Church Crookham, 309–16
communications: British scanning of radio waves, 294, 295–6; enemy scanning of radio transmissions, 134, 316–17; field telephones, 71, 81, 241–3; PRR (Personal Radio Relay), 28, 59, 61, 134, 241–2; radio procedure, 159; satellite radio antennae, 307
Cook, Lance Corporal, 217–18, 242–4, 249–53, 329
CWS (Common Weapon Sight), 62–3, 210, 211
desert foxes, 151
Dostum, General, 92–3, 94–6
Dragunov rifles, 308
Falklands War (1982), 143
First World War, 143
Gaaz (Gajbahadur) (Gurkha): army career after Now Zad, 329–30; arrival at Now Zad, 36, 37–8, 39; arrival of 3 PARA and, 324, 326; bagh chal playing, 89, 100, 287; as ‘best of them all’, 28, 62; chess playing, 87; commendation from OC, 64–5; during contacts, 132, 157–68, 170, 172–7, 194–8, 201–4, 207–22, 240–5, 278–9, 284, 295–301; disha patrol and, 66–7, 111, 152, 184; enthusiasm of, 53, 54, 56, 64, 69; killed in action (autumn 2011), 330; local police and, 51, 73, 75, 78–9, 90, 118; religion and, 63, 181–2, 262–3; resupps and, 115, 119, 121, 122, 186, 321–2; sense of humour, 28, 69, 111, 124–5, 226–7, 283, 300; untidiness of, 286–7, 321, 323; views on caste system, 110–11; voice of, 65
Gorkhali language (Nepali), 13, 25, 53, 246, 317; word sahib, 47
GPMGs (General Purpose Machine Guns, or ‘jimpies’), 7, 31, 48, 56, 314; 7.62 ammunition, 57, 81, 165, 185, 193–4, 271, 278–9; changing of barrel on, 219, 278; Cookie provides second gun, 217–18, 242; lack of nightsight and telescopic sight, 166, 197–8
Gurkhas: basic training at Church Crookham, 309–16; competitiveness of, 53, 73; cooking and meals, 53, 72, 89–90, 189; discipline of, 34, 57, 304; facial hair and, 72, 239; first contact with British Army (1814), 2–3, 141, 326; good manners of, 25, 290–1; group mentality of, 24, 29, 143, 304–5; history of, 2–3, 77–8, 103, 140, 141–4, 200; in Indian Army, 19, 103, 140, 144; initial training at Pokhara, 289–93; motives for joining, 103–4, 109, 228, 234; motto of, 207–8; recruitment from hill-dwelling castes, 13; religion and supernatural beliefs, 65–6, 182–4, 188–9; respect for authority, 103, 309–10; role of galla in selection process, 291–2; Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and, 329; selection procedure, 75, 139–40, 144–7, 186, 227–39, 255–62; sense of humour of, 51, 53, 125, 226–7, 237–8; swearing and, 5, 33–4, 269; tidiness and cleanliness of, 58, 67–8; Victoria Cross awards, 140, 141–3, 200; see also Royal Gurkha Rifles, 2nd Battalion
Gurung caste, 13
hearts and minds policy, 30, 47, 55, 85, 90, 176, 199
Hellfire missiles, 45, 221, 277, 284
Helmand province, 2, 30, 37, 55, 84, 90, 246, 288; see also Now Zad compound; Now Zad town and district
Hinduism, 65, 88
Hollingshead, Lieutenant, 248–9
homosexuality, 123–4
Hong Kong, 183
IEDs (improvised explosive devices), 29
ILAWs (Interim Light Anti-Tank Weapons), 9–11, 32, 38, 168–71, 178–9, 186–7, 286, 326
Im Ghale, Corporal, 308
India, 12, 13, 15, 16; Gurkhas in Indian Army, 19, 103, 140, 144; independence (1947), 19, 103, 144; Indian Mutiny, 143
Islam, 63–4, 112
jimpies see GPMGs (General Purpose Machine Guns, or ‘jimpies’)
Jit (Gurkha), 312
Kalunga, siege of (1814), 2–3, 141, 326
Kanchenjunga, Mount, 12
Kathmandu, 293–4
Kentucky Fried Chicken, 314–15
Kirat religion, 13, 65–6
kukris, 19, 20–1, 32, 77–9, 89, 90, 109–10
