Gurkhas are nothing but extremely dedicated at whatever task the British Army gives them. We have them give jungle training because every war we fight there they are involved. As for shooting it’s the same they dedicate months of the year to practice. Physical fitness, in the gym they reminded me of Bruce Lee for physique. I think part of their culture is if my grandad was a machine gunner on a battalion then his dad was and now he is. They’re not treated badly once in training in the U.K. by their instructors because they did the hard part passing selection in Nepal. They’re part of a family then.
Over 30 years ago I worked with "Princess Mary's Own" 10th Gurkha Rifles. I did a Radio Retransmission site with them. Great guys. Friendly, proud to be Gurkhas and upholding the traditions of their forebears like we US Marines do. They know how to have fun and they also take their work very seriously.
My Grandpa used to tell me stories about the Gurkhas from when he was in WWII. It's not just shooting, those guys are like ghosts. They had a small detachment of Gurkhas stationed at the port he was in, and the commanding officer had a Gurkha knife that he hung in his office, and he told the Gurkhas if they were so good they would sneak in and take it from him that night without anyone noticing. He then stationed guards at his office door and went to bed. When he came in the next day the knife was still in the same place it was the day before, and then he called in the Gurkha commander and said, "well you didn't get the knife", and the Gurkha told him to open his desk drawer. Inside was an X that the Gurkha had cut the night before with the knife on the officer's wall before he placed it back like it had never been moved.
I am not a Gorkha, but I live in a Gorkha village in India, I saw it from childhood, they also use knives (khukhri) in school fights. Gorkha girl always likes to marry a military boy. Gorkha is strong and has good stamina. Gorkha always take revenge. They are loyal to his country. They love cannabis. They are good learner.
@@prajalchhetri4741 bro whole state nai “Gurkha land” state banaunere. 😁 keko village ko mattra kura. Grukhas take revenge, love cannabis!!!?? this guy is talking about Nepali people of Darjeeling India. They like to call themselves Gurkhas. With no knowledge of why Gurkhas are called Gurkhas. They are not taught Nepali history in India you see. 🤪
I spent many years with the Gurkhas at the jungle training school in Brunei. They are such good shots because they have never fired or seen a rifle before. They have no bad habits, and no pre-conceptions. They are given a rifle, and taught to shoot well, from scratch. They listen, and they take it in. They don’t turn around and try and tell the DS that they have been shooting for years and know what they are doing. A slow resting heart rate also helps.
Definitely the most accurate comment. I've seen them do it with other things, because they have no preconceptions and don't try and show off or be big-headed. When you show them or teach them how to do something they soak it up like a sponge, never interrupt or think they know better. I found I had to make more breaks and ask them if they had any questions, otherwise they would always wait right until the end to ask. A joy to teach.
@@1889jonny Thanks Jon. I spent time with Princess Marys own 10th Gurkha Rifles and King Edwards 7th Gurkha Rifles (Sirmoor Rifles). They loved a bit of fishing in the sungis near the base. Some epic currys on the beach!
I once dated the daughter of a Gurkha a few years back. He was the scariest and hardest guy id ever met, but also the happiest. Always smiling. Instant respect for him and you better believe i did everything i could not to piss him off!
The largest reason why they excel is the fact that its so competitive to get in to as a Gurkha from Nepal. For every one that get selected, there are so many that couldn't make the cut.
Having served in the British Army myself and trained alongside the Gurkhas, I’m not shocked to hear this at all. They are a different breed of soldier altogether, it clearly shows that they put 100% into everything they do. So I believe that is why they always finish with the highest percentage. Great men, great soldiers and was a privilege to serve alongside them.
sadly the British government dont see it that way was it just last week a old gurkha was on hunger strike outside paliment to speak to the government think he had a heart attack and went to the hospital
Just for your information, Nepalese Army trains with UK military as well. 🙂🙂Some selected soldiers from Nepalese Army is sent to UK for training. Recently one Nepalese soldier secured 1st position in Britains royal military academy training. Because of british gorkha regiment, the bond between nepal and uk is very strong.🙂
In my country Brunei, we also have a Gurkha army here. Only nepalis and British people can join the Gurkha. They are bunch of tough soldiers. They even fought WW2 against the German in Africa, Japanese in Philippines and many. When it comes to their personality, they are super friendly but their combat are ferocious.
It’s the a deal made between the sultan of Brunei and the British army, the sultan pays big money to have a battalion of British Gurkhas permanently based there since Gurkhas saved Brunei in ww2. And Gurkhas are also the British army’s only permanent jungle warfare specialist force.
