This Day in History: 1937-06-02

The 1st Battalion moved to Dosalli in North Waziristan and joined the 3rd Indian Infantry Brigade, keen to put into practice the recently enhanced training regime introduced by Lieutenant Colonel Tuker as Commandant.  This became known as the Sirmoor System with its progressive educational and tactical training programme.  Unfortunately the Battalion’s priority of work was road building.  To make matters worse, and despite aggressive patrolling and deployment of observation posts, the enemy tribesmen appeared to steadfastly ignore the 1st Battalion while other units in the brigade were subject to constant sniping and occasional contacts.  The Regimental History reports: ‘The Gurkha officers and men were most upset at our immunity and had a puja [prayer] said to the Queen’s Truncheon at Dehra Dun in order to raise the spell.  The puja apparently worked for the Razani Detachment soon afterwards killed its first Pathan’.