[Magdalen] Keeping safe?

[Lesley de Voil]

Oh dear, Roger, and do you mean to say that all that patriotic fervour stirred up in us colonials by the sight of the ever-so-clever and brave Gurkha troops ( not to mention their bands, too) at the Edinburgh Tattoo was based on a lie (whisper) 'they're not really one with us'?
Regards
Lesley de Voil

-----Original Message-----
From: "Roger Stokes via Magdalen" <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Sent: ‎7/‎07/‎2018 19:00
To: "magdalen at herberthouse.org" <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Cc: "Roger Stokes" <roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com>
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Keeping safe?

On 07/07/2018 01:50, ME Michaud wrote:
> When I was in grammar school
> we were taught that our cause was just
> (in the Revolutionary War)
> because the patriots were actual citizens
> while the British employed mercenaries.
>
> I know better now,
> but I always remember that lesson when I realize that our current army
> employs non-citizens.
> If the world were fair, soldiers would be granted citizenship some time
> during or after their service.
> But nooooooo

The world isn't fair. A few years back there was a big fuss this side of 
the pond over Gurkha soldiers. The British Army have used Nepalese 
fighters for over 200 years because they are renowned for their courage 
and they were organized into their own Brigade. Until 2004 their service 
did not automatically qualify them for the right to settle in the UK 
when they left the Army, and even then it was only those who had been 
discharged after the Brigade moved its HQ from Hong Kong to the UK in 
1997. A major campaign, of which Joanna Lumley became the public face, 
this was extended in 2009 to all Gurkhas who had served at least four 
years in the Army. However they still have a reduced pension for service 
before 1 July 1997.

Roger