Im from Nepal , I'm reading all comments ... ohhh make us so proud 🇳🇵🇳🇵🇳🇵 remember "blood ! we don't care but last drop we keep for fight back" जय गोर्खा 🙏
Im dutch, and i worked in Brunei, Kalimantan, for a while. Whilst there, we had a excursion with the company to promote team building. Some groups went mountain climbing, others went sailing etc etc. I went with my group into the jungle for 2 days under supervision of some local guides. So we learned to build huts, not to sleep on the floor etc etc. So in the evening, when we just finished dinner, a man suddenly came out from behind some tree's, and we were surprised that this man was walking in the dark in the middle of the jungle on his own. When he approached us, we noticed he was military and in full gear and turned out to be a Ghurka. He was walking for 3 days and had to walk another few hours to reach the next checkpoint. He was a very polite guy and after a small chat of barely a few minutes, he moved on. Lateron, the guides told us that there were many Ghurka in the country because the Sultan of Brunei is keeping units of these Ghurka's as Elite special guards in the Sultanate. These Ghurka's are easily recognized by their signature weapon, being the Khukuri, which is perfect for the jungle in this case. It was quite eye-opening that, eventhough this guy was walking in the middle of the jungle in the dark, he could easily find his way to, in this case, a checkpoint. Along with determination, politeness and a bright smile on his face (eventhough he has been walking for a long while) he was simply happy to have a small chat.
The difference between elite troops /special forces and ordinary infantry boils down to two things . Motivation , and mental toughness , Ghurkas motivation is one of the highest you'll ever see in the British Army and we are grateful to have them .
Much respect to the Gurkhas!! I never met him but my great grandpa would say "You got one Gurkha by your side then you're worth 6 men ", he adored the Gurkhas after fighting WW1. My grandparents always sent money to Nepal for the Gurkhas and my grandma carried on until she passed, 20 pounds a week out of her pension. A couple years before she passed i was doing a job where we demolished a house and rebuilt it but we had to dig the basement out. Anyway, the company to put the pre-cast concrete in were all Gurkhas. I was really pleased to be able to tell her that we had Gurkhas on the job.
The Gurkha's are the most polite and the kindest people you could hope to meet, unless you are the enemy, in that case god help you as no one else can.
As being a serving Gurkha one thing I want to say why we are so good at everything? Because we never regret from past we regret if we don’t win or don’t get at the edge /top from where we can see everything .so for that we prepare
Gerkhas are natural Rambo's. Its not that they're in the top 75 for shooting, its that they're in the top 75 for almost everything. They're warriors in uniform not soldiers. Rumour has it in WWII they rescued POWs and killed all the camp guards when they snook in at night in full ninja mode, better still (don'/t know of its true) they told the difference between brit/german by feeling how their bootlaces were tied. Brit: save, german:slice
That ninja mod fighting was happend in Burma ( now a days Myanmar) in ww2. my grandfather was there on that mission and the bootlaces thing was happend in Italy in ww2 too. Thanks for acknowledging about us.
What I read regarding WWII was that if you felt a tap on the shoulder while on night duty it might be a Ghurka checking your shoulder strap or webbing. If you didn't feel it, it could because you no longer have a head but had the wrong type of strap. Similarly, I believe that the Japanese WWII army boot has a distinctive seperate big toe, another possible identifier at night.
My Dad told who was in the army also told me the same story about the WWII Gurkhas about the German boots, but it was if laced meant British boots and no laces German. Also that they would leave one German soldier alive so he would tell the story of how the Gurkhas crept in without them knowing.
My time at the Gurkha Company, I learnt to be the best and compete against each other inturn to be the best individual out of the whole lot. Most of us come from a middle class family and we are eager to learn and strive for goals. We carry the pride our forefathers blessed us with and want to pass it to the future generations. And yes we love to smile back and try to accomplish a task in the best possible way so please dont get offended by our smile😁
During my 20+ years in the Australian Army I had the pleasure of serving with the Gurkhas. We also have a range practice called the Gurkha shoot where you run crawl etc between mounds firing from different positions. It's been a long time since I was in, can't remember exactly what the practice was but it was a tough shoot.
