New Delhi,will be a significant day in the annals of
Indian Army’s glorious history. The oldest existing infantry battalion of the ‘Third
Gorkha Regiment’, the ‘First Battalion, The Third Gorkha Rifles’ better known
as 1/3 Gorkha Rifles, will celebrate the 200th anniversary of their
raising on this day.
Only a few others including the Madras and Grenadiers Regiments
(1758), Punjab Regiment (1761), Rajputana Rifles (1775), Rajput Regiment
(1778), Jat Regiment (1795) and Kumaon Regiment (1813) are among the other native
infantry regiments that preceded them.
Sir Robert Colquhuon raised 1/3 Gorkha Rifles on April
24, 1815, in Almora, in present-day Uttaranchal. They comprised not just the Gorkhas
but also men from Kumaon and Garhwal regions. A total of four battalions were
raised the same year.
Interestingly, it was only at the end of the
Anglo-Nepal war (1814-1816) did the British, realising that the gritty Gorkhas
had in them to be feisty, ferocious and fearless warriors, raised a fighting
outfit with them.
Initially designated ‘Kemaoon Local Battalion’ with
policing role in the formative years, 1/3 GR would soon have its baptism with
fire in its basic role, quelling rebellions and war.
On April 19, 1880, in the Second Afghan War, they
would earn their most famous Battle Honour “Ahmed Khel”, which is commemorated
till date. By 1945, the Battle Honour count was 37, ending with their last,“Pegu-1945”,
spanning operations including the two World Wars.
Presently operating from a location in West Bengal
under Eastern Command, the saga of 1/3 GR interestingly has a significant
Kolkata and ‘Eastern Theatre’ connection in the post-independence era.
The Battalion’s first Indian Commanding Officer, Lt
Col (later Lt Gen) P.O. Dunn took Command of the Battalion from Lt Col H.V.
Rose, at Fort William, Calcutta (as it was then known), on November 29, 1947.
The Gorkha soldiers of 1/3 GR, adept and skillful in the
game of football began giving then top professional teams in Calcutta, Mohun Bagan
and East Bengal, some tough competition in hard fought local tournaments,
winning the hearts of soccer-loving Bengalis.
After their brief stint in Calcutta, 1/3 GR would go
on to serve in Punjab, J&K and Nagaland before returning to Fort William,
in November 1970. Only this time, a year on, a glorious history awaited them.Meanwhile,
during their Nagaland stint in 1956, then Commanding Officer of the Battalion,
Lt Col JR Chitnis would bravely lead his men in clearing an ambush operation against
his column resulting in 20 dead insurgents.
Sadly, Col Chitnis would also succumb to injuries. He
was posthumously awarded Ashoka Chakra Class-I for his conspicuous bravery. In
1965, the Battalion would play a pivotal role on the Amritsar-Lahore axis
fighting many hard fought battles.
In 1971, 1/3 GR would script history by becoming the
only Battalion in post-independence era to carry out amphibious operations,
cutting off fleeing Pakistani troops in Bangladesh. The Battalion continued to
excel wherever deployed, be it in Kashmir valley, northeast or even the Rann
area in Western Gujarat. While operating in icy heights along the LC at Kargil,
the unit won laurels in ‘Op Vijay’ in 1999.
Besides being chosen for an UN Mission at Rwanda
between 1994 and 1996, the Battalion participated in several major Exercises
including ‘Op Parakram’. In the aftermath of Bhuj earthquake of January 2001,
the Battalion would play a Samaritan role in the quake-affected areas providing
succor and relief under ‘Op Sahayata’.
Nearly 200 gallantry and distinguished service awards
in the pre-independence era embellish their lofty glorious past. Post
Independence, the Battalion has earned 117 gallantry and distinguished awards
including an Ashoka and Kirti Chakra, two Shaurya Chakras and a Padma Bhushan
among several other awards. As the officers, soldiers and veterans of 1/3 GR
reunite to commemorate the historic landmark, one can feel reassured that the valiant
Gorkha soldiers of 1/3 GR are here to stay, fearless and steadfast in their
loyalty, in service to the nation.
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