Victory for the Gurkhas

Blackleaf

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Oct 9, 2004
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Fiercely loyal ... British Army Gurkha warrior with rifle and dagger.




Victory for the Gurkhas


By GEORGE PASCOE-WATSON
Political Editor
March 08, 2007

BRAVE Gurkhas will finally get FULL British Army pensions — nearly 200 years after they started fighting for us.

The historic announcement will be made in the Commons today, The Sun can reveal.

The servicemen from Nepal have fought for Britain since 1815, with 110,000 enlisted in World War Two.

They battled in the Falklands War, both Iraq invasions and are currently in Afghanistan.

Pensions for riflemen with 15 years’ experience will leap from £1,200 to at least £6,600 — more than a FIVE-FOLD increase. Senior ranks will get more than £7,000.

They will be like millionaires in their homeland, where the average income is 58p a day.

Defence minister Derek Twigg ordered the move — at a cost of £20million a year — following a Downing Street protest by retired Gurkhas in December.

A Government insider said: “They fight and die for Britain and fully deserve to be treated the same as everyone else in the Army.”

They were excluded from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme as chiefs said they would have more cash than they could handle.

There are about 3,500 in the Army — down from a high of 110,000 in World War II.

Their motto is “better to die than be a coward”, and they are one of the world’s fiercest fighting forces.

Last year the law changed, allowing Gurkhas to stay in Britain after they retire. They qualify for a passport after two years here.

thesun.co.uk