5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force), also abbreviated as 5 GR(FF) is an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

of the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

comprising

Gurkha The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with the endonym Gorkhali ( Nepali: गोर्खाली ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of North India. The Gurkha units consist of Nepali and ...

soldiers of

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

ese origin. It was formed in 1858 as part of the

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

. The regiment's battalions served in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

(

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...

) and

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

(

Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, also known as the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia, was the joint invasion of the neutral Imperial State of Iran by the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union in August 1941. The two powers announced that they w ...

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

, Italian campaign, and in Burma). The regiment was known as the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force) when it was one of the

regiments that was transferred to the Indian Army following the independence of Indian and Pakistan in 1947 and given its current name in 1950. Since 1947, the regiment has served in a number of conflicts, including the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. It has also participated in peacekeeping operations in Sri Lanka.

History

19th century

The regiment was raised in 1858 as the 25th Native Punjab Infantry, also known as the " Hazara Goorkha Battalion". The soldiers of the regiment originated from the

Kingdom of Nepal The Kingdom of Nepal was a Hindu monarchy in South Asia, founded in 1768 through the unification of Nepal, expansion of the Gorkha Kingdom. The kingdom was also known as the Gorkha Empire and was sometimes called History of Asal Hindustan, ...

and in 1861 it was renamed the 5th Gurkha Regiment. The regiment's first major action was during the

Second Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the latter was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai ...

, where they were awarded their first battle honour at Peiwar Kotal and Captain John Cook was awarded the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

.Gaylor, p.233 In this conflict, soldier Kishanbir Nagarkoti won the

Indian Order of Merit The Indian Order of Merit (IOM) was a military and civilian decoration of British India. It was established in 1837, (General Order of the Governor-General of India, No. 94 of 1 May 1837) although following the Partition of India The pa ...

thrice, and a fourth time in the Hazara conflict of 1888. In 1891 the regiment was awarded the prestigious title of a Rifle regiment and became 5th Gurkha (Rifle) Regiment which was shortened to 5th Gurkha Rifles in 1901. The regiment spent most of its time up to the end of the 19th century based in the

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

as part of the Punjab Frontier Force ( PIF or PIFFER), and its regimental centre was at the frontier hill town of

Abbottabad Abbottabad is a city in the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. It is the 40th largest city in the country and 6th largest in the province by population, and serves as the headquarter of its namesake tehsil and district ...

, in the Hazara region of North-West Frontier Province (now

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ; , ; abbr. KP or KPK), formerly known as the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Northern Pakistan, northwestern region of the country, Khyber ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

). This connection was reflected when in 1903, the regiment was renamed the 5th Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force).

First World War

During the

, the regiment primarily saw service in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

—the 1st Battalion saw extensive and hard service at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...

in 1915 (where seven officers and 129 men were killed in the first few hours after the battalion landed). During the withdrawal, a

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

of the 5th Gurkhas were among the last troops to leave. The 2nd Battalion initially served in India with the

2nd (Rawalpindi) Division The 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division was a regular army division of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1903 after the British Indian Army#Kitchener reforms, Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army. During World War I it remained in British Raj, In ...

before transferring to

in April 1916 and joining the 42nd Indian Brigade, 15th Indian Division. The 1st Battalion joined them in March 1917 from the 1st (Peshawar) Division and both battalions fought together at the

action of Khan Baghdadi The action of Khan Baghdadi was an engagement during the Mesopotamian campaign in World War I. Khan Baghdadi The 15th Indian Division had been at Ramadi since its Battle of Ramadi (1917), capture of the town in September 1917. On 9 March 1918 ...

. A 3rd Battalion was raised for service on the North-West Frontier, before being disbanded in 1921.Gaylor, p.234

Inter-War period

In 1921, the regiment was given the title the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles, in recognition of its service during the

. During the inter-war period, the regiment received three further battle honours, for the

Third Afghan War The Third Anglo-Afghan War was a short war which began on 3 May and ended on 8 August 1919. The new Amir of the Emirate of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan declared a Jihad against the British in the hope to proclaim full independence, as well as ...

in 1919, and two for service on the North West Frontier. The regiment together with the

13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers The 13th Lancers is an armoured regiment of Pakistan Army. It was formed in 1923 as 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers by the amalgamation of 31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers and 32nd Lancers. On Partition of India in 1947, the regiment wa ...

were the only units awarded such honours.

