1954 was the year of the cap badge was given the Royal Assent, which arrived from the Garrards of London as accompanied baggage paid by the Officers to present to their men. Major General Perowne CB CBE presented the Regiment on the 23rd of September 1954, which became the date of the Regimental birthday.
This year, on Saturday the 16th of September 2023, the Paltan came together to celebrate its 74th Regimental Birthday Parade in Gamecock Barracks, Bramcote. The parade was witnessed by Brigadier MJ Fayers (Colonel of the Regiment), Lieutenant Colonel J Carey (Commander Queen’s QG Signals), and Maj Deepak Rai MVO (Gurkha Major), along with serving personnel, veterans and their families. It was a spectacular day, with more than 500 personnel from across the Paltan present for the annual reunion. A sense of pride was felt when the parade square was filled with regimental tunes played by the pipes and drums.
The event also saw an opportunity to recognise individuals for their exemplary performance over the last 12 months. Personnel were awarded the Verdon and Carter trophy, Ridlington Trophy, Best Shot, Sportsman of the Year, Piper of the Year and Trainee of the Year. The event also saw the official opening of the Regimental Heritage Room, inaugurated by the Colonel of the Regiment QG SIGNALS to protect and archive the Paltan’s long-found history and early Regimental artefacts.
The Regiment later found themselves on the sports field, where the annual inter-squadron sports competition took place. There was a fierce battle amongst the squadrons in volleyball, football and tug-of-war. The field saw scenes of jubilation as 250 Gurkha Signal Squadron walked away with the infamous Cole ‘Sungur’ trophy for the second time.
We are now preparing to celebrate the remarkable milestone, the QG Signals diamond jubilee (75th anniversary) next year.
By Lance Corporal Joshan Gurung, Queen’s Gurkha Signals
