Gurkhas taking care of their own
A burial service was held in late November in Italy for an unknown WWII soldier. A bearer party from the Gurkha ARRC Support Battalion carried him, in the rain, to his final resting place at CWGC Cemetery Arezzo.
The casualty was found in a shallow trench within a forest in Alpe di Catenaia near the town of Subbiano, Italy. Research undertaken by JCCC with help from The National Army Museum established that the soldier was most probably involved in action taking place at the beginning of August 1944 and serving with 20th Brigade of the 10th Indian Infantry Division, which included Gurkha units, notably the 2nd Bn/3rd (Queen Alexandria’s Own) Gurkha Rifles.
According to the NAM, during WWII, more than 110,000 men served in 40 Gurkha battalions in the Western Desert, Italy, Greece, Malaya, Singapore, and Burma. Nearly 30,000 of them were killed or wounded.
Following the capture of Sicily in late summer 1943, the Allies slowly moved up the leg of Italy to penetrate the Gothic line – the Germans’ last line of defense. The Gurkhas and Indian soldiers who served in the 10th Indian Division were involved in every major offensive and played a significant role in Italy. Their stamina, strength, and ability to fight in difficult terrains made them ideal for this offensive.
This soldier can only have served with a handful of units, but the sheer number of casualties testifies to the ferocity of the fighting, making identification impossible. It is believed this casualty was most probably an Indian or Gurkha soldier.
The service was conducted by Reverend Timothy Watts CF, the bearer party was led by Warrant Officer Class One Yogendra Pratap Singh Thakuri, and the musician was Lance Corporal Amar Magar, The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas. Readings were delivered by Colonel Erica Bridge, Captain Tej Bahadur Gurung, Rifleman Deepen Gurung, and Sapr Munfin Eakten.
Photos courtesy of Sgt S Terry, HQ Public Affairs Office, Crown Copyright
While the old 3rd Gurkha Rifles have been part of the Indian Army since 1947, the current Brigade of Gurkhas in the British Army boasts a strength of some 4,000 soldiers.