I had an Indian friend from Singapore. He was was there when the Japanese captured it during WW2 and worked as a translator for them. He told me a story that he personally witnessed. A Gurkha had been captured and it was decided that he would be executed. On being told his fate by my friend the Gurkha asked that he at least be allowed to die with a weapon in his hand. The Japanese respected that and gave him one of the two small knives that come with a khukri (blade is about 2" long). With that blade the Gurkha slashed the throats of two Japanese soldiers and killed them before the Japanese were able to shoot him dead. He went down fighting. Respect to than man.
Their Pride. The selection process starts at their home. Everyone wants to be selected. All born warriors, their whole culture is based on it. Most are really poor. With nothing to do but live out their lives in the village. So yeah, they wanna GET SOME !!!! and you talked about it in your last video (SF vs. Gamers) these young eager Gurkas have never done this before and are eager to learn and take direction well. so they have no bad habits to unlearn.thank you
Yep, every year at Bisley the top 100 is full of Gurkhas. The year I was there only one non Gurkha was in top twenty (he was 19th). They are very fit and extremely supple. When sitting position they rest elbows on the ground and chests along their legs. Us less supple guys sit with crossed legs. The shoots we do for military competitions are different to the normal annual shoots which are very easy so the poorer shots can pass. Pam 20 shoots are great. Roupell cup had a 100m sprint with respirator on go prone and shoot a hun’s head target at 100ms in 25 or 30 seconds iirc. Then after removing the respirator you had very fast exposures of much smaller than usual targets from 1-300ms. Fun and challenging. All Bisley shoots were with no aid, no RCO explaining the shoot. You had to know it because once they shout watch and shoot that’s it. Some were starting back at 600m with shoots from different positions at each range. I loved the far more challenging shoots. I won prizes as top tyro and a few trophies and medals.
There is a famous story regarding the Gurkhas (which I'm probably going to mess up) in which they're told to jump out of an aircraft; the Gurkhas simply ask, can we have parachutes. The story is probably apocryphal, but I think it gets across the point that Gurkhas don't second guess, they listen to instructions and carry them out to the letter.
@@Aditya-fs7ck In an aside, my Dad who was a radio operator in the Navy back in the '60s and had the privilege of serving with the Gurkhas in Malaya and Borneo and he had a life-long respect and admiration for the Gurkhas.
@@kevindean9503 The Gurkhas are mostly found in Nepal and India and are known for their bravely and courage I heard the same story which you wrote from a Maj General
@@Ramonse11 Don't be a dick. No one is forcing them to join up, they serve in the British Army because they want to. They make the same decision as every other army recruit does to sign on the dotted line and are treated in the same way. They are 'used' like any other military unit (good and bad). Now get back in your box.
Not really, Nepal has three distinct geographical reasons: Himalayas, Hills, and Terai (flat plains). Most of the Gurkhas are from the Hilly region, they don't really live in the mountains. They do train in steep hills though.
@@smithcodes1243 These Hills range from 1,500 to 3,000 metres (5,000 to 10,000 feet) in elevation. Were they not so close to the Himalayas, they would be called mountains.
@@smithcodes1243 its maybe down to genetics, the current guys joining the gurkhas may not live in the mountains, but for generations their ancestors would have, and they would have had great cardio and breathing control. Also the terrain they live in would keep any person fit. In the west most people with a car would drive 1 mile to get a pint of milk but in Nepal I doubt most families have a car let alone have a great road system to use them on, so general day to day living probably keeps them fit, I doubt there is many morbidly obese Nepalese. It is also a very hard selection process to get accepted to train as a gurkha, thousands apply yet only a few hundred get in, so that would make a very fit gurkha before any training takes place. I think that their culture which is all about pride and not losing face plus their Buddhist religion where they do not fear the wrath of God helps them in a combat situation, add that to great wages and pension that would be hard to match for most people in Nepal would make a great soldier after training with a highly experienced Western military. Young men in Western society have life very easy, sitting on their arses playing xbox and living with there parents until they are 25, being young in Nepal not having much choice in life, getting to became a gurkha is a dream for most young men, and when they get there they work so hard to stay there, that in my opinion why they are such great loyal British soldiers, once they get in it is a job for life, and them and they're family don't have to worrie about finances for the future any more.
@@smithcodes1243 terai is just 17%. plus each and every gurkha is from the hills. also the furthest terai that you're talking about is just an half hour ride from hill.
