THE MYTH OF GURKHA RIFLEMAN CARRYING PRIVATE

sirupate · 30th April 2010, 12:10 PM

On the Gurkha site they used to have the below statement, and it is sill in the current GM pamphlet the ‘Kukri’, they also have this statement;
‘Most hill villages in earlier days would have a Smith (or Lohar of the Kami clan) who forged kukris for the people: now there is a good deal of mass production (Definitely not always the case), though the best are still made by skilled craftsmen. In World War II Gurkha recruits were issued with mass-produced government kukris but nearly all brought back their own from their first leave. Weight, balance and fit are crucially important.’
This quotation is often referred to by some collectors as gospel that private kukri were carried in both WWI and WWII by Nepalese Gurkhas, but it never struck me as being right. Certainly in WWI there is evidence QGO did carry their own kukri, but not in WWII, and I have found no evidence of Gurkha Rifleman carrying their own kukri in both WW’s. However to be absolutely sure I decided to do further re-search, so that I could confirm that Gurkha Rifleman carrying private kukri was a myth;
I then decided to ask the famous Gurkha Officer and Author Lt. Col JP Cross (WWII, Malaya and Borneo) his opinion on this subject;
JP; “I expect that men took their issue kukri with them when they went on leave as a weapon was always needed in the Hills. I can't quite see why a man would have changed his issue kukri for a personal one when at home as he could have got a new issue one when he got back to his holding unit or his battalion"
I have also been fortunate enough to get to know Captain McCalla (WWII Gurkha Officer), and he had this to say;
“In olden times the kukhri was the equivalent of our axe & a multi purpose tool which would also be useful as a weapon of defence or attack. Many mountain folk regarding neighbours with suspicion & untrustworthy (every man for himself ) Kukris would all be made locally.......Army issue would be machine made & all men wore the same as otherwise if they used their own, there would be no standardisation” “All men carried regulation IA kukris”
JP Cross also contacted QGO Capt Bakansing Gurung (joined in 1933 1/6 GR), who features in the very important Historical book by JP Cross and Buddhiman Gurung 'Gurkhas at War', about this matter, Captain Bakansing had this to say;
"That none of his contemporaries had ‘private kukri’, all carried issued kukri".
Then both Captain Lalbahadur Rana and Major Yambahadur Gurung contacted another Gurkha Veteran for me, QGO Captain Bhaktasing, and he had this to say;
'They were not issued kukri while they were recruited in the recruiting centre.
A kukri was issued for jungle training phase after he completed basic training that was not as smooth as nowadays.
He has had taken the kukri with him after his completion of training and posted to the regiment 2 GR
They have used for big and ceremonial parades and the guard duties. They have polished and sharpened for that events.
He took the kukri with him while the regiment deployed in NW frontier (I.e. Afghanistan border)
They use to travel with kukri in uniform while they come to Nepal leave.
He has taken the kukri with him while they deployed in WWII, Singapore.
They have not taken their own village kukri to the regiment.
He has not taken any his own kukri from Nepal.
As far he concerned those days the strong iron and better kukris are made in Dehradoon and Kunraghat by Nepali expert Ironsmith for the Gurkhas issued kukri
Before 1816 those areas belong to Greater Nepal and mostly Nepalese tribes are leave there'
Major Gerald Davies (post WWII Gurkha Officer) Curator of the GM in Winchester felt that the 7th GR might have had cause to use personnel kukri from being in North Africa and then going up through Italy; I was able to contact the last remaining 7th GR British Officer who fitted the bill, Major Deny’s Drayton (7th GR WWII) who ended up at Monty Casino, said;
‘That Gurkhas only carried IA issue kukri which had wooden handles that were of *stick tang construction, and no private kukri were carried’.
This term ‘stick tang’ came about after discussing the various handle types with Major Drayton.
I would like to thank all the above for their tremendous help in this matter, and for their enthusiasm towards my re-search.

