47
day deployment our JNCO’s pushed themselves and their teams to the
limit against a free-playing enemy with trackers and dogs. The efforts
of our men, and our guest team from the Gurkha Contingent Singapore
Police Force, were exceptional; the tenacity and resilience of the
Gurkha in the jungle to the fore. Whilst our Garrison team fared less
well, C Company emerged victorious with the GCSPF in a highly
commendable second place.
Other firsts came in the shape of a revamped
Bukit Teraja
race up the
big hill in the Labi jungles; an exercise in New Caledonia and a short
training deployment to Tonga. But the most significant first has been
the amount of bilateral work achieved over the past 12 months; voices
of experience of operations, jungle course attendance, school-house ex-
changes (military theory lessons delivered whilst on exercise in jungle),
table-top exercises, joint jungle exercises, skill at arms meetings, staff
training and capability demonstrations have been reinforced by for-
malising our sporting and social calendars.
Meanwhile, the Ex Pacific Kukri series has continued, this year B Com-
pany deployed to Australia. The 2RGR Champion Company Competi-
tion saw Support Company emerge as winners; whilst the inaugural
Krishnabahadur Dura Trophy
1
was won by the Officers on the RGR
birthday, and more recently by the JNCO’s Mess: a splendid piece of
silver has been commissioned.
In external competition the Battalion has been active. We missed the
Queen’s Medal at Bisley in 2012 but were the Major Unit Champions,
winning seven individual and a further eight unit trophies. The 2RGR
football team finished as runners-up in the Nepal Cup last year, and
our endurance team came third in Trailwalker (albeit with only three
men finishing). The Gurkha Lions cricket club have formed up and are
fast becoming a force to be reckoned with – cricket is the fastest grow-
ing sport in 2RGR. Our rugby club – The Flying Kukris – have toured
some five times this year, and 12 in total over the past four years. Their
trophy cabinet has continued to grow.
1
Dedicated to all ranks 2RGR who have fallen in Afghanistan – named after
21178855 CSgt Krishnabahadur Dura, KIA Op Herrick 9, 2009.