Lal, Rifleman (Gurkha), 7, 9, 10, 11, 60, 247–8, 264, 265, 268–71, 272, 274, 277
Limbu, Captain (QGO) Rambahadur, 141–3
Limbu caste, 12, 13, 19, 21, 110, 239
Limbu, Kailash: 2003 tour in Afghanistan, 91–6; 2012 tour in Afghanistan, 203; Alisa (daughter of), 3, 84; Anish (son of), 3, 26, 59, 84, 328; army career since Now Zad, 328; basic training at Church Crookham, 309–16; childhood, 12, 14–24, 104–10, 112–14, 135–8; family farm, 12, 23–4, 112–14; final parade at Pokhara, 292–3; fires ILAW, 9–11, 168–71, 178–9, 186–7; grandfather of, 14, 17–18, 19–20, 21–3, 103–4, 138, 147, 230; Gudiya (sister of), 3, 136–7, 310; Gurkha selection, 138, 139–40, 144–7, 227–39, 255–62; Duryodhan Kumari (father of), 3, 12, 14, 18–19, 108–9, 114, 137, 230; Mina Kumari (mother of), 3, 54, 59, 106, 136–8, 147, 182–3; lucky coin, 54, 59; Mention in Dispatches, 178–9; Radika (aunt of), 17, 18; snoring of, 58, 179–80; Sumitra (wife of), 3, 59, 83–4, 190, 300; training at Pokhara, 260–1, 289–91; writing of this book, 1–3
LSWs (bipod-mounted rifles), 32, 63
Lukesh, Rifleman (Gurkha), 217–18, 223, 272
machine gun, .50-cal, 6, 7, 9, 11, 36, 37–8, 54, 85–6, 167–8, 213
Malaysia, 72, 142–3
Mathers, Lieutenant, 38–9, 47, 48–9, 52, 127, 133–4, 294, 322; army career since Now Zad, 329; command during resupps and casevacs, 115, 116, 119–20, 122–3, 185–6, 246, 249–53, 282; during contacts, 10, 160, 161, 195, 207, 220–1, 280, 299
Minimi machine guns, 57, 131, 185, 297, 300–1
Murray, Major, 325
Musa, Helmand province, 90
Nabin (Gurkha), 29, 49, 167
Nagen (Gurkha), 29, 36, 66, 122, 263, 285, 320, 324; army career since Now Zad, 329; during contacts, 157–68, 172–4, 193–4, 197, 201, 202, 208, 210–19, 294–5, 297, 300–1
Nani (Gurkha), 29, 62, 77, 119, 122, 123, 186, 247, 249–50, 251; army career since Now Zad, 329
Nepal, 2, 12, 13–24; caste system, 12–13, 110–11, 304–5; Kailash’s childhood in, 12, 14–24, 104–10, 112–14, 135–8; Khebang village, 3, 14, 16, 22, 144, 147; rich and poor in, 93–4; supernatural beliefs in, 20, 21–3, 182–4; see also Gurkhas
night-vision devices, 62–3, 151, 206, 212, 297–8
Northern Alliance, warlords of, 92–3, 94–6
Now Zad compound: air support, 131–2, 163, 168, 171–7, 185–6, 220–2, 274–7, 279, 280–1, 283–4, 302–3; arrival of 3 PARA, 323–6; building-up of defensive positions, 50–2, 70, 72–4, 77, 79–81, 83; casevac of Lance Corporal Cook, 245–6, 247–53; chronology of major Troops in Contact, 3, 97; cleaning of weapons, 56–7, 184–5, 248–9; contacts, 5–11, 97–100, 125–8, 130–2, 159–77, 192–204, 205–24, 240–4, 264–84, 285, 294–303; cooking and meals, 52–5, 72, 89–90, 91; disha patrol, 66–8, 91, 111–12, 152, 184; duty rota, 49, 52, 62, 69, 81, 82, 129–30; evacuation of ANP casualty, 185–6; extraction of ANP convoy, 282–4; latrines, 67–8; muezzin’s call, 63–4, 91, 112, 152, 222, 262, 303; night routine, 52–3, 56–9, 60–4; O-groups (orders groups), 47–9, 55–6, 72, 84–5, 90, 129–30, 156, 189–90, 287–8; Platoon HQ (Control Tower), 47, 52, 126, 167, 306–7, 317–18; Platoon’s arrival at, 41–2; resupp flights from Bastion, 115–16, 118–23; resupps of ANP Hill, 185–9, 282, 305, 320–2; shura at, 153–6; siege conditions at, 2, 326; size and layout, 42–6, 48; sleeping accommodation, 50, 58, 72, 81, 148–9; sniper fire on, 240–4, 305, 308, 323, 325; stand-tos, 48, 52, 68–9; statistics of 12 Platoon’s operation, 326; water supplies, 57–8, 100, 124, 192; see also sangars (small fortified positions)
