Hello everyone, 2/7 Gurkha Rifles was captured at Tobruk in June 1942. I see in Chris Kempton’s Loyalty & Honour that the battalion was re-formed in Egypt shortly afterward. Does anyone know whether the re-formed battalion contained drafts from other 7 Gurkha Rifles battalions in India, specifically any that had seen service in Burma? Cheers Wilhar
Here is the information on the reformation of the 2/7th Gurkha Rifles from: Mackay, John N. History of the 7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Gurkha Rifles. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons, Ltd., 1962.
Maj Gen McCandlish clearly had a brain. If 2/7 GR had not been re-raised their superb operation to secure Tavoleto on the Gothic Line in early Sep 44 would never have happened. That piece of soldiering was quite something. Regards Frank
Thank you David, as usual, for generously sharing from your library, and Charley for the initial offer. The reason I ask this question is I had seen a medal group issued to a man of the Indian Army 11th Gurkha Rifles, which formed in 1948 from elements of the 7th and 10th Gurkhas who opted against service in the British army. The group included the Burma Star, Africa Star and Italy Star, along with the Indian Independence Medal and usual 39-45 Star, Defence Medal and War Medal. I have never before seen an Indian WW2 medal group that included campaign stars for Burma, Africa and Italy, and am trying to figure out how a man could have got all three. My best guess so far is that a man from 1/7 GR or 3/7 GR was attached to the regimental centre after the disasters in Burma in 1942, then (per the scans above) got transferred to 2/7 GR when it was re-formed in Egypt in Oct. 1942. Both 1/7 and 3/7 GR appear to have suffered badly in the retreat from Burma, being amalgamated into a composite battalion following the Sittang Bridge episode. Once in India, both battalions needed to be rested and reorganized, and replacements needed to be brought in. I would expect that this included a major reorganization, which could well have included men being moved to the regimental centre for various reasons. Thoughts? I wonder if I could impose for another check of the official history for any mention of men being moved to the regimental centre following the evacuation from Burma? Wilhar
Wilhar. If the chap had the Italy Star then he could have previously served in 2/10 GR or 2/7 GR. Both were in Italy. 2/7 GR served with 4 Ind Div in East and North Africa and 2/10 GR joined 43 Lorried Inf Bde when it was formed in Iraq in Jan 43. Regards Frank
Hello Frank, Yes, I had considered that this man could have been with 2/10 GR, but I am not sure how a 2/10 GR man would have had the Africa Star, as I think their time in the Middle East was spent in Palestine and Iraq. Also, the re-forming of 2/7 GR is a rational explanation of how a man serving in Burma could have ended up in the Mediterranean (although impossible to prove for individual men, of course). Wilhar
