The chronicles of 8 Gorkha Rifles are replete with tales of heroism, glory and sacrifice, but it is Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw who completes the legend about 8GR
The Shiny Eighth, as the 8th Gorkha Rifles (8GR) is popularly known in the Gorkha fraternity, traces its lineage to the 16 Sylhet Local Battalion, that was raised in 1824. Today it is made up of 6 battalions – with the 1st battalion having become 3 Mech Inf, even though it retains its strong ties with 8 GR – its motto, similarly like other Gorkha regiments is ‘Kafar Hunu Bhanda Marnu Niko’ (Better to die than be a coward), and its war cry ‘Ayo Gorkhali’ (Here comes the Gorkhas). The chronicles of the Regiment spanning nearly two centuries are replete with tales of heroism, guts, glory and sacrifice, but it is Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, MC, who is arguably is most famous member.
PRE-INDEPENDENCE
Soon after its raising, the Regiment spearheaded operations in the first Anglo-Burmese War in 1824-25 and was later actively involved in the British war against Bhutan in 1864. Adding to its growing reputation, the Regiment became the first regular army unit to be deployed in the Naga Hills, where Colonel Richard Ridgeway earned its first Victoria Cross, in the operations that followed, to quell the Nagaland rebellion in 1879. And then under the leadership of Lt Charles Grant, the Regiment undertook the Manipur Expedition, where it’s troops held onto the village of Thoubal against a strength of 800 rebels. In his report, Lt Grant recommended, unusually, that each member of the expedition be awarded the Indian Order of Merit, a proposal that was later accepted.
Not resting on its achievements, the Regiment was part of the Young Husband Expedition to Tibet in 1904, which required it to brave the harsh weather and terrain of Tibet, before its men stormed into the Tibetan fortress of Gyantse. And a decade later, it took part, like much of the Indian army in World War-I, (the First Great War) in Italy, France, Mesopotamia (Iraq) and Egypt, only to be followed by its deployment in the Third Afghan War. And then, the Regiment later actively participated World War-II in overseas actions in Egypt, Libya, Tobruk, El Alamein and Burma, notching up a large number of gallantry awards, including four Victoria Crosses, before Independence.
POST-INDEPENDENCE
At independence, The 8thGurkha Rifles was transferred to India in 1947 and along with other regiments, and its spelling, like that of others, was changed to Gorkha. And in keeping with its own traditions and that of the Gorkhas, battalions of 8th Gorkha Rifles participated in Operations in Leh (in 1947-48), the Sino-Indian War (in 1962), where the Regiment earned a Param Vir Chakra (Maj Dhan Singh Thapa), and then saw action in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistan Wars, as well as in Op PAWAN in Sri Lanka, all along exhibiting sterling combat performances.
Although the Regiment has a number of gallantry awards to its credit, two operations since independence, undertaken by the Regiment, merit special mention. Both these stand out for their sheer strategic significance for India’s security even today.
The first was in 1948, that prevented the fall of Leh, under the command of Major Hari Chand, who was selected by The first was in 1948, that prevented the fall of Leh, under the command of Major Hari Chand, who was selected by Lt Gen RK Nanavatty, GOC in C Northern Command and Colonel 8GR interacting with officers and soldiers of 4/8GR in 2002. 05-38_14_19_ BEING A FLY GIRL.qxd 5/5/2015 12:14 PM Page 17 GORKHA BRIGADE SPECIAL ISSUE SALUTE TO THE INDIAN SOLDIER << April-May 2015 << salutemagazine@22 gmail.com General Cariappa for the task. His column entered Leh on 07th July 1948, after a long and hazardous journey, and fought several battles until 18th July, repulsing repeated assaults. At one stage Major Hari Chand hung on to his post for 3 days with a platoon. But for his stand Leh would have certainly been lost to the enemy. Then in September 1948, Maj Hari Chand led a guerilla party of 35 men over a height of 5200 metres and treaded 96 Km to raid a village and destroy the enemy gun located there. The march was completed in 4 days under very rigorous conditions but the guerilla party achieved complete surprise. The guncrew of six, found asleep inside a house, was killed and a howitzer destroyed. The return journey proved to be much more hazardous but the party returned safe to the base. And in October 1948, Major Hari Chand led another guerilla party to harass the enemy lines of communication. In this raid, he killed the escort of an enemy convoy and captured arms, ammunition and other supplies. Throughout these operations Major Hari Chand displayed leadership, courage and gallantry of a very high order and was thus awarded Mahavir Chakra. The other is the tale of Col Udai Singh, who commanded a force comprising three companies of the Ladakh Scouts and a section each of mortars and medium machine guns in the Indo-Pak war of 1971. Asked to capture the area between Chalunka and Turtok in Kargil sector, he undertook long night marches, with his men and essentials along with animal transport, in subzero temperature at altitudes upto 5,500 meters through, much of it in an unmapped and foggy terrain. But having planned his operation in meticulous detail he executed it with professional competence, by completely out-maneuvering a strong enemy force and inflicting heavy casualties on it. He eventually captured a large number of prisoners and a large quantity of arms and equipment, with very little loss to him, and despite deficient communication and artillery support, he pressed home his attack against well-entrenched enemy positions. After bitter fighting and often at the point of the bayonet, a number of posts were captured. Consequently, Turtok and considerable area beyond it, were brought under India’s control. Throughout this operation Col Udai Singh remained in the forefront, sharing all the discomforts and dangers with his troops. For this display of conspicuous gallantry and outstanding leadership, he was awarded the Mahavir Chakra. Battle Honours: Pre-Independence Battle/Theatre Honour Awarded(Yr)
1. BURMA 1885-87
2. EGYPT 1915-16
3. MEGIDDO 1918
4. SHARON 1918
5. PALESTINE 1918
6. TIGRIS 1916
7. KUT EI AMARA 1916-17
8. BAGHDAD 1916-17
9. MESOPOTAMIA 1916-17
10. LA BASSEE 1914
11. FESTUBERT 1914-15
12. GIVENCHY 1914
13. NEUVE CHAPELLE 1914-15
14. AUBERS 1914-15
15. FRANCE AND 1914-15
FLANDERS
16. AFGHANISTAN 1919
17. AFRICA 1940-43
18. IRAQ 1941
19. ITALY 1943-45
20. GOTHIC LINE 1944-45
21. CORIANO 1945
22. SAN ARCHANGEO 1945
23. GAIANA CROSSING 1945
24. SHANDATGYI 1945
25. IMPHA 1945
26. KANGLATONGBI 1945
27. SINGU 1945
28. SITTANG 1945
Pre-Independence Theatre Honours
Unit Battle/ Awarded(Yr)
Theatre Honour
1. 2/8 GR NORTH AFRICA 1940-45
2. 3/8 GR BURMA 1942-45
3. 2/8 GR IRAQ 1941
4. 1/8 GR ITALY 1943-45
Post-Independence: Battle/Theatre Honour
Unit Battle/ Awarded(Yr)
Theatre Honour
1. 3/8 GR SUNJOI MIRPUR1965
2. 6/8 GR POONCH(J&K) 1948
3. 6/8GR Naghun (J&K) 1947-48
4. 6/8 GR PUNJAB 1965
5. 1/8 GR CHUSUL 1962
6. 1/8 GR LADAKH 1962
7. 3/8 GR SUNJOI and J & K 1965
—By Maroof Raza with inputs 8GR