Some replies to my questions to the 2nd GR historian

[sirupate]

Dear Colonel D. Wood (2nd GR Historian and serving Officer in WW2),

1. Regarding WW2
A. Was the Regiment responsible for the supply of Kukri to the men?
Answer; “No, not the regiment, the kukris were provided by army contract, indented for by the battalion QM, and supplied by him to the soldiers as required. We held a condemnation parade every month at which the soldiers could show their badly worn clothing and damaged personal equipment (of which the *kukri was part), and have them exchanged for new ones.”
*The Gurkhas were only issued one kukri
B. If the Regiment did get the kukri, did they use the Lohar in Dehra Dun area?
Answer; “No; I don’t believe so.”
C. Do you remember the style of kukri that was issued?
Answer; “As far as I recollect, plain steel, fairly slim blade with plain wooden handle, which had a retaining plate at the top. One skinning knife and one sharpening steel, both with wood handles. Sometimes (the scabbard) worn under a khaki-drill cloth cover, or in the case of Burma olive-green-drill cloth.”
D. Was the Regiment responsible ensuring re-supply of kukri, for when rifleman needed a new one?
Answer; Ref; 1A
E. Were the kukri issued during WW2 always of the same type, or due to re-supply problems were different types issued at different times?
Answer; “Of similar design and size for everyone, I think. But the kukris would have been more or less hand-made by the Lohars working for the contractors supplying the Army and so they probably all varied slightly. I have *two, both similar to the one you show.”
*Like Major General Mike Callan, Colonel Wood used his kukri for gardening.

2. Regarding WW2
A. Did the Officers in your Battalion use issued kukri, like Major General Mike Callan?
Answer; “Yes”
B. Did you use an issued kukri?
Answer; “Yes”
C. Or like Captain McCalla in 1 GR did you have one made for you by the armourer?
Answer; “No”
D. Or like JPX did you not carry one?
Answer; “I usually carried one on operations in India, Malaya and Borneo.”

3. Regarding WW2; according to the British Gurkha Officers and the Gurkhas I have spoken to that served in WW2, they say no private kukri were carried by the riflemen
Reply to the above; I agree. I don’t think soldiers in 1/2 GR would have been allowed to carry private kukris even if they had wanted to (which I doubt).
A. Did all your Riflemen carry issue kukri, like Lal Bahadur Thapa V.C.?
Answer; “Yes”
B. But could Havildars and Jemadars etc. be granted permission to carry their own?
Answer; “No, I never heard of that.”

4. Article on Gurkhas in WW2;
‘Out at the defensive perimeter, the Gurkhas (4th GR) were stationed, 2 men to a trench. It was standard practice never to put 3 Gurkhas in a trench, as with 2, one will guard, 1 will sleep. With 3, 1 will watch, 1 will sleep, and 1 will strip off, grease his body, and draw his Ancestral Kukri to go looking for Japanese souvenirs. Only this blade requires to taste blood before returning to its sheath, not the Sheffield steel one that the army issued, that was used for splitting sticks and opening tins, and could be obtained simply for the asking, as it had no honour. If a Gurkha fell in combat, his comrades would retrieve his Ancestral Kukri, for return home, and vesting with the next eldest son. Gurkhas were not normally seen carrying bayonets, preferring the Kukri.’
Question; what do you think about the article, and the claim of Ancestral kukri being carried along with their issued kukri?
Answer; “Nonsense.”

5. Do you know if the Fisher Kukri in the GM was actually used in the Indian Mutiny?
Answer; “No, I don’t.”

In general chat about his post war kukri, he said; “the largest one given to me in 1970, is 16 inches tip to top, the plain blade, just under 2 inches wide at widest, has 69 stamped just below the handle to show year of manufacture.”
WW2 1/2nd GR