REGIMENTAL
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LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN
ell, I hope that you all feel that we fared better in 2021 than in 2020; but sadly, we still had a number of deaths among our veterans and our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and friends who will still be feeling their great loss. On a brighter note, we also had quite a few new Members who joined the Association and I would like to offer them a particularly warm welcome. Our own year started with a new life in the family with our youngest daughter giving birth to our granddaughter, a really special moment and a reminder how wonderful life can be. Similarly, life has returned to the Association with a number of very successful events during the year. The first presentation on “Slim, the Gurkha Officer” by John Mackinlay, Ray Pett and Bob Couldrey finally took place at the Gurkha Museum in June and was a resounding success. It was made even more special by the attendance of 10 members of the Slim Family, including the current Viscount, Mark Slim. Two further presentations took place to great acclaim and this now forms part of the Museum’s digital archive as well as being the subject of an article in this Journal. Christopher Bullock also gave a superb digital presentation describing some of his experiences as a company commander in Borneo on Claret Operations, told with his usual delightful understatement.
of everyone connected to the Association and the Welfare Trust. So, if you are travelling on GWR, do look out for the train and check out the small crossed kukris around the name. Another event where I was privileged to represent our Association was the unveiling of the statue of Kulbir Thapa VC in Princess Gardens in Aldershot. This was a wonderful occasion, the culmination of an extraordinary effort by the Nepali Communities in the Aldershot and Farnborough area to raise the finance and with our own Gary Ghale playing the key role of Project Manager and Biru Thapa as a committee member. Kulbir was the first Gurkha to be awarded a Victoria Cross and it was for an extraordinary rescue of a British soldier during a battle in World War I. The statue is a most beautiful sculpture and demonstrates the strong links between the Gurkha and the British soldier and by extension between the people of Britain and the people of Nepal.
Thankfully, in 2021 the GBA events in November, including the Remembrance events were able to take place. Viscount Slim kindly joined us for the Field of Remembrance and the laying of wreaths at the Slim and Gurkha statues in Whitehall. The Cenotaph March and the service at the Chautara in the National Arboretum were also held but were not well attended and I would like to urge all Members, who are able to join us, to attend one or the other. We were also able to hold our own Service of Remembrance in Winchester Cathedral, our Association Annual General It was also Christopher who alerted us to the Meeting and our Reunion on 20 November. These intention of the Great Western Railway (GWR) to were really well attended, and the Reunion was the name one of their new high-speed trains after most relaxed and happy event, where we were able Tulbahadur Pun VC as one of a number of World to welcome a number of guests: Charles and Becky War 2 heroes to be honoured. A group from the Russell from C (Mogaung) Company RGR, Peter Association, the Gurkha Brigade Association (GBA) Williams, who has weaved his magic as Designer of our and the Gurkha Welfare Trust, plus Tulbahadur’s daughter and son gathered at a very noisy working Journal for the last nine years and Robert LlewellynPaddington Station for the short but lovely ceremony Smith, whose great uncle, Duncan Lloyd briefly to name the train. This included a stirring speech commanded 1/6 GR after Sari Bair. Robert has recently by Joanna Lumley, who we were extremely pleased produced a fascinating book of letters covering the to congratulate more recently on being made a era which we are hoping to see in print. The Reunion Dame in the New Year’s Honours List to the delight also contained a couple of lovely surprises.
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