Here at the former Royal Victoria Military hospital at Netley, near Southampton, we have numerous stories of the Gurkhas who were brought here as patients in the First World War. By the end of the summer of 1914, the shortage of space at Netley had become so acute that the Red Cross built a whole new camp of wooden huts behind the main hospital, where Nurse L Ethel Nazer, was waiting to receive the first batch of patients in November 1914. Ironically, these buildings, constructed so hastily from kits and frames, proved to be very much more comfortable and fit for purpose than the wards in the main building, being light, airy and well-ventilated…. Warmed by slow-combustion stoves… well supplied with water, with admirable sanitary arrangements. She described meeting Gurkhas among the diverse group of British and Indian soldiers:
Five out of the last twenty were hand and arm wounds and these walked in; the other fifteen were all heavy stretcher cases; some had six or eight wounds from shrapnel and three were badly frost-bitten; one has since died, another developed tetanus and several amputations have had to be done; all the wounds are horribly septic on arrival but it is surprising how quickly they clean up with regular dressing and attention..
Rifleman Papal Singh Thapal was badly wounded and evacuated to Netley, where he died on the 27th November. But the religion of the Gurkhas demanded cremation, at a spot where the ashes would finally float to the sacred Ganges. As a result, his body was cremated on the 29th November by a small brook, which would run into Southampton water, then into the Oceans and, finally, to the Ganges. Perhaps Johnny Adams had helped. Papal Singh’s comrade in the 2nd Battalion, Riflemen Thula Ram Pun was wounded and brought to Netley with Tel Bahadut Thepa, also in the 2nd Battalion, when Thula Ram died on the 5th December and Tel died two days later. They were both cremated on the 9th December. Umbahadur Pun died on the 29th December, and was cremated on the last day of 1914, while Harak Bahadur died on the 6th January, and was cremated two days later.
The Evening Despatch newspaper carried a wonderful story in January 1915, where we meet our friend, Nurse L Ethel Nazer again, who had a special place in her heart for a Gurkha who had been blinded but who became the life and soul of her ward:
The other evening, when I came back from tea, I found the patients in roars of laughter. Gundar Singh was out of bed performing a ‘pay day’ to the other men. I ordered him back to bed, and he immediately stood to attention and saluted. “Saleem Sister Sahib, pay sister Sahib 500 Rupees. Sister Sahib is very good.” How could I be angry with him? I had to laugh with the rest of them.
My grandfather Jack Harding spent his entire military service in the First World War with the 5th Battalion Hampshire Regiment, and spent much time with the Gurkhas, working with Gurkha attachments or campaigning together, to eliminate the insurgent tribesmen on the North West Frontier, where they taught him a great deal about the fieldcraft of hunting, a sport which no Gurkha could ever resist! Jack brought home with him irrefutable evidence of his friendship with the Gurkhas in the form of a photograph (currently lost in the family) when the Gurkhas captured some insurgents, beheaded them with their kukris, and put the heads on a rock, facing each other like they were talking together. However gruesome, that was the humour of the military way and Jack joined in, showing the photograph to family and friends with much delight.
With the outbreak of the Third Afghan War in May 1919, Jack’s Battalion received orders to proceed to Kohat, as part of the 46th Mobile Brigade, joining the 2nd Battalion 7th Gurkhas and 2nd Battalion 9th Gurkhas. He was awarded the India General Service Medal 1909, with clasp inscribed Afghanistan, North-West frontier, 1919.
