11th Gorkha Rifles
Encyclopedia
The 11 Gorkha Rifles is a Gorkha regiment
of the Indian Army
that was re-raised after independence. The regiment consists of primarily the Rais and Limbus of eastern Nepal. The Rais and Limbus are supposed to be fierce tribal warriors of Nepal and are considered to be most sturdy and tough they also claim to have a relationship with the mythological warrior Kirant who fought and defeated legendary warrior Arjuna
in Mahabharata
. Though it is considered to be the youngest of the Gorkha Regiments it has a lineage which is as old as the history of the 7th Gurkhas and 10th Gurkhas.
and Mesopotamia
at the end of the First World War, as well as during the Third Afghan War in 1919, before being disbanded in 1922 and the troops being reverted to their original units. There were no separate insignias authorized for this regiment and the personnel wore the badges of distinction of their parent units, though there have been instances where unofficial badges were made and worn by some personnel.
independence in 1947, the Gurkha
regiments of the British Indian Army
were divided between the new Indian Army
and the British Army
. A referendum
was held among the soldiers of the four regiments (2nd, 6th, 7th and 10th Gurkhas) that would transfer to the British as to whether they wished to join the British Army, as the decision to do so was made entirely voluntary. Of the four regiments one battalion (4/2 GR) opted en masse to join the Indian Army and became part of the 8th Gurkha Rifles as their 5th Battalion and is presently on their strength as 5/8 GR. In the event, large numbers of men from the 7th Gurkha Rifles and the 10th Gurkha Rifles, which recruited predominantly from Eastern Nepal
, opted to join the Indian Army as against the British Army to whom their regiments were alloted. So, in order to retain a contingent from this area of Nepal, the Indian Army made the decision to re-raise the 11th Gorkha Rifles. Incidentally the Rais and Limbus are considered to be the most short tempered, fierce and sturdy amongst the hill warrior tribes. The Kirantis dominate even the traditional Nepalese Army and the British Army as well.
The 11 Gorkha Rifles was officially re-raised on January 1, 1948, with the regimental centres at Palampur and Santa Cruz
, Mumbai
the regimental centre was subsequently shifted to Jalapahar in Darjeeling, then moved to Lucknow where it was firmly established. The regiment was raised predominantly with the manpower from the non-optees of the 7th Gurkha Rifles and the 10th Gurkha Rifles. As the regiment was raised by the Indian Army
after independence, it was decided not to retain the honours and traditions of the first 11th Royal Gurkha Rifles of the British Indian Army
It can't, as there is no connection between the two.
Today, the regiment has a total of six regular and one Territorial Army battalions. The regiment took part in all major military operations India has undertaken since independence including the 1947 India Pakistan War
, 1948 Operation Polo
, 1965 India Pakistan War
, 1971 India Pakistan War
, and in the .
In the Indo - Pakistani war of 1971 the 5th battalion was instrumental in liberating Bangladesh, in fact the battle honour Bogra and theater honour East Pakistan was bestowed to the 5th only. In the operations of East Pakistan, the 5th had secured the Bogra town for 20 mountain division, in one of the most daring operations Lt Teja Bedi had single-handedly captured the headquarters along with the Commanding Officer and RMO of the prestigious Baluch Regiment of East Pakistan, the regimental flag of 52 Baluch Regiment is still hung upside down in the officers mess of the 5th and is one of the prized possession. Soon after the war, General
Gopal Gurunath Bewoor
of the regiment was appointed Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army
. He held the post from January 15, 1973 to May 31, 1975.
During the 1999 Kargil Conflict Manoj Kumar Pandey
received the Param Vir Chakra
(PVC), which is India's highest military award.
The 3rd, 4th and the 5th battalions are the oldest battalions of the Regiment. However the 4th Battalion was disbanded subsequently. The 5th battalion retains the honour of producing the maximum numbers of Lieutenant Generals with in the Regiment. The regiment has won a Param Vir Chakra
which was won by Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey
of the 1st Battalion during the 1999 Kargil Conflict, 1 Victoria Cross Ganju Lama
won as part of 1/7 GR, 11 GR cannot stake claim to it, even if the individual in question became part of the regt later, the highest gallantry award of the British army, 6 Military Crosses when? The regt is a post-independence raising, 2 Mahavir Chakras, 3 Ashok Chakras Capt M B Rai, 5th Battalion, Rfn Sal Bahadur and Capt Punit Nath Dutt, 7 PVSMs, 9AVSMs,11 VSMs,11 Vir Chakras, 5 Shaurya Chakras and 35 Sena Medals.
