What's your angle on this ? Just curious.
dave
| Quote: | |  | |
| Hi all,
I'm not sure that these sentiments are all justified. It's not as if the Gurkha serve with the Army because they think the UK is the greatest thing since white sliced bread but more like because it is a well paying job in an area scarce of them, they serve with the Indian army as well don't they? And probably think that they (the Indians) and the Brits are a bunch of pussies.
The Swiss were much more efficient, with parishes organising the immigration of young men already trained into foreign service AND getting monies for it, at least the Brits have the decency to keep a recruiting station in the mountains, train the soldiers themselves and actually pay them, even if the sums are small compared to that of the average squaddy.
Few armies allow the presence of foreigners in their immediate ranks, the US is a notable exception, most armies willing to recruit foreigners have specially regulated structures to hold them, the French and Spanish foreign legions are (were) obvious examples, the Gurkhas are another, the conditions of service in which are clearly defined. In the FFL you get French citizenship after your initial 5 years, in the US Marine Corps you get it after your first tour, in the Gurkhas you don’t, period. There used to a regiment in HK and there was (still is?) a regiment in Belize and there is one on home service (funny term isn't it?) but I'm not sure that a Gurkha will necessarily ever have been to the UK in the course of his service (15 years isn’t it?).
A VC is not awarded for acts of patriotism but for acts of bravery and any bets that an Italian seconded to British command is eligible to win it too ... could he (she) or any other VC carrying Australian, South African, Irishman or New Zealander demonstrate strong ties to the UK?
From a public relations point of view it is a pretty stupid blunder however.
Regards
Hans | |
| | |