Gurkhas march in London in memory of those who lost their lives serving Britain

 
London march: hundreds of Gurkhas on The Mall today
Gareth Vipers30 April 2015

Gurkhas marched through central London today in memory of those who have sacrificed their lives for Britain over the last 200 years.

More than two hundred soldiers marched from Wellington Barracks past Buckingham Palace to the Gurkha memorial statue in Whitehall.

The event took on extra significance as the death toll continues to rise in their homeland Nepal following the devastating earthquake.

Members of the Nepalese and Gurkha community in the UK have spoken of their sense of helplessness at watching heart-wrenching images on television following the disaster, which has claimed more than 5,000 lives.

Gurkha Major Dev Gurung said: "As a regiment and as a nation, we have suffered this natural disaster of unthinkable magnitude.

"Of course, the road will be long but we are very hopeful that we will prevail."

More than 11,000 ex-Gurkhas have settled in the UK, while a team of Gurkha engineers has flown out to Nepal on an RAF flight to join the aid efforts.

Memory: crowds gathered in Whitehall today

Captain Gary Ghale, 60, formerly of the 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles, said communication with people in villages such as his native Gorkha was proving very difficult.

"To see all these heart-wrenching pictures, I am just praying, just praying for the safety of the people of Nepal and that help reaches people in time and there is proper sanitisation because the aftermath can kill more people than the earthquake itself," he said.

Tribute: wreaths are laid at the Gurkha memorial

The 3,000-strong Brigade of Gurkhas is part of the British Army made up of Nepalese soldiers.

It draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally served in the British Indian Army prior to Indian independence.

Poignant: the memorial took place as rescue efforts continue in the wake of the Nepal earthquake disaster

During the march, the brigade carried the Queen's Truncheon, a bronze and silver ceremonial staff awarded to the 2nd Gurkhas by Queen Victoria in recognition of its loyalty during the Indian Mutiny of 1857.

Wreaths were laid at a memorial service at the Gurkha statue, with new plaques honouring those who have taken part in recent operations - the first since the statue was unveiled in 1997.

Additional reporting by the Press Association

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