The units of the Regiments have participated in a number of UN missions abroad. The regiment has following battalions:
and Kargil for Op Vijay 1999.
Gorkha regiments (India)
The Gorkha regiments have been serving in the Indian Army ever since independence in 1947, when the Tripartite Agreement was signed. The regiments primarily consist of soldiers from India's Gorkha community and from the Gorkha tribes of Nepal...
of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
that was re-raised after independence. The regiment consists of primarily the Rais and Limbus of eastern Nepal. The Rais and Limbus are supposed to be fierce tribal warriors of Nepal and are considered to be most sturdy and tough they also claim to have a relationship with the mythological warrior Kirant who fought and defeated legendary warrior Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
in Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
. Though it is considered to be the youngest of the Gorkha Regiments it has a lineage which is as old as the history of the 7th Gurkhas and 10th Gurkhas.
First Regiment
The 11th Gurkhas was raised as an ad hoc unit in 1918 with troops and officers being drawn from the various Gurkha Regiments. This regiment saw service in both PalestinePalestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
and Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
at the end of the First World War, as well as during the Third Afghan War in 1919, before being disbanded in 1922 and the troops being reverted to their original units. There were no separate insignias authorized for this regiment and the personnel wore the badges of distinction of their parent units, though there have been instances where unofficial badges were made and worn by some personnel.
Second Regiment
Following India'sIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
independence in 1947, the Gurkha
Gurkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...
regiments of the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
were divided between the new Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
and the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. A referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
was held among the soldiers of the four regiments (2nd, 6th, 7th and 10th Gurkhas) that would transfer to the British as to whether they wished to join the British Army, as the decision to do so was made entirely voluntary. Of the four regiments one battalion (4/2 GR) opted en masse to join the Indian Army and became part of the 8th Gurkha Rifles as their 5th Battalion and is presently on their strength as 5/8 GR. In the event, large numbers of men from the 7th Gurkha Rifles and the 10th Gurkha Rifles, which recruited predominantly from Eastern Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, opted to join the Indian Army as against the British Army to whom their regiments were alloted. So, in order to retain a contingent from this area of Nepal, the Indian Army made the decision to re-raise the 11th Gorkha Rifles. Incidentally the Rais and Limbus are considered to be the most short tempered, fierce and sturdy amongst the hill warrior tribes. The Kirantis dominate even the traditional Nepalese Army and the British Army as well.
The 11 Gorkha Rifles was officially re-raised on January 1, 1948, with the regimental centres at Palampur and Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz (Mumbai)
Santacruz or Santa Cruz is a section of the municipality of Mumbai. The Santacruz railway station on the Mumbai Suburban Railway, the Domestic Terminal of the Mumbai Airport and one campus of the University of Mumbai are all located in Santacruz....
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
the regimental centre was subsequently shifted to Jalapahar in Darjeeling, then moved to Lucknow where it was firmly established. The regiment was raised predominantly with the manpower from the non-optees of the 7th Gurkha Rifles and the 10th Gurkha Rifles. As the regiment was raised by the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
after independence, it was decided not to retain the honours and traditions of the first 11th Royal Gurkha Rifles of the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
It can't, as there is no connection between the two.
Today, the regiment has a total of six regular and one Territorial Army battalions. The regiment took part in all major military operations India has undertaken since independence including the 1947 India Pakistan War
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
The India-Pakistan War of 1947-48, sometimes known as the First Kashmir War, was fought between India and Pakistan over the princely state of Kashmir and Jammu from 1947 to 1948. It was the first of four wars fought between the two newly independent nations...
, 1948 Operation Polo
Operation Polo
Operation Polo code name for The Hyderabad Police Action was a military operation in September 1948 in which the Indian Armed Forces engaged those of the State of Hyderabad and ended the rule of Nizam, annexing the state into the Indian Union....
, 1965 India Pakistan War
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
, 1971 India Pakistan War
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
, and in the .
