The First Overland – 70 years on
The Original Journey
Back in 1955, a group of six students from Oxford and Cambridge Universities embarked on an adventure that would be remembered for many years to come – The First Overland.
Anthony Barrington Brown, Adrian Cowell, Patrick Murphy, Nigel Newbery, Henry Nott and Tim Slessor set off from The Grenadier pub in London on 1st September 1955 heading overland to Singapore in two iconic Series I Land Rovers. The journey took them six months and six days, covering over 1800 miles through France, Monaco, Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Malaya and Singapore.
The Legacy Continues: The Last Overland
In 2019, award-winning filmmaker and explorer Alex Bescoby decided to recreate this epic journey along with Tim Slessor, Nat George (Tim’s grandson), and David Israeli, calling it “The Last Overland”.
The Gurkha Welfare Trust’s Role
The Gurkha Welfare Trust was a key charity partner for the expedition, offering a warm welcome and hospitality to the teams on arrival in Nepal, and introducing them to the different areas of our work.
During the journey through Nepal, they visited many of our Area Welfare Centres, including those in Darjeeling, Damak, Kaski, and Pokhara. The Trust hosted the team, introduced them to our Gurkha veterans, showcased their medical facilities, and arranged a visit to a newly constructed earthquake-resilient home. Read more about their time in Nepal.
At the finish line in London, the expedition team was greeted by a Gurkha Piper arranged by The Gurkha Welfare Trust, a reminder of their introduction to the culture and people of this wonderful country.
70 Years on: The Anniversary Event
This year marks the 70th Anniversary of the First Overland trip, and as such, Land Rovers of London are holding a special event to mark the occasion.
On 31st August a special convoy has been arranged from The Grenadier Pub, Belgrave Square, to Bremont Watches Headquarters in Henley for an afternoon celebration.
Special guests from the original First Overland expedition will be joining the convoy – but they don’t know it yet, so keep it under your hat…
The proceeds from ticket sales will support the work of The Gurkha Welfare Trust.