Seated, left: Subadar-Major Karan Sing Gurung, 1st Bn 1st Gurkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment). His regiment was originally raised in 1815 as the 1st Nasiri Battalion, later becoming the 66th Gurkha Regiment in 1850, the 1st Gurkha Regiment (Light Infantry) in 1861, and the 1st Gurkha (Rifle) Regiment in 1891. The title ‘Malaun’ was added in 1901. In 1906 they were honoured with the title Prince of Wales’s Own, changing to King George’s Own in 1910. He wears a rifle green tunic with scarlet collar and cuffs, and medals for the Afghan War of 1879 and General Roberts’ march from Kabul to Kandahar, as well as the India Medal of 1895 with two clasps.
Seated, right: Subadar Kirpa Ram Thapa, Sardar Bahadur OBI IOM, 1st Bn 2nd Prince of Wales’s Own Gurkha Regiment (The Sirmoor Rifles). His uniform is rifle green with scarlet collar and cuffs. His cap bears the badge of the Prince of Wales and a red-and-black diced band, though this is barely visible in the photograph. Around his neck hangs the Order of British India, and beside it the star-shaped Indian Order of Merit (3rd Class), along with medals for the 1879 Afghan War and the India Medal with four clasps.
Standing, left: Major Arthur Patrick Bateman-Champain, 1st Bn 3rd Gurkha Rifles. He wears rifle green with black velvet facings. Son of Sir John Underwood Bateman-Champain KCMG RE, he married Ellen Georgina Ramsay in 1893, daughter of Sir Alexander Entwisle Ramsay, 4th Bt. Promoted to Captain in the 2nd Battalion on 30 January 1897, he was listed in the 1901 Army List as serving on plague duty in the Northwest Provinces and Oudh from May 1900. He attained the rank of Major on 30 January 1904 and was later appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO). He died in Lansdowne, Uttarakhand, India, on 7 October 1907 at the age of 40. Lansdowne was the HQ of the 2nd Bn 3rd Gurkha Rifles.
Standing, centre: Subadar-Major Nawal Sing Rana IOM, 8th Gurkha Rifles. His uniform is rifle green with black facings. Prior to 1903, the regiment was known as the 44th Gurkha Rifles, originally raised in 1824 as the Sylhet Local Battalion. He wears the Indian Order of Merit (2nd Class), a star-shaped decoration, and has two pips on each shoulder.
Standing, right: Subadar Jas Lal Rai, 2nd Bn 10th Gurkha Rifles. His uniform is rifle green with black facings. The regiment was raised in 1890 and became the 10th Regiment (1st Burma Rifles) Madras Infantry in 1892.
