Welcome to the website of 2nd King Edward VII’s Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)  

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The 2nd Goorkhas was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army before being transferred to the British Army on India’s independence in 1947.  At that time the 4th Battalion joined the Indian Army as the 5th Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles (Sirmoor Rifles), where it exists to this day.

As part of the British Army, the Regiment served in Malaya, Hong Kong, the UK, Brunei and many other locations worldwide until 1994 when it was amalgamated with the other three British Army Gurkha infantry Regiments to form the Royal Gurkha Rifles.

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On this day, 10th January, in....

1816 The exact date is unclear but about this time on return from Sitapur (where the Sirmoor Battalion had joined an army under General Nicholls to invade Nepal but were not used against their fellow countrymen) the matter of dress was considered. Eventually the Sirmoor Battalion 'presented a smart appearance in a dark green coatee with tails looped up, black facings, high shoulder wings, white drill trousers and native shoes. The breast had 5 rows of black and white braid'. Later a green shako was given to them which was subsequently replaced by the Kilmarnock cap. Finally there was ’an enormous expense pouch depended from a black leather cross belt, on front of which was a brass plate with the name of the Corps‘.

Sirmoor Battalion sepoy 'in 1817'.  (Frontispiece from Volume 1 of the Regimental History published in 1912, thought to be a photograph of a replica uniform created at about that time).

 

1896 The Regimental British Officers’ Mess in Dehra Dun had not yet been constructed, and the two battalions had separate messes. A reminiscence in the 1936 newsletter recalls 'When the 2nd Battalion officers wished to bicycle or drive to their lines, they had to do so by going all round via the 1st Battalion Quarterguard and Ramsden’s Bungalow. If they rode up through the 1st Battalion Lines they had to jump a series of ditches which had been purposely dug to hinder traffic'.
 

Use the box below to search the ‘On This Day’ database. Dates should be in the format YYYY-MM-DD (e.g. 1948-02-09 for 9th February 1948).