The Editor

A QUICK NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to our 100th Edition. I really began to understand the book’s greatness. It unashamedly celebrates the Indeed, many of Slim’s aphorisms contained in Defeat Regimental service of our greatest into Victory have guided me through much of my soldier, Field Marshal The Viscount military service. Slim. It also celebrates the legacy of all of us: the 25th anniversary of the founding of The Royal We are lucky, as always, to have an article by our Gurkha Rifles. I was lucky enough to be at the 25th Regimental historian, John Mackinlay, this time on anniversary celebrations at Sir John Moore Barracks Slim’s Regimental service. Many of the other articles on 9 July 2019. One of the awards presented by HRH in this edition contain their author’s memories of The Prince of Wales was the Slim award, which is Field Marshal Slim, whether on a selection board, presented annually to the LE Gurkha Captain who is Sandhurst study or pass out parade. They are a considered to have provided the most inspirational tapestry of unreported history that illustrate the leadership throughout the course of the year – in 2019 veneration he was and is held in by his Regiment. to Captain Vijayprakash Subba Limbu. anywhere. It is one of the four best commands in alone; you have at last a real command. A division, creation of its spirit and its leadership in battle give experience that can befall a man.’ Heady stuff for a Sandhurst cadet, although the details of the Burma campaign were lost on me at the time. It was not until I read it again whilst leading a small group of 6th Gurkhas on a visit to Kohima and Imphal in 1992 to celebrate our 175th anniversary that I have also included a short story set on the North Whilst at Sandhurst I had a copy of Defeat into West Frontier written by Slim himself; space Victory on the shelf in my room in Victory College. I precluded me from including the full article, but I even read it because I can still remember it has one hope it will encourage readers to get hold of a copy of the most wonderful opening paragraphs of any of Unofficial Histories which is reviewed elsewhere military history I have read: in this Journal. Student’s Interlude is a real boy’s own

‘It was good fun commanding a division in the account of a 6th Gurkha Rifles rear-guard withdrawing

Iraq desert. It is good fun commanding a division in contact on the North West Frontier. the Service – a platoon, a battalion, a division, There is also a historical account by Gordon Corrigan and an army. A platoon because it is your first of the formation of the Royal Gurkha Rifles 25 years command, because you are young, and because, ago. It is an important article as the RGR are both the if you are any good, you know the men in it better legacy of our 200-year history and our Regimental than their mothers do and love them as much. future. As the Slim award shows our Regimental

A battalion, because it is a unit with a life of its history continues to guide the present generation of own; whether it is good or bad depends on you lahures in an unpredictable world. because it is the smallest formation that is a It is one of the greatest privileges of my life to complete orchestra of war and the largest in which belong to the same Regiment that Captain, later Field every man can know you. An army, because the Marshal, Slim served in. you the greatest unity of emotional and intellectual Jai Sixth!

adventure story, but it is also a meticulously accurate

Captain Vijayprakash Subba Limbu receives the Slim award from HRH The Prince of Wales at the 25th anniversary celebrations at Sir John Moore Barracks, 1 July 2019