Commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery on May 9, 1950, I was posted to an elite second World War vintage Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, (Artillery) now re-designated as Air Defence Artillery. My unit was not alloted any permanent station. After re-patriation from Rawalpindi (Pakistan), the unit was getting re-organised in India. Having left artillery guns behind, the unit personnel had brought only the personal weapons with them. My unit was located near Delhi and we were living under a canvas. By the early 1951, my unit was ordered to move to Babina near Jhansi to occupy the old second World War military barracks. Babina was then a small, deserted and neglected military cantonment.

My Regiment’s class composition was cent per cent South Indian. At that time, one of the elite Gorkha group infantry battalion serving somewhere in the remote part of Kashmir Valley had got involved in a serious disciplinary debacle resulting into eventual disbandment. As an aftermath of the necessary disciplinary action against the guilty, the Jcos and ORs not found guilty were screened and posted out. As a trial measure, the Army headquarters had decided to transfer, for the first time, 200 Gorkha infantry soldiers to the Regiment of Artillery for conversion as gunners.

Traditionally, Gorkhas used to be recruited only to infantry as they were not considered suitable for service in the technical branches of the Indian Army. My unit was selected to accommodate the incoming Gorkha infantry soldiers for their conversion as artillery gunners. One battery of my unit was earmarked and the South Indian gunners of that battery were posted out making room for the incoming Gorkhas. Apart from our Battery Commander and Major, four other officers of the rank of Lt/2Lt were selected from twenty-odd officers present in the unit and I happened to be one of them.

On the scheduled day, the Gorkhas arrived by a special train at Babina railway station. The Gorkha contingent comprising two Jcos and two hundred ORs was received by us at the railway station. They had come with their own mini pipe band, Mandir, drama equipment, musical instruments and the accessories required for setting up a drama stage. It was a lovely sight seeing the smartly dressed Gorkha soldiers wearing Gorkha hats and carrying Khukhris. The Gorkha Jcos accompanying the contingent were second World War veterans decorated with coveted British war medals.

By showing their explicit military discipline, team spirit and dedication, the incoming Gorkhas alighted from the train coaches with bag and baggage in no time. After taking them to our unit location, we guided them to the living accommodation earmarked for them. As per the instructions received from Army HQ, these Gorkhas were to continue wearing their Gorkha hats till the artillery clothing and acessories were issued from the ordnance depot. We, officers posted to the Gorkha battery, were also to wear Gorkha hats during the transitional period. From the next day of their arrival, we had earmarked them into their respective three troops of our battery. Each troop was alloted six artillery L-60 light anti-aircraft guns (SP), thus making a total of eighteen LAA (SP) guns in our battery. Since we had already formed a team of instructors amongst ourselves, we had started the artillery conversion training in the right earnest. During gunnery training, the Gorkhas showed keen interest in learning the gun drill mechanism and maintenance of the artillery gun. To groom them thoroughly into the artillery concept, we had to organise extra classes for them indoor and outside in the gun park during day and night. They responded to the artillery doctrine overwhelmingly. The Gorkhas would voluntarily do the artillery gun drill and learn the gun mechanism. It was interesting to watch the short statured Gorkhas manning the self propelled (SP) anti-aircraft artillery guns. They felt handicapped in driving the mechanical SP gun mounted on a second World War vintage Ford and Chevrolet chasis because their short legs wouldn’t reach the foot brake and accelerator. To overcome this handicap, our unit EME workshop had improvised special low set driving seats enabling the Gorkhas to drive the SP gun with ease. The hard and sustained training imparted had started showing good results and after three months they had learnt the basis of theory and practical gunnery involved in an anti-aircraft artillery gun.

Having completed three months in our unit, they were allowed to bring families at the station. A healthy competition amongst the three batteries (two batteries of South Indian and one battery of Gorkhas) was distinctly visible during unit sports and games. Also the results of ORs line inspection, family lines and unit area showed marked difference. On Sundays, holidays and during our regimental functions, the Gorkha gunners would play their pipe band attracting personnel from neighbouring units. Being quite religious, the Gorkhas took special interest in the upkeep of their battery Mandir. During religious functions, the two Mandirs in our unit would celebrate the occasion maintaining the healthy competitive spirit.

On completion of six months, the Gorkha gunners had acquitted themselves and the newly converted Gorkha gunners would bag many prizes and commendations. The Gorkha battery had created a ‘Dussehra festival fund’ to which all ranks including officers of Gorkha battery would contribute rank-wise every month round the year. Come Dussehra and the Gorkha battery would celebrate the festival in a big way. The celebrations would last for a full week.

During the end of 1951, our unit was ordered to move to a location in J&K. On the new location, our three batteries got dispersed in their operational role. Our Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) and the Gorkha battery were together near Jammu. Being fully baptised as artillery gunners, the Gorkha battery was also deployed in an operational role. As Dussehra festival was drawing nearer, the Gorkhas got busy with the preparations. The drama party had started rehearsals for the show to be put up in the right earnest. An impressive open-air drama stage was constructed in the Infantry Brigade Parade Ground. On the final Dussehra day, a full three-hour cultural show was organised. Being self-sufficient in funds and equipment, accessories with the musical system, no financial assistance was sought from regimental headquarters. Proper invitations for the cultural show were sent to the Formation Commander, nearby units and formation battalions. Appropriate seating arrangements for the VIP guests were made. Soon the officers, jcos and the jawans of the neighbouring units came in large numbers.

The cultural show began with melodious tunes. With their natural fair complexion and perfect feminish make-up, the Gorkha gunners dressed as girls would be easily mistaken for a girl. During a group dance sequence, when the Gorkha boys dressed as girls were performing a romantic scene, the jawans of the neighbouring Sikh battalion started hooting. At the same time, the drama stage was being showered with coins of all denominations creating jingle sound. The Military Police which was on a stand-by immediately swung into action and the situation was brought under control. The cultural programme went on smoothly thereafter.

At the end of the show, the Battery Commander complimented the artists and presented them with prizes and gifts. With the passage of time, the Gorkha artillery gunners had perfected themselves as fully trained gunners. This was confirmed by the annual inspection reports by the higher command. The Gorkha battery had already been declared ‘Fit For War’.

Thus, the trial conversion of the Gorkha infantry soldiers as artillery gunners having been proved successful, a new full-fledged Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Artillery comprising Gorkhas and the hill tribes of North India was ordered to be raised. The existing Gorkha battery had formed the nucleus for the new raising.

Subsequently, surpassing the old traditions of only infantry soldiering by the Gorkhas, the Gorkhas started joining artillery and other technical arms. My association with the Gorkha infantry soldiers and their convert to successful artillery gunners shall keep reminding me of the novel opportunities offered by the Indian Army.