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5 GORKHA RIFLES
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| 5 Gorkha Rifles Crest |
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5 Gorkha Rifles
The 5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force), formerly known as the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force) was originally raised in 1858 as the 25th Punjab Infantry. The soldiers, called 'Gurkhas' in this regiment origins purely from the Kingdom of Nepal. The regiment's first major action was during the Second Afghan War, with the regiment's first battle honour coming at Peiwar Kotal, at which Captain John Cook was awarded the Victoria Cross. By this time, the regiment had been ranked as the 5th Gurkhas. During the period up to the end of the 19th century, the regiment was based primarily in the Punjab as part of the Punjab Frontier Force, more famous as PFF or Piffers. This was reflected when in 1903, the regiment was renamed the 5th Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force).
During the First World War, the regiment primarily saw service in the Middle East - the 1st Battalion saw extensive service at Gallipoli in 1915 (where 7 officers and 129 men were killed in the first few hours after the battalion landed). Despite the terrible conditions, the Gurkhas remained stoic; indeed, the last troops to leave following the evacuation was a company of the 5th Gurkhas. The 2nd Battalion saw service in Mesopotamia, while a 3rd Battalion was raised for service on the North-West Frontier, before being disbanded in 1921.
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(A stamp honouring 5GR)
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In 1921, the regiment was given the title 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles, in recognition of its service during the war. During the inter-war period, the regiment received three further battle honours, for the Third Afghan War in 1919, and two for service on the North-West Frontier. Of all of the regiments that saw service in this region during the period, only the 5th Gurkhas and the 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers were awarded such honours.
During the Second World War, the 5th Gurkhas served in most theatres, with the 1st Battalion in the Middle East and Italy as part of Indian 8th Infantry Division, and the 2nd Battalion in the Far East.
An old insignia of 5th Royal GR (FF)
On Indian independence, the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles was one of six Gurkha regiments that remained part of the new Indian Army, being renamed in 1950 as the 5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force). Since then, the regiment has participated in virtually every major action the Indian Army has undertaken in its four wars with Pakistan, including the first airborne operations undertaken by the army during the 1971 war. Today, the regiment has a total of six battalions.
The Battalions:
- 1/5 Gorkha Rifles
- 2/5 Gorkha Rifles (FF)
- 3/5 Gorkha Rifles (FF)
- 4/5 Gorkha Rifles (FF)
- 5/5 Gorkha Rifles (FF)
- 6/5 Gorkha Rifles (FF)
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