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Leadership Style and Legacy. Slim’s success as

Leadership Style and Legacy.

Slim’s success as a higher commander, and his approach to leadership, owe much to his experiences in the First world War, to his service as a junior and field officer with Gurkha units and to his extensive study of his profession.

Perhaps because of his different background, he felt a need to demonstrate greater professional competence than his contemporaries . Certainly, his war injuries limited his ability to ride, hunt or engage in as many sports as others and he is known to have devoted much of his spare time to reading and study instead. His excellent performance in his application for the Indian Army Staff college at Quetta, and his first placing at the end of the course, marked him out for further professional development and after a period as an instructor at the Army Staff College in Camberley he was one of the small number of officers (from all three services) selected to attend the Imperial Defence College in London.

Read the full article on our website now. Link in Bio. #Gurkhas #GurkhaHistory #GurkhaHeritage #BravestoftheBrave

March 1st - Meiktila Day The Royal Gurkha Rifles

March 1st - Meiktila Day

The Royal Gurkha Rifles celebrate Meiktila Day on 1st March each year. Units of 7th and 10th Gurkha Rifles took part in the great campaign waged by the 14th Army in Burma under the command of General Sir William Slim, and played the foremost part in the capture of Meiktila in March 1945.

Though British commanders Slim and David ‘Punch’ Cowan (commanding 17th Indian Division) feared that the Japanese forces at Meiktila would hold out for weeks, the town fell in less than 4 days, as a combination of superior armour, an inability of the Japanese forces to concentrate artillery fire and the fierce hand-to-hand capabilities of the allied British, Indian and Gurkha troops, took its toll.

General Slim, having moved forward to observe the fighting himself, coming as near to close fighting as he had since taking over the 14th Army, later commented on the role his Gurkha soldiers played in capturing strongpoints at the Battle of Meiktila:

“Suddenly three Gurkhas sprang up simultaneously and dashed forward. One fell but the other two covered the few yards to the bunkers and thrust Tommy-guns through loopholes. Behind them surged an uneven line of their comrades; another broke from the spinney, bayonets glinting. They swarmed around the bunkers and for a moment all firing ceased…”. #Gurkhas #gurkhahistory #onthisday #otd #onthisdayinhistory

Sword of General Tanaka. This sword formerly belo

Sword of General Tanaka.

This sword formerly belonged to General Nobuo Tanaka, commander of the Japanese Army’s 33rd Division, which fought against Allied troops at Imphal and when defending against the Allied advances towards Meiktila and Mandalay in 1944 and 1945. The Division finally surrendered in Southern Burma in 1945. General Tanaka’s sword was presented to Slim and was later presented by him to his old regiment, the 6th Gurkha Rifles.

The Gurkha Museum Trust is a charity that relies o

The Gurkha Museum Trust is a charity that relies on your support. Every donation large or small enables us to continue celebrating, honouring and promoting the history and culture of the Gurkha Soldier and their continuing service to Britain.

Donations to the Museum not only keep our Centre for Gurkha Heritage running, they support us in developing and growing a range of initiatives including enhancing our education programme, developing outreach projects across the country and expanding our research and academic offer.

Friends play a vital and rewarding role in supporting the Museum in the maintenance and enhancement of its collections and its vision to ensure the future of Gurkha Heritage.

Join up now by visiting our website. Link in Bio.

Webley Revolver. An iconic image of Bill Slim sh

Webley Revolver.

An iconic image of Bill Slim shows him carrying an M1 carbine as a personal weapon during the Burma Campaign. Less seen but just as present was his personal Webley revolver, which he carried as a sidearm throughout the Second World War.

Slim was aware of the importance of close-combat weapons and sidearms. During the Gallipoli campaign he is said to have carried a knife and sawn-off shotgun as well as his pistol and bayonet, in case of Turkish trench raids. His long service with Gurkha units had also taught him the value of the kukri as both a tool and as a deadly weapon.

His revolver is on display in The Gurkha Museum.

To Burma and 14th Army. Field Marshal William Sli

To Burma and 14th Army.

Field Marshal William Slim is best known for commanding Fourteenth Army in Burma during the Second World War (1939-45). He inherited a disastrous situation which, with pragmatic skill and quiet charisma, he turned to ultimate victory.

Visit our exhibition pages to view our long read on Bill Slim and his time with the Fourteenth Army in Burma. Link in Bio.

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