Second World War

During the

, the 1st Battalion 5th Gurkhas as part of the 8th Indian Infantry Division's 17th Indian Infantry Brigade served in the

Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre The Mediterranean and Middle East theatre was a major theatre of operations during the Second World War. The vast size of the Mediterranean and Middle East theatre saw interconnected land, naval, and air campaigns fought for control of the Med ...

(including the Italian Campaign). Rifleman Thaman Gurung of the 1st Battalion won the

while serving in Italy. The 2nd Battalion served in the

Far East The Far East is the geographical region that encompasses the easternmost portion of the Asian continent, including North Asia, North, East Asia, East and Southeast Asia. South Asia is sometimes also included in the definition of the term. In mod ...

in the

Burma Campaign The Burma campaign was a series of battles fought in the British colony of British rule in Burma, Burma as part of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II. It primarily involved forces of the Allies of World War II, Allies (mainly from ...

as part of the 17th Indian Infantry Division and was involved in the retreat of the

from

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

; they were also one of four battalions chosen to fight as the rearguard at the

Sittang River The Sittaung River ( ; formerly, the Sittang or Sittoung) is a river in south central Myanmar in Bago Division. The Pegu Range separates its basin from that of the Irrawaddy. The river originates at the edge of the Shan Hills southeast of Ma ...

, which formed the border with India. When the bridge over the river was blown up, preventing the

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese forces from entering India, many of the regiment were left on the wrong side. The regiment was involved in the re-entry into Burma in 1943 where three members of the regiment were awarded the

. After the war, the 2nd Battalion was issued with new uniforms, equipment and transport and posted to

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

in Japan as part of the

British Commonwealth Occupation Force The British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) was the British Commonwealth taskforce consisting of Australian, British, Indian, and New Zealander military forces in occupied Japan, from 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952. At its pe ...

. The 3rd Battalion served as part of the 37th Indian Infantry Brigade and was involved in the

Battle of Imphal The Battle of Imphal () took place in the region around the city of Imphal, the capital of the state of Manipur in Northeast India from March until July 1944. Empire of Japan, Japanese armies attempted to destroy the Allied forces at Imphal and ...

although understrength. The 4th Battalion was raised in 1941 and also served in the Burma Campaign as part of the

7th Indian Infantry Division The 7th Infantry Division is a war-formed infantry Division (military), division, part of the British Indian Army that saw service in the Burma Campaign. History The division was created on 1 October 1940 at Attock, under the command of Major-ge ...

, fighting in five battles at North Arakan, Buthidaung (

Battle of the Admin Box The Battle of the Admin Box (sometimes referred to as the Battle of Ngakyedauk or the Battle of Sinzweya) took place on the southern front of the Burma campaign from 5 to 23 February 1944, in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II. Japane ...

), Kohima, Pakkoku (Irrawaddy) and Sittang. The battalion had the unique distinction of getting four Battle Honours for the five battles fought. Major I. M. Brown of the 4th Battalion was one of the few soldiers of the Second World War who was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

three times.

Post Independence

On Independence, the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force) was one of the six Gurkha regiments that remained part of the new Indian Army; they were renamed the 5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) in 1950. The Regiment now has a total of six Battalions and has participated in virtually every major action the Indian Army has undertaken in its four wars with

, including the first heliborne operations undertaken by the army during the 1971 war. The regiment has participated in the following actions: * Indo-Pak War of 1947–48 * Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 * Battle of Topa (Jammu and Kashmir) * Battle of Atgram (East Pakistan) 1971 * Battle of Sylhet (East Pakistan) 1971 * Battle of Gazipur (East Pakistan—Bangladesh) 1971 The 1st and 4th Battalions were also a part of the

Indian Peace Keeping Force Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was the Indian military contingent performing a peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990. It was formed under the mandate of the 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan Accord that aimed to end the Sri Lanka ...

which served in Sri Lanka and fought against the LTTE. During this deployment, the 4th Battalion's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Bawa, was injured and later died, along with many of his officers and soldiers. The regiment's present headquarters are at

Shillong Shillong (, ) is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a Indian state, state in northeastern India. It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the list of most populous cities in India, 330th most populous city ...

