8th Gurkha Rifles

8 Gorkha Rifles
Active	1824 - Present
Country	India
Branch	Army
Type	Rifles
Size	6 Battalions
Regimental Centre	Shillong, Meghalaya
Nickname	The Shiny Eight
Motto	Kafar Hunu Bhanda Marnu Niko (Better to die than live like a coward)
War Cry	Ayo Gorkhali (The Gorkhas are here)
Engagements	First Anglo–Burmese War Bhutan War Great War World War II Sino-Indian war Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Decorations	4 (Victoria Cross Pre Independence) 1 Param Vir Chakra 4 Ashoka Chakras 1 Padma Vibhushan 1 Padma Bhushan 4 Param Vishist Seva Medals 7 Maha Vir Chakras 1 Uttam Yudh Seva Medal 2 Kirti Chakras 8 Ati Vishist Seva Medals and 1 Bar 22 Vir Chakras 13 Shaurya Chakras 1 Yudh Seva Medal 34 Sena Medals 12 Vishist Seva Medals
Battle honours	Post Independence Punch Chushul Sanjoi and Mirpur Theatre Honours Jammu & Kashmir 1948 Ladakh 1962 Jammu & Kashmir, 1965
Commanders
Notable commanders	Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw
Insignia
Regimental Insignia	A pair of crossed Khukris with the numeral 8 above
Tartan	Government (pipe bags and ribbons)

The 8 Gorkha Rifles is a Gorkha regiment of the Indian Army. It was raised in 1824 and later transferred to the British Indian Army. The regiment served in the Great War and World War II, before being one of the Gurkha regiments transferred to the Indian Army after independence. The regiment is one of the most celebrated regiments of the Indian Army, receiving numerous citations for bravery in the field of battle, and even producing one of the two field marshals, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, of the Indian Army.

Contents 1 History 2 World War I 3 World War II 4 Post Independence 4.1 Kashmir Operations 4.2 Sino-Indian war of 1962 4.3 Later Period 4.4 Notable Officers 5 See also 6 References

History

The Shiny Eight, as the regiment is popularly known in the Gorkha fraternity of the Indian Army, finds its roots of lineage to 16 Sylhet Local Battalion raised in 1824 and since then the identity of the Regiment has undergone a number of transitions to its present designation as the 8 Gorkha Rifles in 1907.

Military assignments commenced as soon after the raising of the Regiment when the first battalion formed the spearhead for operations in Burma War of 1824-25. The services of the Regiment were to be requisitioned again when the British went to War with Bhutan in 1864. Two battalion columns of the Regiment sallied forth, shoulder to shoulder to crush the Bhutanese revolts and the stronghold of Devnageri. The first Victoria Cross (VC) came to the Regiment in October 1879 in its first ever operation mission when its units were summoned to deal with Nagaland Rebels. This was the first time that a regular army unit was ever employed in the Naga hills. The Younghusband Expedition of 1904 was another jewel in the crown that brought a VC again to the Regiment, awarded to John Duncan Grant, for his actions during the British expedition to Tibet. Braving the high altitude climes of Tibet, the expeditionary force successfully stormed the Tibetan fortress of Gyantse at 19,000 feet.

World War I

World War I testified the enigmatic valour and heroism of the Regiment during the course of combat services in Italy, France, Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) and Egypt. 15 battle honours were earned during the period.

World War II

The Regiment's battalions also saw active overseas actions in Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Tobruk, El Alamein and Burma during World War II where the Regiment earned one VC and 22 Battle Honours. Lachhiman Gurung was awarded the VC during the Burmese Campaign. In January 1943 the 2nd Battalion was attached to the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade which had just returned from the Western Desert after having been almost destroyd at the Battle of Gazala ^[1] At the end of the month the brigade was renamed as the 43rd Indian Infantry Brigade (Lorried). The brigade and its Gurkha battalions were sent to Italy in mid 1944 as an Independent brigade. ^[2]

Post Independence

Kashmir Operations

Soon after partiti€on, 1/8 Gorkha Rifles saw action in the Jammu and Kashmir operations of 1948. In the action against Pakistan in the Kashmir area. Lieutenant Colonel Hari Chand with a handful of men marched on an unconventional route from Kulu to Leh at an altitude of 18,000 feet and destroyed the Pakistan guns, which forced them to withdraw from this sector and saved Leh from falling into Pakistani hands. In this action, Lieutenant-Colonel Hari Chand was awarded Maha Vir Chakra (MVC).

Sino-Indian war of 1962

One Param Vir Chakra was awarded to Major Dhan Singh Thapa, of the 1/8 Gorkha Rifles, during the Sino Indian War. To date this is the only recipient of the Param Vir Chakra for the Regiment.

Later Period

The Regiment was also involved in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistan conflicts during which members of the regiment were awarded 4 Maha Vir Chakras. The Regiment was also actively involved in the operations in Sri Lanka where again members of the regiment were awarded for gallentry winning one Maha Vir Chakra and four Vir Chakras.

In 1979 when the 1/8 became a Mechanised Infantry Regiment a further battalion was raised on July 1, 1979 and named the 7/8 Gorkha Rifles.

Notable Officers

The regiment has produced one Army Chief, Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw, MC and is incidentally the most celebrated personality of the Regiment. His contribution in the 1971 Indo-Pak War is a legend in the military history of India's Armed Forces.

See also

• Gorkha regiments of the Indian Army
• Indian Army
• British Indian Army
• Thomas Russell Fairgrieve

References

• Bharat-Rakshak

v • d • e Indian Army Infantry Regiments Brigade of the Guards • The Parachute Regiment • Mechanised Infantry Regiment • Punjab Regiment • Madras Regiment • The Grenadiers • Maratha Light Infantry • Rajputana Rifles • Rajput Regiment • Sikh Regiment • Sikh Light Infantry • Dogra Regiment • Garhwal Rifles• Kumaon Regiment • Assam Regiment • Bihar Regiment • Mahar Regiment • Jammu & Kashmir Rifles • Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry • Jat Regiment • Naga Regiment • 1 Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment) • 3 Gorkha Rifles • 4 Gorkha Rifles • 5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) • 8 Gorkha Rifles • 9 Gorkha Rifles • 11 Gorkha Rifles • Ladakh Scouts

---

No comments have been added.

Your name:
City:
Country:	USA UK India Pakistan UAE Saudi Arabia Germany Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burund Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Rep Chad Chile China Columbia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic DR Congo Denmark Djiboutil Dominica Dominican Rep Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Eq Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Grenadines Guatemala Guinea Bissau Guinea Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Neth Antilles Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Rawanda Romania Russia Sao Tome Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Korea South Africa Spain Sri Lanka St Kitts_Nevis St Lucia Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvala UAE Uganda Ukraine Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Western Samoa Yemen Yugoslavia Zaire Zambia Zimbabwe
Your comments:
Security check * (Please enter the number into adjoining box)