In the Indo - Pakistani war of 1971 the 5th battalion was instrumental in liberating Bangladesh, in fact the battle honour Bogra and theater honour East Pakistan was bestowed to the 5th only. In the operations of East Pakistan, the 5th had secured the Bogra town for 20 mountain division, in one of the most daring operations Lt Teja Bedi had single-handedly captured the headquarters along with the Commanding Officer and RMO of the prestigious Baluch Regiment of East Pakistan, the regimental flag of 52 Baluch Regiment is still hung upside down in the officers mess of the 5th and is one of the prized possession. Soon after the war, General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Gopal Gurunath Bewoor
Gopal Gurunath Bewoor
General Gopal Gurunath Bewoor Marathi - जनरल गोपाळ गुरुनाथ बेवूर/ಜನರಲ್ ಗೋಪಾಲ್ ಗುರುನಾಥ್ ಬೇವೂರ್PVSM was an officer of the Indian Army who served as the 9th Chief of Army Staff...
of the regiment was appointed Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army
Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army
The Chief of the Army Staff is the commander and usually the highest-ranking officer of the Indian Army. The position is abbreviated as COAS in Indian Army cables and communication....
. He held the post from January 15, 1973 to May 31, 1975.
During the 1999 Kargil Conflict Manoj Kumar Pandey
Manoj Kumar Pandey
Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, PVC ,was an officer of the Indian Army of the regiment 1/11 Gurkha Rifles, posthumously awarded the India's highest military honour, Param Vir Chakra for his audacious courage and leadership during adverse times...
received the Param Vir Chakra
Param Vir Chakra
The Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. It can be, and often has been, awarded posthumously....
(PVC), which is India's highest military award.
The 3rd, 4th and the 5th battalions are the oldest battalions of the Regiment. However the 4th Battalion was disbanded subsequently. The 5th battalion retains the honour of producing the maximum numbers of Lieutenant Generals with in the Regiment. The regiment has won a Param Vir Chakra
Param Vir Chakra
The Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. It can be, and often has been, awarded posthumously....
which was won by Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey
Manoj Kumar Pandey
Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, PVC ,was an officer of the Indian Army of the regiment 1/11 Gurkha Rifles, posthumously awarded the India's highest military honour, Param Vir Chakra for his audacious courage and leadership during adverse times...
of the 1st Battalion during the 1999 Kargil Conflict, 1 Victoria Cross Ganju Lama
Ganju Lama
Ganju Lama VC MM was a Gurkha recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Enlistment:...
won as part of 1/7 GR, 11 GR cannot stake claim to it, even if the individual in question became part of the regt later, the highest gallantry award of the British army, 6 Military Crosses when? The regt is a post-independence raising, 2 Mahavir Chakras, 3 Ashok Chakras Capt M B Rai, 5th Battalion, Rfn Sal Bahadur and Capt Punit Nath Dutt, 7 PVSMs, 9AVSMs,11 VSMs,11 Vir Chakras, 5 Shaurya Chakras and 35 Sena Medals.
The units of the Regiments have participated in a number of UN missions abroad. The regiment has following battalions:
- 1st battalion - 1/11 Gorkha Rifles
- 2nd battalion - 2/11 Gorkha Rifles(Shingo)
- 3rd battalion - 3/11 Gorkha Rifles
- 4th battalion - (disbanded)
- 5th Battalion - 5/11 Gorkha Rifles(BograBograBogra is a town, and one of the oldest towns in northern Bangladesh. It is a centre of commerce and trade within the Bogra District and located under the Rajshahi Division. Bogra is sometimes described as the nerve centre of Northern Bangladesh. Amongst many notable activities, it has been hosting...
) - 6th battalion - 6/11 Gorkha Rifles
- 7th battalion - 7/11 Gorkha Rifles
- The 107 Territorial Army Battalion is located in Lebong, Darjeeling (West Bengal).
Battle and theatre honours
The battle honours of the regiment are Bogra, East Pakistan 1971, Shingo River Valley, Jammu and Kashmir 1971 and Batalik, Op Vijay J&K 1999. Theater honours are East Pakistan 1971 Jammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
and Kargil for Op Vijay 1999.
Ashok Chakra
- Capt M B Rai of 5th Battalion, Rifleman Sal Bahadur and 2nd Lt Puneet Nath Dutt