kukris out of found scrap in 1944, obviously they wernt paying for those either!

I should hope not Jonathan, good to see the battalion armourers making kukri when required, much like the 2/10 in WW1.

Jonathan; The above quote by myself is from. linky... There thats not difficult is it Simon

Already done here Jonathan

You want more free kukri knowledge from me Simon? O Well just this time.. kukri were first offcialy autherised for the 8th GR in 1881, before then they were always private purchase & carried unofficialy but obviosly sanctioned & allowed.

It is funny how you assume that Jonathan, indeed your quote I am sure is not deliberately misleading, but unless it comes with the full background it can be accidentley misleading.
1. The 1st Battalion were not 8th GR until 1903, and it wasn't until 1886 they even had Goorkha in their title, From 1864-1885 they were the 44th (Sylhet) Regiment of Bengal Native (Light) Infantry.
Certainley in the early period it could compromise of the following, A company could be Jats, Bcompany could be Hindustani Rajputs, C company could be Hillman from Nepal; and so on, so hardly a Gurkha unit by any means, indeed in 1881 in the 9th Bengal Native Infantry (later 9th GR), there were no Gurkha caste at all in the regiment!!!
2. The 2nd Battalion also didn't have Goorkha in it's title until 1886, when it was called 43rd Regiment Goorkha Light Infantry, and in 1907 the then 7th GR became the 2/8th GR! and 8th GR became the 1/8th GR!
3. Although as far back 1861 there was the 1st Goorkha Regiment (later 1st GR) and the 2nd Goorkha Regiment (later 2nd GR), even they were not avowedly Gurkha caste for a while. It was not until 1893 that the Bengal Army decided to fully convert the sixteen "Hindustani" Infantry Regiments into caste units!! Something that had been avowdley recommened by Captain Eden Vansittart of the 5th GR, for some time.
4. So the equiping of the 44th (Sylhet) Regiment of Bengal Native (Light) Infantry in 1881 with kukri, may be a reflection of the regiment becomming more avowedly Gurkha Caste?
5. This also fits in with Nepal becoming more co-operative in the recruitement of the then considered Gurkha castes (Gurung, Magar and Khas), although in the Treaty of Segauli they couldn't recruit from the Royal Bodygaurd. The Maharaja Sir Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana and General Chandra Shamsher then agreed in 1886 to co-operate fully with the recruitement of the then considered Gurkha Caste, although it was not until 1890 that the Rai and Limbu were enlisted, and that was in the 1st Regiment of Burma Infantry, which finally became the 10th GR in 1901.