On the 24th of February a Service in memory of the Officers and Men of the Gurkha Regiments who fell in the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915 took place at St Mary Abbots Church in Kensington, London.
This commemorative service was the ‘brainchild’ of Robert Llewellyn-Smith, a member of 6th Gurkhas Regimental Association whose two brother forbears served and died at Gallipoli – one briefly commanded 1/6th GR after the battle for Sari Bair.
The Service took place, almost to the day, 108 years later and at the same church that the original Service, organised by the wife of Brigadier General Charles Bruce, originally a 5th Gurkha and later Commanding Officer of the 6th Gurkhas at Gallipoli, was held. The order of service closely followed that of the original service of 1916.
Initially planned to reflect the original Service which remembered those from the 5th (Frontier Force) Gurkhas and 6th Gurkhas, the event on 24th February 2024 included representatives from all the antecedent Gurkha Regiments involved at Gallipoli together with the Lady Mayoress of Kensington, a contingent from The Second Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles and bagpiper, Lance Corporal Navin Magar, from the Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment.
Senior guests for the event included The Hon Hugo Slim, Councillor Preety Hudd (The Mayor of Kensington), Lieutenant General Sir David Bill KCB (President GBA), Roddy Lloyd Esq (representing 4 GR), Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL whose father Commanded the 5 (FF) GR (representing 5 (FF) GR), Lieutenant General Pearson (President 10 GR), Dame Joanna Lumley OBE (daughter of a 6GR officer), Colonel Anup Shah (Defence Attaché Nepal Embassy London), Colonel David Robinson (Colonel Brigade of Gurkhas), Colonel Gökhan Tozman (Defence Attaché Turkish Embassy London). Also present were members of the Lloyd family, representatives from the 4 antecedent Regiment and Lebanese Army Officers currently visiting the Second Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles, Lieutenant Colonel Georges El Hosri and Lieutenant Colonel Johnny El Hajj.
B (Gallipoli) Company, The Second Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles is named after the Gallipoli Battle Honour and Major Tom Ryan (Officer Commanding) and Captain Begindra Limbu (Second in Command) were both present at the service to represent the Regiment.
About the Church
Although the present church of St Mary Abbots will be 151 years old this year and there has been a community of worship here for some 1000 years. The earliest record is a a mention of a church in the Doomsday book, making it the site of the first church in Kensington and until the 19th Century the only church in Kensington. The main building of the church was finished in early 1872 and consecrated on 14th May of that year. The spire and tower were not completed until 7½ years later. The spire is one of the tallest in London.
