Khukuris and Australia: Any Connection?

C

Craig Gottlieb

Joined
Mar 8, 1999
Messages
1,760
I was contacted by a firm that is interested in using our khukuris as props in a film/tv environment, but their show/film has an australian "theme" to it. They wanted to know if there was any historical connection between Australia and Gurkhas or Khukuris. Anybody have any info I can pass to the company.

If it sounds like I'm being vague as to the name of the interested party, I'm doing it because they haven't yet made the decision to use the khukuris yet. But I'm sure creative minds can probably put two and two together and figure it out.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
You might ask your Australian contacts if the name Gallipoli means anything to them. 10th Gurkhas, 1st/5th Gurkhas, 1st/6th Gurkhas, Sari Bair? I believe they still observe ANZAC Day in Australia.
 
Berk: Can you be more specific? I guess what I'm asking is: can you "write" the paragraph in the letter I would send them letting them know the connection? Much appreciated!

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Craig,
It's`a little long to condense into a paragraph - I recommend the chapter on Gallipoli in Farwell's The Gurkhas. Very brief shorthand: Gurkhas fought bravely and with distinction alongside the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) in the terribly bloody and ultimately unsuccessful campaign to take the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey in 1915 during the War to End All Wars (you remember that one?). 5000 ANZAC troops were slaughterd by the Turks in the first day's beach landing on April 25. The 1/6th were the first Gurkhas to arrive at Gallipoli and take part in the ill-fated campaign. Within 2 weeks they were leading the assault in their first major operation to take out a Turkish high point that was covered in machine-gunners doing untold damage to the Allied troops. The 300 ft. almost vertical slope caused these practiced hillmen little trouble and they put the Turks to flight. After the fight 12 of the enemys' corpses were found to have been cleanly decapitated. Later on, the ridge was shelled by the Royal Navy by mistake and the Turks saw the chance to regain the heights. This place is called Gurkha Bluff to this day in memory of the great bravery shown by the 6th.
Gallipoli became a household word and rallying cry in Australia. To this day Australia commemorates April 25th as ANZAC Day, when the sacrifices of all Australian and New Zealand servicemen in all conflicts are remembered. The honor of being the last unit to evacuate the beach at Gallipoli (after 142,000 Allied troops had preceeded them) was given to Company C, 1/5th Gurkhas, their boots wrapped in blankets to muffle the noise of their nighttime embarkation.

So yes, Gurkhas and Australians share quite a little history.


[This message has been edited by Berkley (edited 08-23-2000).]
 
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