On This Day ... in 1306 & Others
Following Robert Bruce's murder of his rivals John & Robert Comyn, during negotiations in Greyfriars' Church at Dumfries, & subsequently crowning himself King of the Scots at Scone, Edward I had dispatched Aymer de Valence & Henry Percy into Scotland with advance forces. Meanwhile Edward mustered the royal army to deal with what was seen as not just rebellion against English overlordship but also an appalling offence against Christian & chivalric standards. De Valence caught Bruce's army at Methven & a surprise cavalry attack destroyed the Scots army as it settled down for the night, Bruce barely escaping.
1900: In South Africa, an outpost manned by a small detachment of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was surrounded by an overwhelming force of Boers, & suffered heavy casualties. Private Charles Ward volunteered to make a dash for a signal station a few hundred yards away to summon help. Despite very heavy fire from the Boers, he made it safely & got the signal away. Ward then returned to the outpost, but was severely wounded. However, thanks to his efforts a relief force arrived in time to save the detachment.

He was the last winner of the VC to be decorated by Queen Victoria & later achieved the rank of Company Sergeant-Major.
1944: From the London Gazette of 5 October 1944 ...

Burma, 26 June 1944, Rifleman ( acting Naik ) Agansing Rai, 2nd Bn, 5th Gurkha Rifles ( Frontier Force ), Indian Army.
In Burma on 24th and 25th June 1944, after fierce fighting, the enemy, with greatly superior forces had captured two posts known as "Water Piquet" & "Mortar Bluff". These posts were well sighted & were mutually supporting & their possession by the enemy threatened our communications.
On the morning of 26th June 1944, a Company of the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles ( Frontier Force ) was ordered to recapture these positions. After a preliminary artillery concentration, the Company went into the attack but on reaching a false crest about 80 yards from its objective, it was pinned down by heavy and accurate fire from a machine-gun in "Mortar Bluff" & a 37 millimetre gun in the jungle, suffering many casualties.
Naik Agansing Rai, appreciating that more delay would inevitably result in heavier casualties, at once led his section under withering fire directly at the machine-gun and, firing as he went, charged the position, himself killing three of the crew of four. Inspired by this cool act of bravery the section surged forward across the bullet swept ground & routed the whole garrison of "Mortar Bluff." This position was now under intense fire from the 37-millimetre gun in the jungle & from "Water Piquet". Naik Agansing Rai at once advanced towards the gun, his section without hesitation following their gallant leader.
Intense fire reduced the section to three men before half the distance had been covered but they pressed on to their objective. Arriving at close range, Naik Agansing Rai killed three of the crew & his men killed the other two. The party then returned to "Mortar Bluff" where the rest of their platoon were forming up for the final assault on "Water Piquet".
In the subsequent advance heavy machine-gun fire & showers of grenades from an isolated bunker position caused further casualties. Once more, with indomitable courage, Naik Agansing Rai, covered by his Bren gunner, advanced alone with a grenade in one hand & his Thompson Sub-Machine gun in the other. Through devastating fire he reached the enemy position & with his grenade & bursts from his Thompson Sub-Machine gun killed all four occupants of the bunker. The enemy, demoralized by this N.C.O’s calm display of courage & complete contempt for danger, now fled before the onslaught on "Water Piquet" & this position too was captured.
Naik Agansing Rai's magnificent display of initiative, outstanding bravery & gallant leadership, so inspired the rest of the Company that, in spite of heavy casualties, the result of this important action was never in doubt.
Agansing Rai was invested with his Victoria Cross by the Viceroy of India, Field Marshal Lord Wavell, in Peshawar, India, on the 23rd January 1945.
Comments
It would be interesting to know what percentage of VC's have been awarded to members of the Gurkha units - whether Gurkha's themselves or the British Officers over them.
Then compare that to their percentage of the forces as a whole.
Posted by: SSG Jeff (USAR) | June 26, 2008 4:30 PM
My Dear Namesake: probably damned high.
I was never in the Army, but was close enough to understand that the Gurkhas were given the very best of British officers.
Our treatment of them over the past ten years at least has been abominable.
Apologies: for what stands the AR in USAR?
Posted by: Jeff Wood | June 26, 2008 4:56 PM
USAR = United States Army Reserve
Posted by: SSG Jeff (USAR) | June 26, 2008 5:36 PM
Jeff, many thanks.
Posted by: Jeff Wood | June 26, 2008 8:24 PM