I only trained as a reservist for 2 1/2 years, but I was always impressed with the attitude and badass nature of these ferocious gentlemen. Always polite and kind in the training areas and on base, always enthusiastic, and always admired and respected by us lowly Brits. The selection is brutal, only finding the best of the best, the pride to improve and overcome and adapt is incredible, the camaraderie of being different and special is remarkable. I will take nothing away from the effort and the ability and hard work of these extraordinary fighting men, with centuries of reputation of being warriors for long long before the British every encountered them. For these movement and shooting excercises, competition, and (of course) combat, it might be worth understanding that many of these incredible soldiers spend much of their youth at higher altitude than most British soldiers ever visit until they begin training. We Brits live in cities and towns & villages where the oxygen is thick and abundant, and we're used to having full lungs. I know how totally wiped-out I was when traveling up in the Himalayas a few years ago. I think the Gurkhas' tempering in relatively low-oxygen for so much of their lives marks them out from us Brits. And that is not a criticism or saying they have an advantage... but they may have an advantage, because where they grew up made them more badass than us - surely for breathing as a marksman, it must make a difference. These guys are pure class, on every level. Gentlemen badass warriors, and the best shots in the British Army. I'm sure it's a testament to their ability that British fighting soldiers aren't just in awe of them, but hope to emulate them, and strive to be better themselves too. The British Army, and the people of the nation are so, so proud that these exceptional Nepalese warriors would serve for us. And we're so grateful too.
My bet is it is down to selection. Gurkha selection is very refined, the soldiers that pass must be super talented individuals across a broad range of subjects. Would make sense they are the types of people that pick things up quickly and get very proficient at anything they apply themselves to.
I live near a Gurkha barracks and one of them was getting some money from a cash machine when some idiot drew a knife on them and tried to take their money. It didn't end well for the criminal! Probably a useful lesson for them though.
@@randyrhyne1195 They choose UK army for money, first they try for UK but if they got rejected, they try for indian army or France and if that also not work they will apply for working visa in golf country. Compare to UK, INDIA N FRANCE, Nepali army doesn't even have enough money for Nepalese army.
@@randyrhyne1195 If UK INDIAN N FRANCE lower their army salary like Nepal army with no PR Trust me no one gonna apply for sure. I'm not being disrespectful but this is bitter truth
@@Jacobcr93 That may be the reason they join, but once they are serving it becomes more about the job and the camaraderie. The men you serve with become your brothers. It is a way of life.
I’ve worked with them. They never get drunk, or cause trouble, extremely respectful. Obsessed with their job. The fittest soldiers in the world. Plus tradition is they draw their knife the have to draw blood. They beheaded the taliban with them, gutted them like a fish. Ruthless killing machines.
The knife thing is a myth, they use those kukri as tools as well as weapons, and they'd go through a lot of bandages or people if they had to draw blood whenever they wanted to chop some wood or make dinner.
Actually they do get drunk and stupid when they party but when they have to follow orders they take that to 1000% . How do i know u ask? My grand dad and dad were one and most of classmates are one now.
The Gurkhas are insane I’ll always remember when I was based in catterick in early 2000s you would see them constantly training day and night we would all be hanging tired at the end of the day and they would be leaving to go on another tab. Great guys always giving 110%.
@Arid Sohan read his words - at the end of the day leaving to go on another tab (look up the word, it's specific but used to mean a fast movement carrying a bergan/weight) - physical.
My father worked with the Gurkhas in the sixty's, always told me,The best friends you will ever have,and your worst enemy!very proud they fight for us, God bless these men and their country.
my Dad was an officer in 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha rifles in the late 80s early 90s. There has never been a day in my life where he hasn't mentioned the Gurkhas bravery and enthusiasm
I can tell you they are amazing shooters. They are dedicated and focused. I used to compete against most UK police forces and that includes SO19 at Bisley, Hythe & Lydd. I’ve never felt so outclassed. And when they beat you, they chat to you and give you advise. They told me the hunt at home and if they can’t shoot they don’t eat. Amazing guys.
My Father served in the UK for 29 long years in 7th Gorkha Rifles. He was the gold medalist in shooting ! Proud to say that my father belonged to the UK army. Long live the friendship between Nepal and the UK.
I saw a documentary on Gurkhas once and the training officer said 'The Gurkhas have not been bought up with xbox and gangster movies so armaments are new to them so they are taught weapon skills from scratch without preconceived call of duty beliefs" hence good riflemen
Its a combination of being highly motivated even at the point of application to join. They are disciplined and take instruction easily but seriously. They work as a team helping and supporting each other constantly and above all pride in what they are and what they do. They are among the finest fighting forces in the world and bloody nice blokes.
