Ghurkas and what sets them apart.

Ghurkas and what sets them apart.

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anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
Anyone else listen to Jeremy Vine this lunch time?*
He was speaking to the chairman of the (IIRC) British Ghurka Welfare Trust about the situation in Nepal.
Vine: "So what are your immediate thoughts about what's happened?"
Ghurka (without a hint of hesitation):
"Well our religious training tells us to stay calm and think with an open mind....."
And that's in addition to the "A big guy with a little knife and a frown isn't nearly as intimidating as a little guy with a big knife and a smile" thing.
bow

*I don't normally listen to Whiney Viney and his fish wives, but I was up a ladder, painting so just let it run....ok?

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 28th April 15:47

R8VXF

6,788 posts

114 months

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
This may well be a forces urban legend but I sorely hope its true

The Ghurkas and Marines (IIRC) were on a joint Escape and Evasion exercise, the Marines the escapees the Ghurkas the hunters

A Marine finds a massive bush, cuts himself a small entry, ties the offcuts into a plug to bung the hole and hides in this bush for 48 hours.

The whistles sounds and 'END EX' is shouted. Mr Marine all chuffed with himself crawls out and stands up to return to the trucks. Only to find his shoelaces had been tied together whilst he slept by a Ghurka.

johnxjsc1985

15,948 posts

163 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
its still a great story though.
An old friend of mine went to Malaysia I think it early 50's his stories of Ghurkas are not for the fient hearted.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
R8VXF said:
badassoftheweek.com said:
This was Die Hard without the cowboy references. Delta Force without Lee Marvin. Under Siege without the Dramamine. And Passenger 57 without the always betting on black thing.
hehe

RizzoTheRat

25,085 posts

191 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
I live in Aldershot, we have the largest Buddhist population the UK apparently, and some bloody nice Nepalese restaurants smile

I met a (British) lieutenant in the RGR some time back, he'd been out to Nepal on recruitment/selection. Apparently competition to get in is so high the tests are seriously hard, he reckoned a lot of his intake at Sandhurst would have struggled with the Maths and English tests.

Challo

10,043 posts

154 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
Bit off topic but we used to have an Ex Ghurka called Tony (prob not his real name) who worked in our local hotel and often worked on the bar. Very nice guy and always willing to chat and have a laugh. They used to sell pringles in miniature tubes and one friday night Tony came over to the table and said he could break the plastic lid on the empty pringles tube with his thumb. Obviously a few of us tried is, i think one even fractured his thumb but nothing. Tony strolls over, takes aim and with one hit manages to push his thumb through the plastic lid while its still attached to the tube.

I know its not a cool story but gave me insight to how tough they are.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
^^^
Urban military myth also tells of a bunch of Ghurkas being briefed for "jumping out of a Hercules at low level, landing in the sea" with the height of the drop being 500 feet or so.
Lots of muttering amongst the Ghurkas after which their nominated spokesman steps up and asks the PJIs if they can reduce that height to 100 feet to make it safer
PJI: "100 feet?! Safer? But your parachutes won't have time to open!"
Ghurka: "Ah, you never said anything about having parachutes"
So they all turned up apparently ready and willing to fling themselves from a C130 in to the sea from 100feet.
Mental, in a must-not-fail.....must not fail....kinda way.

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 28th April 16:37

ChrisnChris

1,423 posts

221 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
Ghurkas (especially when on patrol) do seem to have the ability to "appear at your side" when you least expect it.
A little unnerving in the gloom, in the woods, with only a priest to defend yourself with.yikes

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
And if you've never had a Ghurka curry.....you've never had curry.

matthias73

2,883 posts

149 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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The best story I've heard was when a young lieutenant in a truck with a Gurkha driver told him to drive straight over the roundabout.
The driver looked a bit concerned but did as he was told and ploughed straight the damn thing!

I've never met one who wasn't polite and cheerful. Big shame what's going on I Nepal right now.

IvanSTi

635 posts

118 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
ChrisnChris said:
Ghurkas (especially when on patrol) do seem to have the ability to "appear at your side" when you least expect it.
A little unnerving in the gloom, in the woods, with only a priest to defend yourself with.yikes
Use him as a human shield or something?

IvanSTi

635 posts

118 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
matthias73 said:
I've never met one who wasn't polite and cheerful. Big shame what's going on I Nepal right now.
Couldn't agree more on both parts. Me lots of Ghurkas when I lived in Otterburn, every one of them were happy, pleasant and not the slightest bit of bother, which was fantastic in contrast to the aholes from the regular army/TA.

GOG440

9,247 posts

189 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
RizzoTheRat said:
I live in Aldershot, we have the largest Buddhist population the UK apparently, and some bloody nice Nepalese restaurants smile
Gurkhali chicken chilli.

Hot as hell but incredibly tasty it was my favourite had it pretty much every time I went into Johnny Gurkhas.
I hear it has closed now, sad times.

RobinBanks

17,540 posts

178 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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I think that I've only ever heard praise for the gurkhas

RizzoTheRat

25,085 posts

191 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
GOG440 said:
Johnny Gurkhas.
I hear it has closed now, sad times.
It might not be called Johny Gurkha's now but it's still pretty much the same but with a different name.


The Mad Monk

10,474 posts

116 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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Yes, you should ask the people who live in Fleet and Church Crookham. They are absolutely delighted that the Gurkhas have the right to live in the UK and have use of benefits such as the NHS...

IvanSTi

635 posts

118 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
The Mad Monk said:
Yes, you should ask the people who live in Fleet and Church Crookham. They are absolutely delighted that the Gurkhas have the right to live in the UK and have use of benefits such as the NHS...
Not sure if you're being serious??

williamp

19,216 posts

272 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
One of these was an officer in the Gurkas..


CharlieGee

152 posts

114 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
The Mad Monk said:
Yes, you should ask the people who live in Fleet and Church Crookham. They are absolutely delighted that the Gurkhas have the right to live in the UK and have use of benefits such as the NHS...
What's that Gurkha restaurant in Fleet called? I'd be happy to have that and a couple more hours on my wait in a and e near where I live now.