With Guns in the pink

My grandfather left Ireland for Sandhurst in 1934. Upon graduating as a second lieutenant, he was commissioned into the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force) and embarked on a steamer for Delhi.

Posted to the North-West Frontier, he engaged in fighting the 1930s version of the Taliban. My grandparents were of the opinion that western forces would never tame the Afghan tribes. Their rationale, based on experience, was that “they like fighting”.

There was, then, a mutual respect between combatants. The Gurkhas hired Pashtun guides, who were very good, loyal and effective. However, they returned to their villages for annual leave and when there, invariably got bored and joined fellow villagers on skirmishing parties to attack the British.

Upon returning from one such break, a guide laughingly said: “I almost got you last week, sahib, when we skirmished in the pass