NAM.2016-11-70-1

Oral history interview with Dil Rai by Kirsty Parsons for the Crown and Country project, recorded on 17/11/2016. Interview conducted at Montgomery House, Aldershot. Part One Dil Kumar Rai (553994) of the Royal Gurkha Rifles served mostly with 2 Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles. He was born in a village in eastern Nepal into a big family that owned farmland with cattle and crops. Dil would help out on the family farm before and after school. He went to the Gulawalas to register for the Gurkhas. The health check, document checks, etc tend to filter out about 60 percent of applicants. More vigourous checks into physical health, education and background are done over three days and Dil thinks only about 15 percent get through this stage. Then went to a selection centre in south eastern Nepal where Dil thinks out of 1000 people who attended, only 250 were selected. Dil’s parents were not in the army but his mother’s family were an army family. There is a social acceptance in Nepal that if you join the British Army you are tough and would have a good life and see the world. The Nepalese Army is not as popular as the British Army or the Indian Army. Dil went to Basic Training at 18 years old, it took place in Hong Kong. Dil found it very autocratic - he had to get rid of all his personal belongings and was given army issue replacements. Tough - carrying heavy loads, early mornings, long distance marching, drill. Dil learnt to sleep march and the first thing he enjoyed during Basic Training was when they were taken to a theme park four months into the training. Came to the UK 27 December 1982. He had culture shock as it was snowing when he arrived and the trees had no leaves (no deciduous trees in Nepal). When Dil joined his regiment, they had just returned from the Falklands so the whole regiment was on leave. Dil had to do more training for carrying heavy loads, long distance marching and crawling. Deployed to Macedonia in 2000 as Platoon Commander on operation with 2 Battalion Parachute Regiment and the Special Forces. Dil had to collect weapon systems from UCK who were being dismantled and helped with Special Forces operations. Deployed to Afghanistan in 2001 on Operation Fingal as a Platoon Commander on operation with 2 Battalion Parachute Regiment. Their purpose was to encourage the locals to continue living normal lives. The locals were welcoming to the Gurkhas as there was not as big a language barrier. Weapons used include mounted heavy machine guns .45 cal, air cover. IEDs were just starting to be used when Dil first got there. Talked about food. More choice of and better vegetables in Hong Kong than the UK. Part Two Fatty food in Hong Kong. Ration packs designed for infanteer who works hard - sugar tablets not very nice but useful if you have nothing else. More variety with ration packs now, you can pick what menu you want. In the mid 90s the ration packs in Hong Kong were prepared locally especially for the Gurkhas. They were bulky but tasted good e.g. tinned curry. In Hong Kong recreation activities available included volleyball, basketball, swimming and cycling. In UK basketball and football. Dil has also done sky diving, orienteering and wind surfing in the UK. On operation only thing Dil could really do was run around the perimeter of the compound. Dil had to serve in the Gurkhas for three years before he could take any leave. He went home after 44 months and felt Nepal was different than when he was last there - thought house was in worse condition than he remembered and land was smaller. He got married on his second leave and then didn’t see his wife again for three years. Dil feels Commonwealth soldiers have and will continue to make significant contributions to the British Army. Without them the Army would hav an insufficient inflow for infanteers; they have earned VCs. Dil has seen some differences in treatment - a Jamaican soldier was harassed by an RAF instructor on a training course in 2000. Dil feels that the British public are aware of the contributions of Commonwealth soldiers, but that it does depend on where they live and their education. He also feels soldiers from the Commonwealth will continue to join the British Army because it is still seen as a ‘great nation’; it still needs the supply of manpower.

FINGAL, Operation, 2002 (Afghanistan 2001-2021)