Gurkha Battalion in ancient ceremony DPR/TV/1332

The battalion of Gurkhas which will visit Australia for a training exercise later this year performed an ancient ceremony in Singapore this week to swear in trained recruits. The recruits will be among the 500 Gurkhas who will travel to the Bindoon area in Western Australia in November. The battalion, the 1st Battalion 2nd King Edward VIIs Own Gurkha Rifles...the Sirmoor Rifles...conducted the ceremony for its recruits at its barracks in Wessex Estate in Southern Singapore. Swearing in of recruits involves touching a regimental truncheon, of special significance to the Gurkhas, and taking an oath. Formed up in two platoons on the parade ground early in the morning before the heat of the day, the soldiers present arms for the Royal Salute as the truncheon party marches on. The only one in the British Army, Queen Victoria commanded that they carry the truncheon in place of Colours as a unique and special mark of their devotion and gallantry at Delhi during the Indian Mutiny in the mid-1800s. The 25lb silver truncheon is carried to this day and all recruits are sworn in by touching it at a parade normally held once a year. The unique symbol is insured for 1000 pounds sterling, but it is irreplaceable. Commanding Officer of the battalion, Lieutenant Colonel John Chapple, a very experienced Gurkha officer with a Master of Arts degree from Cambridge, inspects the two platoons of Nepal recruits before the highlight of the parade. In unison the recruits take the Gurkha Oath: "I swear by Almighty God that I will bear true allegiance to her majesty Queen Elizabeth the second, her heirs and successors, and that I will, as in duty bound, honestly and faithfully defend her majesty, her heirs and successors, in person, crown and dignity against all enemies, and will observe and obey all orders of her majesty, her heirs and successors, and of the generals and officers set over me." Quickly the truncheon is brought to the front of the parade and the recruits come forward in pairs. As they face each other with the truncheon in between, they salute, hold their rifles, touch the truncheon with their right hands, salute again, and march back to join the ranks. They now belong to a unit with a long proud history. Raised in 1815 from Gurkhas captured during the Nepal War, the battalion has spent nearly 100 years on active service. The battle of Sambhar in the Pindaree War of 1817 was the battalion's first battle and since then they have served with distinction in Indian wars, Cyprus, Afghanistan, South Africa, China, Waziristan, Tibet, Somaliland, Mesopotamia, Persia, the Western Desert, Italy, Palestine, Greece, and laterly Malaya and Borneo. The announcement that they would visit Australia...only the second battalion of Gurkhas to do so...was made by the Minister for Defence, Mr Fraser, in August. Main body of the battalion will arrive at Fremantle aboard the Intrepid on November 23. The remainder will be flown down in Hercules transports. Finale of the Singapore recruit parade is a march past. As the recruits pass the truncheon, they give an eyes right. After reforming, the men are marched off to their new life of service. The magnificent regimental band comes forward to march past, concluding the ancient ceremony. The band's 60 members and 15 buglers will accompany the battalion to Western Australia, its second visit to the state. World travelled and acclaimed, the band was the highlight of the 1969 Perth Agricultural Show. The Gurkha battalion to visit Australia performs an ancient ceremony in Singapore.