AGM and Reunion

6 GRRA AGM AND ANNUAL REUNION

Gurkha Museum 16 November 2019

On a bright November morning, since the granting of our Royal Title “Queen Elizabeth’s another successful annual Book of Own” in 1959. By the door into the library the Museum Remembrance service complete, we had kindly placed a board with enlarged copies of both walked from Winchester Cathedral up the Special Army Order confirming the granting of the hill to the Gurkha Museum in Peninsula Barracks. the Royal Title and the photograph of the 6th and 7th Gurkhas invited to Buckingham Palace on 10 June 1959 The Museum library was full for the AGM, the first to be received by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal for our new Chairman. The agenda included a brief Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. by Mike Channing on the Regimental Memorial project and the significant progress which has been Forty-six of us sat down to lunch in the McDonald made. The form of the proposed memorial and its Gallery to enjoy one of Bindhya’s excellent bhats. planned location at the Gurkha Memorial Museum, As the guest of honour, it was a great pleasure to Pokhara was met with unanimous approval. have with us Anthony Wakeham MBE, being the only surviving 6 GR British Officer present at Buckingham During the Reunion we marked the 60th Anniversary Palace in 1959. At the time, Anthony was ADC to

Corporal Lokraj Limbu, 10 The Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, piping round the tables

Major General Jim Robertson, then Major General The Brigade of Gurkhas. Also present at the Reunion as guests were Colonel Alistair Roberts (formerly Duke of Wellington’s Regiment) and his wife Carolyn. Alistair is the step-grandson of Major General Geoffrey Bruce who was President of the Regimental Association in 1959. Alistair has written a biography of General Geoffrey which includes his remarkable contribution to the 1922 and 1924 Everest expeditions. Alistair has kindly presented a copy to the Association which our President plans to pass on to the Gurkha Museum for addition to the 6 GR collection.

Among others present were Robin (formerly RGJ) and Michael (formerly 17th/21st Lancers), the two sons of Wyn Amoore, CO 1/6th in 1959 and, as guests of the Association, Canon Brian Rees and his wife Susan. Canon Rees had led our Book of Remembrance service in the Cathedral with great empathy for the second year running and we hope to see him again next year. In the absence of Gavin Edgerley-Harris, the Museum

Alistair Roberts with his biography of Geoffrey Bruce Director, away on a duty visit to Nepal, we were happy to welcome Doug Henderson, the Collections Officer, always a great help to Members seeking items from our archives. It was very good to see both Mike and Angela Wardroper at a Reunion again after a number of years as it was Tony and Felicity Groves.

At the end of lunch, after the loyal toast, Duncan Briggs, our Chairman, thanked everyone for coming, especially our guests. The piper, Corporal Lokraj Limbu QOGLR, kindly brought by Paul Gilham, played a set around the tables. And to round off an excellent day, Donald Ruffell most generously presented his family’s portrait of Hugh Wallace (as on the cover of our 2019 Journal) to the Gurkha Museum. It was received on their behalf by our President and Museum Trustee, Brigadier John Anderson; together with Hugh’s Elizabeth Cross it will form part of the 6 GR archive.

Brian O’Bree

Donald Ruffel presents the portrait of Hugh Wallace to Brigadier John Anderson for the Gurkha Museum