Brigade of Gurkhas

Brigade of Gurkhas
Active1815–present [1]
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeAssault troops
RoleLand warfare
Expeditionary warfare
Airborne forces
Size~4090[2]
Garrison/HQStaff College, Camberley
Nickname(s)''The Gurkhas"
Commanders
Commander-in-ChiefCharles III
Insignia
Tactical Recognition Flash

Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective name which refers to all the units in the British Army that are composed of Nepalese Gurkha soldiers.[3] The brigade draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally served in the British Indian Army prior to Indian independence, and prior to that served for the East India Company.[4] The brigade includes infantry, engineering, signal, logistic and training and support units. They are known for their khukuri, a distinctive heavy knife with a curved blade, and have a reputation for being fierce and brave soldiers.

The brigade celebrated 200 years of service in the British Army in 2015.[5][6]

  1. ^ "Who are they | the Gurkha Welfare Trust | About the Gurkhas". The Gurkha Welfare Trust.
  2. ^ "UK Armed Forces Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  3. ^ "» Who are they?". www.gwt.org.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  4. ^ Latter, Mick (25 March 2013). "Gurkhas, Nepal and the East India Company". Welcome to the Gurkha Brigade Association. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  5. ^ "200th anniversary of the Gurkhas: fierce, loyal and brave, Britain must thank them for their service". The Telegraph. 7 April 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  6. ^ "Nepali men have been fighting for Britain for 200 years". The Washington Post. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.