The sidebar on the right of this page displays daily-changing historical events drawn from a library of (currently) 560 items. The number of entries a day varies. Most days have 2-3. Some have 5-6. Some artistic licence and creative thinking has been necessary to ensure every day has at least one entry.
Both the day of the year and the associated entries automatically update daily. Pictures and/or links to other, more detailed material are embedded in most of the entries and could include video or audio files. The cycle begins again after 365 days. The setup is very flexible and entries can be edited or added to whenever required.
The sidebar could be displayed on the homepage of the 2GR website which means people would see it when they land there (e.g. after an internet search). It could also be added to the most intensively-used pages such as the membership address list and Noticeboard(s) so people going to such pages would see it. Alternatively the material can be displayed on its own full page as shown below but to my mind that would reduce its impact as people would have to make a deliberate choice to go to that page rather than just seeing the stuff in the margins of navigating round other bits of the site.
HISTORICAL EVENTS FROM THE REGIMENT’S HISTORY
On this day, 12th September, in....
- 1897 At about 16.00 hrs the 1st Battalion, on the North-West Frontier of India, reached Gogra Hill, about 5km short of Fort Lockhart on the Samana Range, but it was not until 02.30 hrs 12 September 1897 that the Battalion rearguard and baggage under Captain Robinson finally arrived. He reported persistent attacks by the enemy. 3 Goorkhas had been killed and 6 wounded. The drivers had run away, and camels had been shot or became unmanageable and bolted. However, with the assistance from the 3rd Gurkha Rifles 12 out of 51 animals had been retrieved. Click here to read an account of the campaign.
- 1966 Confrontation with Indonesia ended. The 2nd Battalion, deployed in north Borneo, became non-operational and returned to Singapore. There followed 28 years of peacetime soldiering until 1994, when the Regiment was merged with the 3 other Gurkha Infantry Regiments in the British Army to form The Royal Gurkha Rifles.
- 1978 Honorary Captain Pirthilal Pun MBE MC died in Paklihawa, Nepal. He joined the 1st Battalion in 1933 and was commissioned in 1943 after only 10 years service, retiring from the Army in 1966. He fought with the 1st Battalion throughout the Second World War and was awarded the Military Cross at Monte Cassino. One of his Commanding Officers said 'He was without doubt one of the finest men I have ever served with'.
Honorary Captain Pirthilal Pun MBE MC