Canadian Forces Veteran, I have worked with the Gurkhas, very disciplined and dedicated troops. They sacrifice more than any other UK soldiers to serve as well. I wouldn’t want to face them!
I'd heard about this when I was a kid at school. An English teacher, "Jock Craig" was an ex-Gurkhas officer and Mr Pittman, an ex-RM sniper explained it to us. 1). There is massive competition to get into the Gurkhas. A huge number of young men turn up every year for the selection process. So it is an opportunity to select the very best recruits. Probably akin to US paratrooper selection in WW2, looking for everyone to have the potential to be an NCO. 2). As you said, they take instruction very well. They are polite and courteous, they listen and do as they are told. It would be disrespectful to do otherwise. So they listen to the instruction on who to shoot, and follow it through.
My Grandfather was a Sargent Major in the British Army, he told me about the Gurkhas in WW2. he was proud to have served with them, the commitment to the people they served with and always said they were the best soldier, as they were legendary. I would be honored to shake one of there hands and buy him a drink. They saved and protected him on several occasions during WW2 so if it wasn't for them I would have missed out on having that important person in my life. If I could afford it I would buy all military and civilian emergency services personal (previous and currently serving) a drink and a firm hand shake, thank you all for your service. You Gurkhas thanks for looking after my family at the time and thanks to all as mentioned above.
The Gurkha troops are chosen from the absolute very best from an entire nation of lean, hungry, motivated men. They are innately driven to be the elite because of pride, training and tradition. None of them wish to be the weak link that dimineshes their past glories. Every one of them is motivated to add to their amazing history.
We have them in our forces too. Their self discipline, fierce pride to do their best, seriousness with training and pursue of excellence are simply of the highest standards
I know one thing about the gurkhas ability to shoot, ever seen the gurkha style seated shot? Ive seen this in person. They can sit on their backside, legs outstretched in front of them with their feet together. Then they rest the muzzle between their toes/bootcaps. Lean forward, resting their cheek on the cheekpad (places their chin nearly 4/5 inches above their thighs) and aim down sight to shoot. Only 1 girl on my Phase 1 could achieve this, and the Gurkha Corporal there just done it with ease no stretching.
Damn I can almost do this, haven't trained before but I'm a very naturally flexible guy. I can get my cheek on the stock but can't quite line up a shot anything higher than what would be someone's calves or knees.
Hey man, a competition for the Gurkhas start from the first day of selection. 3 generations in my family have all served in the Gurkha Regiment and all of them retired as proud officers. So I tried for the selection back in 2003 and sadly I did not make it to the top 300 who were selected out of just over good couple of thousand quality fit guys. Still a proud son of a Gurkha 🙏😁.
I honestly think it's the vision. In the UK you can spend your entire day and have to narrow your vision further than 100m. In Nepal you only have to go 2 minutes at most to see a range of many miles. Long vision.
I was on the ranges in my training and the officer who was supervising me was a gurka and I came 2nd in the shooting competition so they are good mentors
The Gurkhas are probably the most motivated solider's you'll ever meet, in the world. These men already have to pass a tough as shit selection back in Nepal. They take huge pride in what they do and just being a Gurkha is something to be proud of. Out of 82,000 regular soldiers in the British army, 3,200 of them are Gurkha's. Each and every one passionate about what they do. They're unbelievable
Think this explains a lot about how the gurkhas think Tim Bowden, in his book One Crowded Hour about cameraman Neil Davis, tells about an incident that happened in Borneo during the confrontation between Malaysia and Indonesia in 1964. A group of Gurkhas from Nepal were asked if they would be willing to jump from transport planes into combat against the Indonesians if the need arose. The Gurkhas had the right to turn down the request because they had never been trained as paratroopers. Bowden quotes Davis's account of the story: "Now the Gurkhas usually agreed to anything, but on this occasion the provisionally rejected the plan. But the next day one of their NCOs sought out the British officer who made the request and said they had discussed the matter further and would be prepared to jump under certain conditions. "What are they?" asked the British Officer. "The Gurkhas Told him they would jump if the land was marshy or reasonably soft with no rocky outcrops, Because they were inexperienced in falling. The British officer considered this, and said that the dropping areas auld almost certainly be over jungle, and there would not be rocky outcrops, so that seemed all right. Was there anything else? "Yes, said the Gurkhas. They wanted the plane to fly as slowly as possible and no more than one hundred feet high. The British officer pointed out the planes always did fly as slowly as possible when dropping troops, but to jump from 100 feet was impossible, because the parachutes would not open in time from that height. "Oh," said the Gurkhas, "that's all right, then. We'll jump with parachutes anywhere. You didn't mention parachutes before!"
