Royal Nepalese Army

[Mike Jackson]

The attached image shows rank slides for three grades of Field Marshal in the Royal Nepalese Army RNA). All were acquired by me in January 2002 in Kathmandhu from a small military tailor's shop in the depths of the bazaar. I had cultivated the owner throughout my four months working with the RNA and bought a representative selection of RNA insignia from him. On my final visit he offered me these - made by him - two pairs of each design. They had been ordered by the Palace, but never collected or paid for. The reason for this was that the three Field Marshals were:
1. The late King Birendra Bir Bikeram Shah Dev - murdered with his Queen and eight other members of the Royal Family on 1 June 2001.
2. The late Prince Nirajan Bir Bikeram Shah - murdered 1 June 2001
3. The late King (and Former Crown Prince) Dipendra Bir Bikeram Shah Dev - alleged to have murdered the Royal Family on 1 June 2011. He attempted suicide and died of his injuries on 3 June 2011.
This - and the Maoist insurgency - led to the establishment of Nepal as a republic.
Posted on this site because of the long and very close relationship between the United Kingdom and Nepal. And also because I wager you have never seen their like before.
Royal Nepalese Army.jpg

[Tinto]

Hi Mike,
Thankyou for a very interesting post. Hope the badges accrue in value as time goes on.
I was in Nepal in 1983, doing the treks in the Everest and Anapurna areas and found a couple of items in Namche Bazaar.
Cheers, Tinto

[David Tremain]

A couple of years ago I met a couple of hundred Nepalese soldiers and one of their officers, who were marooned in Gander, Newfoundland (what a place to get stuck!) on their way to Haiti as part of UN peacekeeping operations. Apparently their Antonov had broken down and they had to wait until another part could be flown in from the Ukraine. The hotel was going crazy, having to rustle up curries for everyone - not seen very often in them thar parts. I was there working for a couple of days and even though I was staying at the hotel I couldn't even get breakfast there as it was chock-a-block full of Nepalese, including some women. Serious stuff this, not getting my breakfast! Enough to make a man grumpy(ier). I got to speak to one of their officers, but never got to the point where I could scrounge any badges from them. Good for you, Mike. I'm envious. David.

[Lampwick]

I don't know what they must have put into the curry but the Nepalese contingent in Haiti were alleged to have been the source of the cholera epidemic.

[achern]

Hi Mike,

I'm amazed to have come across your most fascinating post on the Nepalese Field Marshal ranks. The Royal Nepalese Army has a most complicated rank structure and I had no idea they had three Field Marshal grades.

In my collection, I have but one set of these ranks:



and they were made for the late King Birendra. I bought these from a collector who, like yourself, got them in Nepal.

Could you tell us more about the grades for the RNA FMs please?

Alf

[Mike Jackson]

Below are the original captions prepared with the help of my RNA LO in Nepal at the time I found the rank slides:
20120605_Nepal Royal Rank Slides.jpg