QUEEN'S GURKHA ENGINEER COMMISSION
In April 2008 Mary Cox was commissioned by Maidstone Borough Council to sculpt a bronze statue of a Gurkha Engineeer to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the formation of the Queen's Gurkha Engineers. The statue is two thirds life-size of a soldier in number two dress and stands on a granite plinth in the courtyard of Maidstone Museum.
The statue was funded by donations from the public in Maidstone, a testament to the high regard that the local public have for the Queen's Gurkha Engineers that are garrisoned in the town.
"I am immensely honoured to be associated with such a high-profile public work, particularly considering the popularity of the regiment," says Mary.
Two field squadrons of the Queen's Gurkha Engineers are based in Maidstone under the 36 Engineer Regiment of the Royal Engineers.
Queen's Gurkha Engineer statue unveiled in Maidstone, Kent.
A statue of a Queen's Gurkha Engineer has been unveiled in a garrison town to mark the 60th anniversary of the unit's formation.
Residents in Maidstone, Kent took just three months to raise £15,000 for the bronze figure, and hundreds gathered at a moving ceremony to watch it be blessed by a Pandit, a Gurkha religious teacher.
Two field squadrons of the Queen's Gurkha Engineers are based in the town under the 36 Engineer Regiment of the Royal Engineers.
The engineers are trained divers and are responsible for underwater reconnaissance, clearing and laying mines and demolition.
In the past week, a High Court judge declared that all Gurkhas should be allowed to settle in the UK in recognition of their loyal service to the Union.
A previous Government policy denied Gurkhas discharged before 1997 the right to live in this country - excluding as many as 42,000 loyal fighters.
The Nepalese troops have served side by side with British service personnel in virtually every conflict since 1815 and are recognised for their bravery, courage and loyalty. Around 50,000 have died in action and more than 2,700 have been decorated for their endeavours.
Sculptor Mary Cox, from Sussex, created the statue, which features a stiff-backed Gurkha engineer in service dress uniform holding his rifle.
It stands mounted on a granite plinth in the courtyard of the museum.
Maidstone Councillor Dan Daley, who launched the project said: "The Gurkha soldiers in Maidstone should know that they and their families are welcomed here and that this tribute is a genuine token of our friendship."