Re: 11 Gurkha Rifles in training
 

I agree entirely with you regarding inhumane treatment: certain people in Iraq come to mind: however the "hearts and minds" work comes after the search. The number of SEPs (Surrendered Enemy Personnel) we dealt with proves I think that we had the right attitude as they went back into the jungle to get their friends out.

mcgregoruk

Re: 11 Gurkha Rifles in training
 

Left the Indian Army in 47 at partition. Transfered back to British Army. Demobbed. Went to Malaya as a rubber planter but worked with 6GR and Malayan Scouts "ferreting" in my area. Fillingham was C.O. then if I remember correctly. Was also Hon. Inspector of F of M Police.

Were you RAR or with the other Aussie mob that was out there? Nantos Bar was my favourite hang out in K.L.

mcgregoruk

Re: 11 Gurkha Rifles in training
 

No mate, I'm not a pongo, ;) I've got water legs. No offence, but you must be nudging the high side of your 60's (assuming you were but a cherub when you enlisted ;))

I'm not that fond of malaysia, I had some bad personal experiences there with corruption. Cost me a wad of money not to get arrested at one point - which was even more irritating when you consider I was a passing innocent.

KL is one city that I'll never voluntarily visit ever again.

Wasn't Fillingham ex RAF?

Re: 11 Gurkha Rifles in training
 

I am verging on 78.
Malaysia is a big collection of countries as you know. I am not particularly fond of Indionesia. In 53 I helped smuggle a Dutch planter, one of the few remaining, out of the country; they were after his blood. We had the whole bit with screeching tyres on the madly driven jeeps etc. along the dockside.

The Fillingham brothers (2) were both Gurkha officers and kept switching regiments in order to stay in the brigade.

I take it you were Aussie Navy then?

mcgregoruk

Re: 11 Gurkha Rifles in training
 

No problem at all.Did not know that you were a gentlemen of 78. I hope i would be as active as you are when i am that :)

Re: 11 Gurkha Rifles in training
 

I think you got my post mixed up with another chap's work. All the same in the end though. New American pics are horrendous. How on earth, if one is going to behave like that, does one allow someone to photograph it.

mcgregoruk

Re: 11 Gurkha Rifles in training
 

I think you got my post mixed up with another chap's work. All the same in the end though. New American pics are horrendous. How on earth, if one is going to behave like that, does one allow someone to photograph it.

mcgregoruk[/quote]

I seem to have killed this thread off. Is it because I am an ex-Rupert?

mcgregoruk

Re: 11 Gurkha Rifles in training
 

Nope, being a rupert doesn't affect responses, most in here would have no idea what it is either. ;)

I'm only intermittently here as I'm currently OS for work. So avail time is limited.

Re: 11 Gurkha Rifles in training
 

Mr. Mcgregor, You were in the Indian army u say, where were u posted, not that i am from that era but just curious to know.

[Mod edit: Red aRRow: Corrective edit.]

Re: 11 Gurkha Rifles in training
 

i do understand that the American troops lack experience and policing experience, some of these kids in the pic, US soldiers are on there first round of duty after there intial training, i wouldn't expect much from them anyway. But i would praise Our British troops for how they perferom there duty's they do give us a reason to be proud of them.
Sir, Are you living in the UK, just curious.

Re: 11 Gurkha Rifles in training
 

Bangalore, Dehra Dun and finaly to Wana in Waziristan; known in the old days as the North West Frontier: funnily enough we were fighting over the same area as they are now looking for OBL. Freezing in the Winter and baking in the Summer.

I live in the UK.

mcgregoruk

Dehra Dun would've been a beauty back then I suppose. Now its just too commercialized. Yep and its still called NWFP.

yeah the brits never could control the damn region of wana, waziristan(compartmentalized as NWFP), the damn people are too hard headed, you need to be a pat'han to fight one, and thats what Pak army is doing its using its stationed Provincial para troops to fight the Sub section of the agency. all the rest of the tribes are behind pak army but this damn tribe of 30000 militia men are too damn independent. id' imagine them fighting about territorial rights rather then OBL. to fight the tribe you have to be very political and you have to win the support of its neighboring tribe which is most likely blood thirsty for the other anyway. its like using the enemy of the enemy to do the job, but you have to be closely allied to the tribe to actually get some work done.

The people of that region don't recognize the durrand line. This could become a huge worry for Afghanistan and Pakistan is the coming years.

i think thats one of the problems the tribe thinks its in the noman's land a state of its own, while its clearly Pak territory, it will have to comply one way or the other, trust me Sri Patahan in the wild are not a pleasant site they are dangerous people.