phantoms of chittagong

Here's a slightly ragged but fascinating account of the Tibetan special forces group within the Indian army, first formed against the prospect of a reply of the 1962 Sino-Indian war, then used for miscellaneous purposes including counter-terrorism ops (due to non-involvement in Indian communal politics) and mountain warfare. It reminds me a bit of those Polish legions you used to get all over Europe in the 19th century.

Comments

[ajay]

Or indeed all those Scottish mercenaries who turned up everywhere in Europe pretty much from the Restoration onwards. There were Scottish names on both sides during Napoleon's invasion of Russia: Marechal Macdonald, Duc de Tarentum, and Marshal Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly.

[Malcs]

I recall reading something about how quite a few Scots settled in the Belarus area somewhere along that timeline, but I've been unable to find out more. A comparison of Minsk, Glenrothes and Cumbernauld might prove instructive however.

[chris y]

Irish too, such as the unfortunate Comte de Lally.

[Igor Belanov]

And in late 19th century France, Marshal McMahon.

[nick s]

I recall reading something about how quite a few Scots settled in the Belarus area somewhere along that timeline

And inflicted the bagpipes upon the land, if the stories are to be believed.

[Strategist]

The noblest prospect a Scotchman ever sees is the high road to Minsk.

[ajay]

Or indeed to Paris.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garde_%C3%89cossaise

[Barry Freed]

Before closing the tab on this post I just wanted to note that there was a damn good "Alasdair lying face down in the snow at Kursk" type joke to be made here but I never could get it right.