Motivation, extra training, dedication, sheer will. They're also freaks of nature physically because surviving at elevation where they were simply born has led to the natural selection for good eyesight and the ability to survive and thrive on levels of oxygen a lot of others can't.
I am a Brit and am so proud of the fine military traditions of not only our UK personnel but especially of the Gurkhas. Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw said of them "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha. Another soldier, Sir Ralph Turner (Military Cross) said of them "Bravest of the brave, most generous of the generous, never had a country more faithful friends than you" The British Field Marshal Viscount Slim said of them "The Almighty created in the Gurkhas an ideal infantryman, indeed an ideal Rifleman, brave, tough, patient, adaptable, skilled in field-craft. Intensely proud of his military record and unswerving loyalty. Enough said.
I served alongside the Gurkhas when I was in the Scots Guards and they are as tough as they come. They are the most polite and loyal soldiers I have ever meet. I remember in basic training the Gurkhas, Paras and Guards were in the same camp and we did exercises with them, I couldn't keep up honestly 😂. Just the requirements they have just to be able to join is incredible only %5 pass the tests and are allowed to train in the UK. Their Barracks are state of the art with their own basketball court in the middle, all payed for by past recruits. Better die fighting than be a coward is the GURKHA way
Great Blog as usual 👍🏼 Many many years ago the unit I was in had the opportunity to work alongside these guys, it was only for a short period before we were tasked for another job and we Wombled off and left them. However just watching how they operated over a couple of days left an impression of guys who are just so committed that the levels of professionalism were off the scale, always smiling and not phased by any task, they went the extra mile doing everything even down to personal cammo when the terrain changed off went the green grass to heathland reeds and so on, other infantry units just carried on regardless with what they started with. Really switched on guys, who see service in the British Army as an honour not just a pay cheque. Apparently Gurkhas serve also in the Indian Army (we split the regiments when we left India upon independence and 2/3rds went to India 1/3rd to the U.K. (cuts have shrunk that number) and also Singapore has Gurkhas as a paramilitary force to maintain the balance - as the country is split between two different racial groups - so the Gurkhas are utterly impartial to any power play going on.
Brilliant set of videos. I've met several Ghurka's in my time and we're all very proud of them. Several years ago we discovered they weren't given the right to live in the UK when they left service. There was outrage from the population and an actress who's father was a Ghurka officer in WWII campaigned to give them all the rights here they deserve. These guys are something else. A Pathfinder I knew worked with them in Kenya in the 70's, and told me how they set ambushes right in the bushes at the edge of trails, and knew which soldiers they were unending just by the way their boot laces were laced and tied. Amazing warriors.
I think that there are several factors, but the ones that really jump out at me are 1)Pride - there is a legacy/history that comes with the Gurkhas and the competition to become a British Gurkha is fierce and exacting so only the best candidates are successful 2)Responsibility - for a lot of British Gurkhas their wage is incredibly important to their families back in Nepal, whatever bonuses they can qualify for only add to the total that they can send home 3)Reality of being a Nepali in Britain - while I do not know for sure what it is like for a Nepali in Britain, I know for the Nepalis who do training in Canada they are somewhat cutoff from the general camaraderie that you would normally see in various army settings, such as not knowing English fluently and not having the money to do things on liberty as they send most of their money to their families, thus they focus on training and doing better so as to ensure that they are valued by those who have hired them. I must admit that I do have a bias when it comes to the Gurkhas as I grew up in Nepal and have always held them in high regard.
Gurkhas are a fearless clan, very honest, very loyal. Their courge comes from their ancesteral values, legends, mythology, the himalayan terrain and consciousness. The word Gurkha comes from Gorakhnath, an indian martial yogi, who had walked the lenghts and breaths of india/pakistan.
I'm Aussie.. my dad use to tell me fantastic stories of the legendary Gurkha's when I was a kid. I grew up loving them! Very very proud that they're our brothers in arms!
I've asked the "why" question to a gurkha friend who is in the top 100 shots in the British Army. As I have also wondered why. He believes it's their competitive nature. Their selection is also a lot harder to be in the British Army in the first place and you could argue that they've sacrificed more to be there. So perhaps partly, they just want it more.