30th April 2010, 12:10 PM	#1
sirupate Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: England Posts: 373	THE MYTH OF GURKHA RIFLEMAN CARRYING PRIVATE On the Gurkha site they used to have the below statement, and it is sill in the current GM pamphlet the ‘Kukri’, they also have this statement; ‘Most hill villages in earlier days would have a Smith (or Lohar of the Kami clan) who forged kukris for the people: now there is a good deal of mass production (Definitely not always the case), though the best are still made by skilled craftsmen. In World War II Gurkha recruits were issued with mass-produced government kukris but nearly all brought back their own from their first leave. Weight, balance and fit are crucially important.’ This quotation is often referred to by some collectors as gospel that private kukri were carried in both WWI and WWII by Nepalese Gurkhas, but it never struck me as being right. Certainly in WWI there is evidence QGO did carry their own kukri, but not in WWII, and I have found no evidence of Gurkha Rifleman carrying their own kukri in both WW’s. However to be absolutely sure I decided to do further re-search, so that I could confirm that Gurkha Rifleman carrying private kukri was a myth; I then decided to ask the famous Gurkha Officer and Author Lt. Col JP Cross (WWII, Malaya and Borneo) his opinion on this subject; JP; “I expect that men took their issue kukri with them when they went on leave as a weapon was always needed in the Hills. I can't quite see why a man would have changed his issue kukri for a personal one when at home as he could have got a new issue one when he got back to his holding unit or his battalion" I have also been fortunate enough to get to know Captain McCalla (WWII Gurkha Officer), and he had this to say; “In olden times the kukhri was the equivalent of our axe & a multi purpose tool which would also be useful as a weapon of defence or attack. Many mountain folk regarding neighbours with suspicion & untrustworthy (every man for himself ) Kukris would all be made locally.......Army issue would be machine made & all men wore the same as otherwise if they used their own, there would be no standardisation” “All men carried regulation IA kukris” JP Cross also contacted QGO Capt Bakansing Gurung (joined in 1933 1/6 GR), who features in the very important Historical book by JP Cross and Buddhiman Gurung 'Gurkhas at War', about this matter, Captain Bakansing had this to say; "That none of his contemporaries had ‘private kukri’, all carried issued kukri". Then both Captain Lalbahadur Rana and Major Yambahadur Gurung contacted another Gurkha Veteran for me, QGO Captain Bhaktasing, and he had this to say; 'They were not issued kukri while they were recruited in the recruiting centre. A kukri was issued for jungle training phase after he completed basic training that was not as smooth as nowadays. He has had taken the kukri with him after his completion of training and posted to the regiment 2 GR They have used for big and ceremonial parades and the guard duties. They have polished and sharpened for that events. He took the kukri with him while the regiment deployed in NW frontier (I.e. Afghanistan border) They use to travel with kukri in uniform while they come to Nepal leave. He has taken the kukri with him while they deployed in WWII, Singapore. They have not taken their own village kukri to the regiment. He has not taken any his own kukri from Nepal. As far he concerned those days the strong iron and better kukris are made in Dehradoon and Kunraghat by Nepali expert Ironsmith for the Gurkhas issued kukri Before 1816 those areas belong to Greater Nepal and mostly Nepalese tribes are leave there' Major Gerald Davies (post WWII Gurkha Officer) Curator of the GM in Winchester felt that the 7th GR might have had cause to use personnel kukri from being in North Africa and then going up through Italy; I was able to contact the last remaining 7th GR British Officer who fitted the bill, Major Deny’s Drayton (7th GR WWII) who ended up at Monty Casino, said; ‘That Gurkhas only carried IA issue kukri which had wooden handles that were of *stick tang construction, and no private kukri were carried’. This term ‘stick tang’ came about after discussing the various handle types with Major Drayton. I would like to thank all the above for their tremendous help in this matter, and for their enthusiasm towards my re-search.