By Trainee Rifleman Kaushal Gurung, 4 Iraq Platoon

On the 29th of July 2023, Recruit Intake 23 celebrated the 72nd birthday of the Gurkha Company Catterick. Gurkha Company Catterick was established on the 15th of August 1951 and has since trained many generations of Gurkhas.

The day included many events, the first was the Tough Gurkha Competition for the trainees. It was an important event for us as the points would add up to Colonel Commandments Competition to become Champion Platoon at the end of the year. All Trainees took part in the competition, and it was exciting to see everyone giving their best effort. Other events included football, chello (shot put), tug of war, KIMS game, potted sports and a musical chair game. The highlight was the tug of war as we watched two teams from 2 and 3 Platoon battled it out.

Then it was time for permanent staff Sungai Patani Cup games. The first game was football followed by tug of war. The family members then took part in the musical chair game. Later on, the families visited the survival lane where we showcased the skills and drills required to survive in the jungle during deployment. A BBQ was laid on, and we helped Corporal Sachin Limbu to prepare it.

A cake cutting ceremony took place to mark the 72nd Birthday. We all had a taste of the cake, and it was delicious. Entertainment followed, and the highlight for us was Company Second in Command Captain Deepak Gurung Saheb performing and entertaining us with some dance moves. The rest of us also joined in and enjoyed the music, and the company.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Captain Bishwahang Rai Saheb and Sergeant Sonic Thapa Magar Guruji for organising the event.

Winners of the competitions:

• Tough Gurkha – 1 Tigris Platoon
• Tough Gurkha Recruit – Trainee Rifleman Kumar Tamang
• Potted Sports – 4 Iraq Platoon
• Tug of War – 2 Kandahar Platoon
• Chello – Trainee Rifleman Gobinda Raj Gautam Khatri.
• Sungai Patani Cup 2023 Winner – Junior Non-Commissioned Officers Team