, in North-Eastern India.

Lineage

1858–1861: 25th Punjab Infantry
1861–1891: 5th Gurkha Regiment
1891–1901: 5th Gurkha (Rifle) Regiment
1901–1903: 5th Gurkha Rifles
1903–1921: 5th Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force)
1921–1950: 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force)
1950–present: 5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force).

Regimental Battalions and Affiliations

Stamp of India - 1990 - Colnect 164153 - Gorkha Soldier

* 1st Battalion: 'FASFIF' & 'Jethi' is affiliated to 56 Field Regiment (JITRA) of The Indian Army. * 2nd Battalion: 'SEKINFIF' (Victoria Cross Paltan) * 3rd Battalion: 'THREEFIF' * 4th Battalion: 'FOFIFF' & 'KANCHI',is affiliated to 110 Helicopter Unit, Indian Air Force. * 5th Battalion: 'FIVFIV' &' CHINDITS' ( Ashok Chakra Paltan) * 6th Battalion: * 33 Rashtriya Rifles (58 GR) *INS Khukri (P49): A 'Khukri'-class corvette of the Indian Navy

Battle honours

* 19th century: Peiwar Kotal, Charasiah, Kabul 1879, Kandahar 1880, Afghanistan 1878–80,

Punjab Frontier Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and nor ...

; * First World War:

Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...

, Egypt 1915–16, Khan Baghdadi, Mesopotamia 1916–18,

Helles Helles or hell is a traditional German pale lager beer, mainly produced in Southern Germany, particularly Munich. The German word ''hell'' can be translated as "bright", "light", or "pale". Flavour profile Helles-style beers are typically ...

, Krithia,

Suvla View of Suvla from Battleship Hill Suvla () is a bay on the Aegean coast of the Gallipoli peninsula in European Turkey, south of the Gulf of Saros. On 6 August 1915, it was the site for the Landing at Suvla Bay by the British IX Corps as par ...

, Sari Bair, Gallipoli 1915, North West Frontier 1917; * Inter War Years: Afghanistan 1919, North West Frontier 1930, North West Frontier 1936–39; * Second World War: The Sangro, Caldari,

Cassino Cassino () is a ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone at the southern end of the region of Lazio. It's the last city of the Valle Latina, Latin Valley. It is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Gari (river), Gari and ...

II, San Angelo in Teodice,

Rocca d'Arce Rocca d'Arce is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Frosinone in the Italian region Lazio, located about southeast of Rome and about southeast of Frosinone. Rocca d'Arce borders the following municipalities: Arce, Colfelice, Fontana ...

, Ripa Ridge, Femmina Morta, Monte San Bartolo, The Senio, Italy 1943–45, Sittang 1942,

Yenangyaung Yenangyaung (; literally "stream of oil") is a city in the Magway Region of central Myanmar, located on the Irrawaddy River and 363 miles from Yangon. Until 1974, it remained the capital city of both Minbu Division (now Magway Division) and Yenan ...

1942,

Buthidaung Buthidaung (, ) is a town in Rakhine State, in the westernmost part of Myanmar (Burma). It is the administrative seat of the Buthidaung Township. Buthidaung lies on the west bank of the Mayu river, and experienced severe flooding in June 2010 and ...

, Stockades, North Arakan,

Chindits 1944 The Chindits, officially known as Long Range Penetration Groups, were special operations units of the British and Indian armies which saw action in 1943–1944 during the Burma Campaign of World War II. Brigadier Orde Wingate formed them ...

Mogaung Mogaung ( ; ) is a town in Kachin State, Myanmar. It is situated on the Mandalay-Myitkyina railway line. History Mogaung or Möng Kawng was the name and capital (royal seat) of a relatively major one of the petty Shan (ethnic Tai) princ ...

Imphal Imphal (; , ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace (officially known as Kangla Fort), the royal seat of the former Kingdom of Manipur, surrounded by a ...