@@krumble104 doesn't everyman look for the best job they can to provide a better life for their families. Difference is they are willing to die whilst serving the queen. Who then will provide. Bless. Thanks for response.🏴
Thanks for the bit. My father was in the British Army in the 1940's, the only thing he shared freely and delightfully always about the experience was that he got to meet and hang out with Gurkhas at Columbo barracks demob camp in Ceylon. Why? I can't tell you, just adding historical fact to the Gurkha legend. Cheers.
I was active old school Army 2002 sitting and relaxing when shooting, rejoined as a reserve and now I'm sprinting up to firing positions with time limits to fire so many rounds.
A few Remembrance Days ago at the Royal Canadian Legion I met a man who was in a WWII 20mm AA battery. The Canadians were just newly placed in the line in Italy. He was on sentry duty the first night. It was a new moon and extremely dark. The nearest other unit was a Gurkha regiment. He felt a tap on his boots, and heard, “OK, Canada” and never saw the Gurkha soldier. The Gurkha came crawling to probe; checked the way the Canadian boots were laced to verify it wasn’t a German and left unseen ! 😳
I don't know how true this is, my grandad was in Burma with the Gurkas in WW2. He had a set of Kukri given to him. He had this one story where his platoon were laying in ambush when a Gurka patrol found them. The gurkas identified them by the soles of their boots. My Grandad said he's was not sure whether he was more surprised by their appearance or relieved.
In response to them being better shooters think it might be that it means more to them...Not sure if it's still the case but know a lot of the Lads were/are from poor rural mountain communities Remember hearing story of a bridge that Lads use to throw themselves off if they didn't make selection or something......Grim but Suppose it's they're way of getting out of the muck and impressing the family and those close. Credit to my Nations Armed Forces though and bless everyone in uniform.
Yep, the bridge that’s just outside the selection camp in Pokhara, Nepal. It’s a Deep gorge “seti khola” river seti is the name. I have heard of this too.
Huge respect for Gurkha's! They deserve all respect one can give. Real ferocious warriors, and many of them earned the VC, that says a lot! I am glad they are on our side. They should earn more money in my opinion. It is a big shame. These guys give everything. We owe so much to them.
Gurkhas have a long cultural tradition of being excellent warriors. Compared to others in the military it's like Michael Jordan vs other top NBA players, the other guys are pro too, but Jordan was on another level because of his mind and the extra miles in training.
They have amazing eyesight. I have never seen a Gurkha soldier with glasses on his nose. Not many of the retired Gurkha recruiters wear them either. This and a lower heart rate due to a healthy diet and their environment makes them keen to learn from scratch and they are also very competitive in all aspects of their military service.
I recommend reading ' Bugles and a tiger' by John Masters. I served alongside Gurkha soldiers, and have always had a great respect. Reading Masters book really brought it into context. As to shooting, I believe that life in Nepal requires a greater eye to your surroundings, elements, and the will to be the best.
Training in Hampshire for almost a year, there were groups of Gurkhas doing driver training, servicing vehicles and simple vehicle fault finding skills. At weekends they would sometimes buy a small pig (I've no idea where they got them), and cook it in a pit, or maybe make a huge curry. They were a friendly and happy bunch, always had a ready smile, and the politest guys you could meet.
Although I have never served with any Ghurkas, I do know that their lungs and hearts are different. They have both lungs and hearts that process oxygen better than we do because of the very high altitudes that they live in. Since excellent shooting involves breathing and heart rate control, they are probably better at shooting because of this advantage. But, they can’t swim. They have to be taught how. Cheers. 🇨🇦
There is most definatly a huge pride in being a Gurkha here in the UK, these guys have a long history of being great soldiers and it's well earned & deserved.
They simply just care more, I know from experience most units will struggle to get any range time due to being "too busy" then on top of that during training, range sessions are just a reason to beast recruits and that just makes people despise range days. The Gurkha teams will usually have an A team that shoots and is usually expected to do the best, a B team who will learn and are still in development but still great shooters, and finally a C team who will help with admin whilst getting to know the shoots and how everything works.
The Ghurkas have many Regiments and have a lot to choose from, plus they are so eager to be a Ghurka they train for years to get selected so they are naturally best of the best. Its in built, to all Ghurkas out there, Tapā'īkō sēvā kō lāgī dhan'yavāda (thank you for your service)
Life is hard in Nepal , and $15K is a yearly income. Being a gurkha warrior can change life for you AND your descendants ...it can be a way to migrate to Brittan and get a proper British military pension . We are too fat and spoiled in the west to remember what its like to be hungry and keen
Its a big deal to make it into the Gurka's and they take immense pride in being a part of unit. As a Gurka officer once said, "You only have to show these lads once".
