Gurkhas In Northern Ireland

[SHEARING-CROSS]

Please settle a pub argument ? have the Gurkhas ever served a tour in N.I durring the conflict please , a former soldier pal is certain they were never allowed to go ,another thinks otherwise ? regards ,Michael.

[Marc Sherriff]

Going by thier own History, the Gurkhas have not served in NI.

[leigh kitchen]

I believe that Ghurka units have not served in NI, an explanation given years ago was that the British would be accused of employing foreign mercenaries.

I don't think that a Ghurka strength would be hearts & minds in the NI setting & they'd come in for a lot of racial abuse etc in what to them would be a more confusing situation then it is or was to Brit squaddies.

[findabetterole]

Gurkhas in Northern Ireland

Hello Micheal,

Speaking from personal experiance... No Gurkha, whilst in the service of Her Majesty - Queen Elizabeth 2nd, has ever set foot in the province of Northern Ireland.

Hope you've won your bet?

Seph

[leigh kitchen]

Hello Micheal,

Speaking from personal experiance... No Gurkha, whilst in the service of Her Majesty - Queen Elizabeth 2nd, has ever set foot in the province of Northern Ireland.

Hope you've won your bet?

Seph

If she ever does, I wonder if there will be medal awarded to commemorate a royal vist, as there has been in the past? - somehow I doubt it.

[SHEARING-CROSS]

Hiya guys ,thanks for the replies ,the story is this . one beer buddy who did many tours of N.I states no way did they serve there ( due to reasons given above ,mecenaries etc ) but another guy reckons that a small platoon strength was sent over in the late 1970`s they did the minimum requirement ( 28 days ?) they stayed in camp the whole time reason im given was they were going to do royal duties at the palace and it would be nice for them to have a medal to wear ?
strange i know but hes convinced ! thanks Michael.
p.s do the Gurkhas have a regimental museum ?

[Marc Sherriff]

Here you go

http://www.thegurkhamuseum.co.uk/

[SHEARING-CROSS]

Hiya , many thaks for the museum details Marc ,( i keep forgeting to search on the net !) regards ,Michael.

[blimy]

Gurka's in Ireland

Hello Guy's.
I have just stumbled upon this thread, and Gurkhas never setting foot in Ireland,is not quite true. I no longer have the book by Colonel Tim Collins,(Rules of Engagement)of 2nd gulf war fame,CO of 1st Royal Irish. But he tells the story (sorry if i don't get all the detail's right)of the time he arranged for a visit from a Herc C-130 to land at a public, British Army, open day/airshow in Northern Ireland. The good guy's steamed of the Herc, shoot lot's of blank's, kill all the imaginary bad dudes and then fox-trot-oscar. Trouble was, the blokes who jumped of and shot the place up to the delight of(most) the public, were Gurkha's!
They were attached to 1RIR,and were the only soldiers he had spare for the show. And yes the **** did hit the fan, for the reasons mentioned in the previous post's.
That is pretty much how i rememberd the story, and i would have paid good money to see it! I seem to remember the reason the Gurkha's ended up with the role, and shipped in from Cantubury barracks, just for this jolly, was that the rest of the Battalion(1 RIR) were in the province doing a tour, without the Gurkha attachment, as Gurkha's were not allowed in Ireland!
But what an entrance! Hope this info was of use (or a laugh)
Chris.