, Sakawng, Shenam Pass, Bishenpur,

The Irrawaddy ''The Irrawaddy'' () is a news website by the Irrawaddy Publishing Group (IPG), founded in 1990 by Burmese exiles living in Thailand. As a publication produced by former Burmese activists who fled violent crackdowns on anti-military protests in ...

1942–45, Sittang 1945, Burma 1942–45;Parker 2005, p. 387. * Post Independence:

Zoji La Zoji La (sometimes Zojila Pass) is a high mountain pass in the Himalayas. It is located in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir and the Kargil district of Ladakh, both union territories of India. This pass connects the Kashmir Valle ...

Kargil Kargil or Kargyil is a City in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the WP:TERTIARY, tert ...

, Jammu and Kashmir 1947–48, Charwa, Punjab 1965,

Sylhet Sylhet (; ) is a Metropolis, metropolitan city in the north eastern region of Bangladesh. It serves as the administrative center for both the Sylhet District and the Sylhet Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Surma River and, as o ...

, East Pakistan 1971, Jammu and Kashmir 1971, Sehjra, Punjab 1971.

Victoria Cross recipients

There were seven Victoria Crosses awarded to British officers and Gurkhas serving with the regiment prior to 1947:Parker 2005, pp. 391–393. * Captain John Cook (1st Battalion): Afghanistan, 2 December 1878 (posthumously) * Lieutenant Guy Boisragon (1st Battalion): Hunza, 2 December 1891 * Lieutenant John Manners-Smith (1st Battalion): Hunza, 20 December 1891 *

Havildar Havildar or havaldar ( Hindustani: or (Devanagari), (Perso-Arabic)) is a rank in the Indian and Pakistani armies, equivalent to sergeant. It is not used in cavalry and armoured units, where the equivalent is daffadar. Like a British sergea ...

Gaje Ghale Gaje Ghale () VC (1 August 1918 – 28 March 2000) was a Nepalese Gurkha recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ...

(2nd Battalion): Burma, 27 May 1943 * Naik Agansing Rai (2nd Battalion): Burma, 26 June 1944 *

Jemadar Jemadar or jamadar ( Hindustani: जमादार; جمعدار) is a title used for various military and other officials in the Indian subcontinent. Etymology The word stems from Urdu (), which derives through Persian ''jam'dar'' from Arab ...

Netrabahadur Thapa (2nd Battalion): Burma, 26 June 1944 (posthumously) * Rifleman Thaman Gurung (1st Battalion): Italy, 10 November 1944 (posthumously)

Maha Vir Chakra recipients

The following members of the regiment have received the Maha Vir Chakra: * Lieutenant Colonel Anant Singh Pathania, MC (1st Battalion) * L/Havildar Ram Prasad Gurung (1st Battalion) * Major General H K Sibal *

Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

(Later Lt. Gen.) Zoravar Chand Bakshi * Brigadier Mohindar Lal Whig * Lieutenant Colonel (Later Brigadier) Arun Bhimrao Harolikar (4th Battalion) * Rifleman (Later Havildar) Dil Bahadur Chettri (4th Battalion) * Lieutenant Colonel Inder Bal Singh Bawa (4th Battalion)

Notes

References

* Anon. (1956). ''History of the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force), 1858–1947'' (2 vols.), Aldershot, UK: Gale & Polden. * Gaylor, John (1992). ''Sons of John Company: A History of the Indian and Pakistan Armies''. London, UK: Spellmount Press. * Palsokar, Col. R. D. (1990). ''History of the 5th Gorkha Rifles''. Shillong: 9 Regt Centre. * Parker, John (2005). ''The Gurkhas: The Inside Story of the World's Most Feared Soldiers''. Headline Book Publishing. . * Roberts, M.R. (1952). ''Golden Arrow'', Aldershot, Gale & Polden.

External links

* {{Indian Army Infantry Regiments 1858 establishments in India British Indian Army infantry regiments Gurkhas Infantry regiments of the Indian Army from 1947 Military units and formations established in 1858 Rifle regiments R Units of the Indian Peace Keeping Force