I don't know why the Gurka are such fantastic warriors, but they are. I have to say that having met some in years past when I served in the WRAC, they are also the most courteous and polite men that I have ever had the pleasure to have met .
The Gurkhas are badasses as they're these courageous, born-to-be warriors. It'll be great if a lot were to have their qualities. I rate them highly a lot because they are the bravest of the brave and feared nothing. I think that if you put them through US Marine boot camp, they're not gonna be intimidated by the drill instructors and could breeze through recruit training and go "is this all they have to offer?".
I believe that because they are from high altitude, after the run up to the range, their heart rate is slower and they are perhaps not as exausted and their pulse rate is slower. They are able to make a more relaxed shot. Athletes that live and train at high altitudes usually have an advantage.
I think the top 75 out of 100 being Gurkhas, is possibly due to being very strong, allowing them to hold their weapons more steadily (my brother is as strong as an ox, and I’ve seen him free hand targets out to 300 yards easily) being VERY disciplined, meaning they’ll follow all instructions and training they receive to the letter, and possibly better eyesight. I haven’t seen a lot of Gurkhas in videos wearing glasses. Just my theory.
U wouldnt even make it through the selection in nepal with glasses my friend . Few lucky motivated and all rounder on fitness and education and specially medically fit with no slight defect boys gets the opportunity
@@revivgurung3965 Now that you mention it, I think I remember hearing something about that before. NO defects. In fact JT featured a vid about them where some got cut for heart murmurs after a medical exam.
The Gurkhas are involved a lot with the selection and training scenarios with new SAS recruits so it could be that they're a more active unit than others.
It was the same with the Philippine Scouts (PS). The PS was organized in 1901 in the Philippines immediately after the country became a US colony. The PS was part of the US Army, but organized only for service in the Philippine Islands, with all of the enlisted men being Filipinos and the officers being Americans. The PS were elite Soldiers, and it was very difficult to become a member, as they were all career soldiers, and thus I had to wait until one retired for an opening to occur, and then compete against scores of others for that opening. Potential Scouts prepared for this by serving and training full time for free while awaiting an opening. Among the many skilled most desired for as Scout were crack marksmanship, and a talent for baseball as these were the major competitions all year long between the different companies, battalions, and regiments of Scouts. Huge prestige for the unit members came with winning the large rotating silver trophies for these competitions. Very often Scouts were third and forth generation, passed on from father to son. It was considered to be an honor for an American officer to be selected to command Philippine Scouts, as the were the best trained, most disciplined, professional, proud Soldiers in the US Army. There was also great prestige among their there own countrymen with being a Scout, as it was considered to be the best, highest paid profession in the country, and the only one with a life time pension. Marrying a Scout also carried great prestige, and thus a Scout could have his pick among the most beautiful girls in the country. Philippine Scouts former the back bone of General Douglas MacArthurs plans for the defense of the Philippines against Japanese in the event of war. By the time of the Japanese invasion in Dec of 1941, the Scouts consisted of three regiments of Infantry, one Regiment of horse Calvary, and a number of service units, totaling some 12,000 men. Time and time again, the Scouts were thrown into the breach to delay the tank led Japanese Forces as MacArthur’s Republic of the Philippines Army Divisions broke, and retreated, down the central plains of the main island of Luzon toward the temporary safety of the Bataan Peninsula, saving the Army from complete route,but in so doing losing most of their number. Yes, the legionary Philippine Scouts were America’s Gurkhas in every sense of the word, and they were reorganized after the war,and continued to serve there after the Philippines became and independent country in 1946,until 1949, when the Philippines forced the US to disband them.
The Philippine Army Scout Rangers inherited that tradition. A cross of Alamo Scouts and Army Rangers. They still have a final test (combat) mission to be admitted fully in their brotherhood. It is not surprising that 1 or 2 candidates get killed on their test mission.
There was a major NATO exercise many years ago with a mixture of units protecting major targets. The defenders were very disciplined and even at night were very quiet and were careful with their lighting. The British contingent were determined to beat off the attackers, especially when they heard the attackers were Gurkha's. They thought they'd done well until just before daybreak and they all heard " Bang English !!" and little laughs. The Gurkha's were right in front of them and they'd never heard or felt a thing!!