Now Zad town and district: 12 Platoon’s arrival in, 35–42; ANP Hill, 34–5, 36, 37, 38, 48, 130, 131, 185–9, 282, 295–6, 298–9, 305, 320–2; civilian exodus from, 133–5, 139, 152–3, 184; The Coliseum, 296; flight into, 25–32, 61; road traffic, 41, 98–9, 133, 184; shura at compound, 153–6; Smuggler’s House (old school house), 70–1, 126, 157, 163–5, 167–77, 210–14, 217, 218, 279, 320; Sniper’s House, 9–11, 264, 272; treeline (’Kathmandu’), 98, 162, 163, 207, 210–11, 279, 298, 299, 320
opium, 84
Osprey body armour, 54, 215
Pashtun tribesmen, 77–8
police, local: ANP and, 89; attitudes of, 46–7, 73–4, 75, 133, 285, 286; firing of random rounds by, 116–18; Gurkha stories told to, 77–9; Gurkha suspicion of, 43
, 49, 61, 75, 79, 85, 101, 115–16, 154, 323; quarters in compound, 44–5; Sangar 6 and, 49; slaughter of goat and, 90; tea boys and, 123; treachery of, 125, 126–8, 129–30, 296; use of opium, 84; wearing of civilian clothes, 42–3
Prakash, Rifleman (Gurkha), 267
Purna, Rifleman (Gurkha), 272
Qala, Helmand province, 90
Quick Reaction Force (QRF), 49, 52, 123, 157, 158, 217
Ramesh, Corporal, 38, 44, 52
religion, 13, 19–20, 65–6, 188–9
Rex, Colonel Dan, 178–9, 245, 302; army career since Now Zad, 329; calls shura, 153–6; chronology of major Troops in Contact, 3, 97; during contacts, 33, 126, 170, 171, 206, 217, 221, 246–7, 317–19; Gorkhali language and, 246, 317; O-groups, 47–8, 55, 72, 84–5, 90, 129–30, 156, 189–90, 287–8; treacherous police and, 115–16, 127–8, 129–30; visits to sangars, 178, 246, 317
Rigden, Brigadier Ian, 1
rocket-launching systems, improvised, 318–19
Royal Gurkha Rifles, 2nd Battalion, 2, 30; 10 Platoon, 30, 44, 47, 49, 75–6, 83, 85, 91, 248–9, 325; 12 Platoon, 187
RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades), 5–6, 8–9, 159–60, 207, 208–10, 300–1
Rules of Engagement (ROE), 36, 55, 56, 155, 211
SA80 rifle, 31, 37, 62, 81, 162, 165, 166, 186, 208, 210, 313
sangars (small fortified positions), 6, 41, 43, 45–6, 48–9, 50, 62, 85–6, 272; arcs of fire, 9, 46, 49, 59, 65, 70, 80, 85–6, 132; Major Rex’s visits to, 178, 246, 317; safety of people getting on and off, 45–6, 61–2, 70–1, 129–30, 225, 281–2, 325; sandbag filling, 50–3, 73–4, 77; Sangar 3 layout, 80–1; weapon cleaning in, 57, 185
Sangin, Helmand province, 90
Santos, Corporal, 38, 44, 48, 69, 77, 97–8, 118, 124, 157; army career since Now Zad, 329
Second World War, 140, 143, 200
Shree, Lance Corporal (Gurkha), 28, 57, 87, 125, 126, 161, 192, 193, 206, 213, 219, 223, 240; army career since Now Zad, 329
Sikkim, West Bengal, 13, 16
Singapore police, 140, 233, 261–2
smoking, 308
snakes, 21–2, 182
supernatural beliefs, 20, 21–3, 180–4
Taliban insurgency, 2, 30, 55, 75–6, 96–7, 190–1, 286, 288, 327; hearts and minds policy, 30, 47, 55, 85, 90, 176, 199; mosques and, 63, 112, 262; radio signals and, 134, 176, 294, 295–6, 316–17; weaponry of, 5–6, 8–9, 97, 159–60, 207, 208–10, 300–1, 318
Taplejung district, Nepal, 12
Tibet, 13, 16
UGLs (underslung grenade launchers), 6–7, 301
unexploded munitions, 188
United Kingdom, 83–4, 309–16; Shorncliffe (Gurkha barracks), 151, 153
volleyball, 135, 136, 234–5
Young, Lieutenant Frederick, 2
Gurkha: Better to Die than Live a Coward: My Life in the Gurkhas Page 29