HONG KONG Reuter: A British Defense Minister said that it was still not known what sparked a brawl between Gurkha soldiers and their British officers leading to the dismissal of an entire company of Hong Kong based troops.
A thorough probe showed allegations that British officers had insulted the Gurkhas were wholly without foundation Armed Forces John Stanley told reporters when asked about the Brawl during exercises in Hawaii in May. Two officers suffered broken ribs in the Fracas.
We regard this unhappy incident as an isolated and wholly untypical one which in no way detracts from the high esteem in which the Brigade of Gurkhas is held he said.
We are determined to ensure it will damage neither the role of the Gurkhas in the British army nor our very close and friendly relations with Nepal. He said the army was notable to find out exactly what happened because no Gurkha was willing to talk.
This made it impossible to identify all the offenders and so enable court martial proceedings to be initiated against them he said.
Faced with a very serious disciplinary offence which could not be ignored the army authorities had no alternative but to recommend the administrative discharge of all the 123 members of the support company.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 5, 1986
