The Sirmoor Rifles Association

The Sirmoor Rifles Association (SRA) has 3 parts:

  • The Sirmoor Club Nepal, for former Gurkha officers and soldiers of the Regiment in Nepal and the Far East.
  • The Sirmoor Sathies UK, for former Gurkha officers and soldiers of the Regiment in the UK. 
  • The Sirmoor Club, for former British Officers of the Regiment.

The aims of the SRA are to foster comradeship, heritage and welfare among former members of the 2nd Goorkhas and their families.  This is done in slightly different ways in each part of the Association as set out below.  The activities of the SRA are supported by the 2GR Trust.

All elements of the SRA maintain a very close relationship with each other, collectively managing the SRA and participating jointly in the main events that take place in the UK and Nepal.  The SRA also keeps close associations with The Royal Gurkha Rifles, into which the 2nd Goorkhas merged in 1994, the Gurkha Brigade Association, other Regimental Associations within the Brigade of Gurkhas, and the Gurkha Welfare Trust.  

Sirmoor Club Nepal (SCN)

General Description.  The Sirmoor Club Nepal (SCN) exists to promote the aims of the SRA among the Gurkha pensioners and retirees in Nepal.  It also covers activities among groups of former members of the Regiment in other locations in the Far East such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Brunei.

Organisation and Membership. As at 31st March 2019 the SCN had 439 welfare pensioners and 3189 service pensioners registered in Nepal, giving a total of 3628 members of SCN.  They are spread over 46 districts, with concentrations of more than 100 in Baglung (102), Gorkha (112), Kaski (891), Kathmandu (406), Lalitpur (252), Lamjung (148), Rupandehi (220), Syangja (254) and Tanahu (230).  SCN is managed by a Committee of 13 former Gurkha Officers and Warrant Officers.

Events and Activities.  SCN has a programme of events during the year, many of which take place locally on various Regimental days (e.g. Tamandu Day, Delhi Day &c).  Major centralised events took place in Pokhara in 2004 (10 years since the merge of the Regiment into the Royal Gurkha Rifles), 2015 (200th anniversary of the founding of the Regiment) and 2019 (25 years since the merge of the Regiment into the Royal Gurkha Rifles).  Reports and photographs are published in The Nepal Sirmooree and/or the Galleries in this website.

Journal.  SCN publishes a yearly journal called The Nepal Sirmooree.  Previous editions can be found online in the Secure Area. 

Constitution. Please click here to see the Constitution of the Sirmoor Club Nepal.

Contact Details.  For further information about the Sirmoor Club Nepal, please contact the Honorary Secretary by email (karnabthapa@gmail.com).

Sirmoor Sathies UK 

General Description.  The Sirmoor Sathies, the Sirmoor Rifles Association (SRA) branch in the UK, has been in existence since 2005.   Its mission is to maintain awareness of the Regiment’s history and maintain friendship, esprit-de-corps, ethos and camaraderie both internally and with the other parts of the SRA (the Sirmoor Club and Sirmoor Club Nepal). 

Organisation and Membership. The Sirmoor Sathies has a total of 3,226 members excluding spouses but including 241 widows.  They are split between the 3 UK settlement areas as follows: Aldershot 2931; Nuneaton 161; Catterick 134.  The Sathies are run and managed by a Committee of 18 former Gurkha Officers, Warrant Officers and NCOs.

Events and Activities.  The Sirmoor Sathies main event each year is a large gathering on Delhi Day, the Regimental Day, on 14th September, usually in the Aldershot area.  Details are promulgated in the SRA Noticeboard and reports and photographs published in the Galleries in this website.

Constitution.  Please click here to see the Sirmoor Sathies’ Constitution.

Contact Details. For further information about the Sirmoor Sathies please contact the General Secretary by email (sirmoorsathiesuk@outlook.com).

The Sirmoor Club 

General Description.  The Sirmoor Club promotes the aims of the SRA among former British Officers of the Regiment. 

Organisation and Membership.  The Sirmoor Club has 321 members as at 31st March 2019.  These are mainly in the UK but several live or work overseas.  150 are former British officers of the Regiment including Gurkha Commissioned Officers.  103 are Associate Members – officers who have been seconded or attached to the Regiment or relatives.  68 are Honorary Members – widows or those with an honorary affiliation to the Regiment.  The Club is managed by a Committee of 5 former British officers and there are 5 Vice-Presidents who are former Presidents or Chairmen of the Club.

Events and Activities.  The Sirmoor Club has several gatherings each year as well as activities such as shooting, fishing, sailing and skiing.  Calling notices for these are posted in the SRA Noticeboard and details are promulgated and managed in the Members’ Secure Area.  Reports and photographs are published in the Sirmooree journal and/or the Galleries in this website.

The Sirmooree.  The Sirmoor Club publishes a yearly journal called The Sirmooree.  Previous editions can be found online in the Secure Area.

Members’ Secure Area.  The Sirmoor Club Secure Area contains a list of members, their contact details, a historical register of the Regiment’s British Officers with short biographies, and other privileged material.  It is only accessible by members with an ID and password.  Those requiring access should contact the Honorary Secretary – details below. 

Constitution.  Please click here to download a copy of the Sirmoor Club Constitution.

Contact Details.  For further information about the Sirmoor Club please contact the Honorary Secretary by email (honsec@2ndgoorkhas.com).

The 2GR Trust

The 2nd Gurkha Rifles Trust (or ‘2GR Trust’) supports the heritage, welfare and comradeship aims of the SRA and its branches.  It consists of money from the sale of property, goods and chattels the Regiment owned in India prior to 1947 and non-public funds accrued prior to 1947 and subsequently. The Trust is managed by a Board of Trustees consisting of 11 British and Gurkha former officers of the Regiment.