News
HRH visits the 1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles on Salisbury Plain
11th February 2010
The Prince of Wales today thanked Gurkha soldiers for taking care of Prince Harry during his time in Afghanistan.
His Royal Highness met about 200 soldiers, their wives and children from 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles as they trained on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire ahead of deploying to Afghanistan from next month.
As Colonel-in-Chief, The Prince spoke to several soldiers who worked alongside Prince Harry when he was in Helmand in early 2008.
Captain Chandra Pun, second in command of A Company, showed The Prince a photo of himself and Prince Harry enjoying a Nepalese curry in their sleeping quarters in Afghanistan.
He said: "He laughed and said thanks for looking after my son.
"In Nepal we don't use knife and forks, we use our fingers. That was the first time I taught Prince Harry how to eat rice with his fingers.
"He asked a couple of questions about the boys. I told him we had done lots of training, most of the boys have lots of experience in Afghanistan, we are very confident and looking forward to it."
The 41-year-old added: "We are very proud His Royal Highness came down to visit us and it's a good opportunity for our families as well."
He said he felt like the "luckiest man in the world" to have met The Prince three times and served with Prince Harry.
"The Gurkhas are very kind, we make friends very quickly," he said.
"That's why Harry adapted with us very well and we are very much looking after each other."
The Prince was presented with a garland of the battalion's colours - red, green and black, which he wore throughout the visit over his combats.
Gurkha soldiers also danced, clapped and sang to the beat of a drum playing a traditional folk song from Nepal while The Prince toured the hangar.
Competition is fierce in Nepal to join the British Army with up to 1,000 applicants for each of about 200 places offered every year.
They carry up to 100 lbs in communication gear, weapons and body armour and their motto is 'It's better to die than be a coward'.
The Prince had a private briefing with Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Strickland to find out about the regiment.
He also surprised one soldier by presenting him with the Parish Trophy, an annual award for the battalion's best rifleman.
He gave the trophy to Rifleman Poshraj Rai, 26, as he stood guard in the sangar, or watchtower, at Avon Compound, who said: "He said well done and that I was a very good soldier.
"I was very excited and I am very excited about having this award."
It is The Prince's first visit to the battalion since Brunei in October 2008.
Manju Gurung, wife of Gurkha Major Khusiman, and their 12-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter met The Prince.
"He is very supportive," she said. "We need moral support and at this time it's quite challenging in the British Army."
The Gurkha Rifles, which moved to Kent in August last year, will partner an Afghan Army unit and members of the Afghan Police during their deployment.
Most will be based in the Babaji area between Lashkar Gah and Gereshk.