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, 13th December, in....
- 1916 After a break of almost six months operations began again against the Turks in the area of Kut. The 1st Battalion was required initially to act as Corps and the Division Reserve before returning a week later to 27th Brigade and occupation of a picquet line south of Kut.
- 1943 The 4th Battalion, part of the Razmak Brigade Frontier Column (Razcol) was returning to camp from a training exercise when at dusk they came under fire from Mahsud tribesmen who 'were swarming across the line of withdrawal' and incurred several casualties. Captain Lockey made two trips under heavy fire to successfully recover four of the casualties and their weapons. He later took out a fighting patrol to search for wounded and brought in three more casualties despite it getting dark and many armed tribesmen searching for weapons and equipment. As they withdrew to camp they were pursued by enemy tribesmen who 'followed up with exceptional boldness; one rash Mahsud lost his head from a kukri stroke as he endeavoured to snatch a tommy gun from a wounded Rifleman. This was a major contact with total casualties amounting to 17 Gurkhas killed and 13 wounded (including the Commanding Officer of the 4th Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Parsons). It was estimated that 30 tribesmen had been hit. Captain Lockey was subsequently awarded the MC and Naik [Corporal] Gangbir Gurung the IDSM for their gallantry.
Captain Norman Lockey in July 1944
- 1962 On the night of 13/14 December, rebels in the Brunei revolt tried to infiltrate into the town of Tutong in 7 longboats. An ambush by C and D Companies of the 1st Battalion killed 26 of them.
- 1967 Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra unveiled the stained glass window in the Indian Army Room at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, commemorating the 2nd Goorkhas 150 years of service from 1815 to 1965. The window was designed and made by Mr Lawrence Lee who had already designed several windows for the Academy chapel.
The window in the Indian Army Memorial Room, Sandhurst
The models for the two figures were Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Digby Willoughby MC and Major (QGO) Partapsing Gurung, MVO, both of the 1st Battalion. Colonel Denis Wood, who was responsible for organising the event, recalled: "Princess Alexandra’s Lady in Waiting was Lady Mary Fitz-Alan Howard, one of the four daughters of the Duke of Norfolk. Her shoes were killing her and she hid behind me in the corner opposite the window to take them off and stand stocking-footed".