Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 17: Second battalion the 3rd Gorkha Rifles celebrated 125 years of its Raising at Pathankot falling under Western Command today.
The Day was celebrated from January 14 to 16 at Mamun Military Station (Pkt) to commemorate the rich saga of valour, sacrifice and unflinching loyalty of its officers and men over 125 years. Relatives of martyrs and a large number of serving and retired personnel of various ranks from Nepal and India attended the grand celebrations. Second battalion of the Third Gorkha Rifles was raised at Lansdowne, in the Garhwal Hills on 15 January, 1891 by Major (Later Lieutenant General) HD Hutchinson.
Before Independence, the Battalion was designated as ‘Second Battalion The Third Queen Alexandra’s Own Gorkha Rifles’. Post Independence, the Battalion was re-designated as ‘Second Battalion of the Third Gorkha Rifles’ (2/3 GR).
Since it raising, the Battalion has participated in North West Frontier, First and Second World Wars and 1948 J&K operations. It earned for itself a total of 210 Gallantry Awards in First World War including two Victoria Crosses, the highest gallantry award of the British Indian Army and 135 Gallantry awards in Second World War. 27 Battle Honours were awarded to the battalion pre-independence.
Soon after independence in 1948, the Battalion proved its mettle yet again and earned its 28th Battle Honour ‘PIRKANTHI’. It was one of the first Battle Honours awarded to any unit after independence. The Battalion has served two tenures in the Siachen Glacier, recognised as the ‘Highest Battlefield in the World’, which were duly recognised by the award of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command Unit Appreciation Cards in 2003 and 2015.
The chief guest for the event was Major General Avinash Singh, Chief of Staff, Headquarters 14 Corps and Colonel of the Regiment, Third Gorkha Rifles. Special cover was also released on January 15, 2016.
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