9th Gorkha Rifles: Difference between revisions

| image                        = 9 Gorkha Rifles.png

| image_size                    = 150px

| country                      = {{flagicon|India}} [[India]]

| branch                        = [[File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Indian Army]]

The '''9th Gorkha Rifles''' is a [[Gorkha regiments (India)|Gorkha]] regiment of the [[Indian Army]] and, previously, the [[British Army]]. The regiment was initially formed by the British in 1817, and was one of the Gurkha regiments transferred to the [[Indian Army]] after independence as part of the tripartite agreement in 1947. This Gorkha regiment mainly recruits soldiers who come from [[Nepal]]'s Gorkhali warrior community i.e. the [[Khasas|Khas]]/[[Chhetri]] and [[Thakuri]] clans. Domiciled Indian Gorkhas are also recruited, and they form about 20 percent of the regiment's total strength. The 9 Gorkha Rifles is one of the seven Gorkha regiments of the Indian Army. The other regiments are 1 GR, 3 GR, 4 GR, 5 GR (FF), 8 GR and 11 GR.

The history of the 9th Gorkha Rifles dates back to 1817, when it was raised as the "Fatehgarh Levy"; this designation was changed the following year to the "Mynpoory Levy". In 1823, the unit became the 1st Battalion, 32nd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, although this only last until 1824 when it was renamed the "63rd Regiment", and was formed as a regular unit as part of the [[Bengal Native Infantry]]. After the reorganisations that took place in the aftermath of the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]], the regiment's designation was changed to the "9th Bengal Native Infantry" in 1861;<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.regiments.org/regiments/southasia/gurkha/09GR.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060113052940/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/southasia/gurkha/09GR.htm |archive-date=13 January 2006 |access-date=21 November 2020|title=9th Gurkha Rifles |work=Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and the Commonwealth }}</ref> at this time one of its companies was formed by Gorkhas and the others by hillmen. By then the regiment had fought at Bhartpur and in the difficult [[Battle of Sobraon]] in the [[First Anglo-Sikh War]].{{Cn|date=November 2020}}

In [[World War II]], the regiment's battalions  fought in [[Malayan Campaign|Malaya]],{{sfn|Cross|Gurung|2007|p=37}} [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italy]] and [[North African Campaign|North Africa]].{{sfn|Parker|2005|pp=164 &210}} The 3/9 GR and 4/9 GR formed part of the [[Chindit]] operations in [[Burma]],{{sfn|Allen|2000|pp=351 & 353}} and earned a reputation in the long range penetration operations.{{Citation needed|date=June 2013}}

India gained its independence in 1947 and 9th Gorkha Rifles was one of six Gurkha regiments (out of 10) allocated to the [[Indian Army]] as part of the [[Britain-India-Nepal Tripartite Agreement|Tripartite Agreement]] between Britain, India and [[Nepal]].{{sfn|Cross|Gurung|2007|pp=169–171}}{{sfn|Parker|2005|p=224}} Since 1947 the regiment has fought in the [[Sino-Indian War|1962 Indo-China War]], the 1/9 GR fought under the most demanding conditions on the [[Namka Chu]] in ([[Arunachal Pradesh]]).{{Citation needed|date=June 2013}}

The battalions of the regiment were involved in the [[1965 Indo-Pakistani War|1965]] and [[1971 Indo-Pakistani War|1971]] wars with [[Pakistan]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2013}}

The regiment has existed since 1817 under the following designations:{{Citation needed|date=June 2013}}

As the 9th Regiment of Bengal Infantry red coats with yellow facings were worn. In 1894 the newly renamed 9th (Gurkha Rifles) Bengal Infantry were issued with what was to become the standard Gurkha parade and cold weather uniform of rifle green, with puttees, silver insignia, black metal buttons and black [[facings]]. The headdress was a round black Kilmarnock cap with a badge of crossed [[kukris]] over the numeral 9. Pipers for the 1st Battalion wore a green plaid while the 2nd Battalion were granted the Duff clan tartan by a colonel of that name.{{sfn|Carman|1969|pp=210–211}} The broad brimmed "Kashmir" slouch hat<ref>{{cite book|first=Boris|last=Mollo|page=129|title=The Indian Army|ISBN=0-7137-1074-8}}</ref> was adopted by the 9th Gurkha Rifes in July 1902.{{sfn|Carman|1969|p=211}} It continued in use with [[khaki]] drill service dress as general wear by all ranks in winter and summer, between the two world wars.<ref>{{cite book|first=J.B.R.|last=Nicholson|pages=33-34|title=The Gurkha Rifles|ISBN=0-85045-196-5}}</ref>

* [[Stafford Beer]], operation research theorist who served as an officer with the regiment from 1945-7.<ref name=Tel>{{cite news|title=Obituaries: Stafford Beer|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1405557/Stafford-Beer.html|access-date=31 August 2015|publisher=The Telegraph|date=28 August 2002}}</ref>

*{{cite book |first=W. Y. |last=Carman |title=Indian Army Uniforms Under the British From the 18th Century to 1947: Artillery, Engineers and Infantry |publisher=Morgan-Grampian| location=London |year=1969 |ISBN=978-0-24943-956-4 }}

* {{cite book |first=P. |last=Chaudhuri |title=9th Gurkha Rifles: A Regimental History, 1817–1947 |publisher=Lancer International, Lancer Press |year= 1985 |ISBN=978-1-85127-002-6}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}