Who are the British Gurkha Soldiers?

Even before the long standing military connection with Britain was first established, men from the Kingdom of Nepal had gone to Lahore to enlist in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Fighting in a foreign army was not a new concept to the Gorkha people before the British began formally to recruit them but the bond that was forged, first in the ranks of the East India company and later in the service of the British Army, has been uniquely enduring.

It was during the Nepal War (1814-1816) that the British first recognised their fighting spirit and later began to incorporate them into the Company Army. Four new battalions were formed in the service of John Company, as the East India Company was known, thus in all probability the universal nickname, Johnny Gurkha, was coined. At the time of the Indian Mutiny, the Gurkhas fought loyally alongside the 60th Rifles during the siege of Delhi in 1857. In recognition of their outstanding service and of the fact that they were the first 'native infantry regiment' to fight alongside the British, the Governor-General in Council granted the regiment the exceptional honour of a third colour. 

The First World War inspired 200,000 Gurkhas to volunteer to fight for the Crown and during the height of the second World War 40 Gurkha infantry battalions were in action across the globe winning 10 Victoria Crosses. On the independence of India and following delicate negotiations the division of the Gurkha Brigade was finally decided upon. Of the 10 regiments the 2nd, the 6th, 7th and 10th Gurkha Rifles were selected for service in the British Army, the remainder to stay in the Indian Army.

In the years since, despite a gradual contraction of their numerical strength, the Gurkhas have made a huge contribution to post colonial campaigns serving in the Malayan emergency, the confrontation in Borneo, in Brunei, in Belise, Hongkong, the Falklands, Iraq, the Balkans and Afghanistan. 

-Nick 

(Click here to view photos of the British Gurkha Soldiers)