HMS Gurkha (G63)
HMS Gurkha was an L-class destroyer in Britain's Royal Navy during World War II. She was originally to be named Larne in line with her class letter. However, after the was sunk in April 1940 the officers and men of the Gurkha regiments each subscribed one day's pay to replace her and Larne was renamed before launching. Her only commanding officer (Commander Charles Nugent Lentaigne) was brother of Joe Lentaigne who was an officer in the 4th (Prince of Wales' Own) Gurkhas. Construction and design On 31 March 1938 an order was placed with Cammell Laird for Larne, one of eight L-class destroyers ordered that day and was laid down on 18 October 1938, the first of her class. In April 1940, the Tribal-class destroyer was sunk off Norway, and in June it was decided to rename Larne as Gurkha to continue the relationship between the ship and the Gurkha Regiment. She was launched on 8 July 1940 by Mary Churchill, the youngest child of the Prime Minister and his wife Clementine. Only 17 years old at the time, she later recalled the "emotion and excitement" of the launch, describing the occasion as "thrilling": "It was a beautiful day and