| Winston Smith | 04 Oct 2016 7:58 p.m. PST |
YouTube link Gotta love the Gurkhas.
And I love the band playing "Only the Good Die Young". Do Catholic girls start much too late in Nepal? So, to answer my question, what is the standard they are carrying? |
| willthepiper | 04 Oct 2016 9:08 p.m. PST |
Do you mean the Truncheon? link |
| Mad Guru | 04 Oct 2016 9:35 p.m. PST |
It is the Queen's Truncheon, which serves as the Gurkha Regiment's "Colour." It was first awarded to the Sirmoor Goorka Battalion during the Indian Mutiny, which later became 2nd Gurkha Regt., and still later (1994) was amalgamated into the British army's sole remaining RGR/Royal Gurkha Regiment. Its origin is connected to the original unit having its designation changed from line Infantry to "Rifles" and then having to give up their colours, as I believe British Rifle regiments were traditionally not authorized to carry them, and Indian/Gurkha units adipted the same traditions. But at around the same time they performed very heroically in battle during the siege of Delhi, and so were awarded this one-of-a-kind bronze and silver item to replace the missing regimental flags. I don't know if any British rifle regiments carried or still carry similar truncheons. At one point I was going to convert one of my Gurkhas to carry it into battle… but I did some research and couldn't find any evidence of it having ever been carried into action.
EDIT: Willthepiper concisely beat me to it! |
| Winston Smith | 04 Oct 2016 10:35 p.m. PST |
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robert piepenbrink  | 05 Oct 2016 4:50 a.m. PST |
Mad Guru, you should not let that stop you. Why refight history if we can't improve on the original? |
 ColCampbell | 05 Oct 2016 12:38 p.m. PST |
The truncheon is also in this video of a march by the RGR down the Mall. What is even more interesting is that the third "company" (I guess) in the column has a British female officer at the head of the left-hand column. YouTube link Jim |
 piper909 | 05 Oct 2016 1:18 p.m. PST |
Robert has the rights of it. Or have the truncheon being taken into the field, stored in a special tent on campaign, and then being the object of a Pathan attack. |
| Reactionary | 05 Oct 2016 5:43 p.m. PST |
The Truncheon is a purely Ghurka Honour. Other British rifle regiments haven't ever had one. |
| Lion in the Stars | 05 Oct 2016 6:22 p.m. PST |
@Mad Guru: From what I know of the Gurkhas attitudes, they would probably take The Truncheon into the field as a matter of Regimental pride. But I'd say they probably wouldn't carry it into combat, so Piper's idea of the scenario objective sounds really cool. |
| Mad Guru | 05 Oct 2016 6:43 p.m. PST |
@Reactionary: many thanks for the clarification! @robert & piper909 & Lion: you guys have convinced me -- next stop the "bits" box to search for parts needed to scratchbuild a 28mm "Queen's Truncheon." If Artizan Designs ever release Gurkhas for their Second Afghan War range, I'll try to convert one into a Truncheon-bearer… or maybe I'll just look for a spare old Foundry Gurkha… @ColCampbell: "more interesting" indeed -- you pretty much just blew my mind! I saw the female British Army officer you spotted in that video and then searched the web for any mention of a woman officer serving with the Royal Gurkha Rifles, but couldn't find any. |
| Mad Guru | 10 Oct 2016 12:06 p.m. PST |
Found this Queen's Truncheon related video and had to add it to this thread… YouTube link |
examines another pre-painted building for WWII.
