AT THE club’s meeting on Tuesday, June 12, president John Smith welcomed over 30 members who had gathered to hear a talk by Brigadier Bruce Jackman from the Gurkha Welfare Trust about the history of the Gurkhas and the work of the trust.

Supported by David Bendall, Bruce explained that he did not charge a fee for his talks; instead, any donations by the club or individual members would be passed directly to the trust to look after ex-Gurkhas and their wives in various ways.

Bruce opened his talk by explaining that his father had served with the Gurkhas, as had he and, now, his son.

Between them, they had worked with the Gurkhas for 68 years.

Bruce told members about the origin of the Gurkhas in 1816, and he listed some of the countries and conflicts in which they had served with their legendary bravery – and told many anecdotes about the roles they had played in those conflicts.

He added that many Gurkhas had been awarded Victoria Crosses over the years.

About 3,500 Gurkhas were currently serving in the British Army, with an annual intake of about 350.

It was normal for Gurkhas to serve for 15 years, after which they received a good pension. About 150,000 Gurkhas were also serving in the Indian Army.

After Bruce had answered several questions from Members, Brian Bolsher thanked him for a most interesting and informative talk.

The club's next meeting will be held at Dursley Community Centre at 10am on Tuesday, June 26, when Nigel Warwick will be delivering a talk about “Severn Freewheelers”.

There is also a possibility of trip to Evesham on Tuesday, July 17 that will include a guided tour of the town followed by a boat trip and a carvery lunch at Raphael’s Restaurant at Hampton Ferry.