Royal Gurkha Rifles
Following a number of boundary disputes and repeated raids by the Nepalese into Bengal and Bihar the Honourable East India Company declared war on Nepal in 1814. During the war a deep feeling of mutual respect and admiration developed between the British and their adversaries, the British being much impressed with the fighting and other qualities of the Gurkha soldiers. Under the terms of the peace treaty, following the war, large numbers of Gurkhas were permitted to volunteer for service in the East India Company and from those volunteers were formed the first Regiment of Gurkhas in 1815.
The numbers of Gurkhas serving the British in India continued to grow. They did not join the mutiny in 1857, but instead won glory in helping the British to put the mutiny down. They took part in many campaigns on the North West Frontier and between 1901 and 1906 Gurkha Regiments were renumbered from the 1st to the 10th and redesignated as Gurkha Rifles.
During World War I some 100,000 Gurkhas enlisted in regiments of the Gurkhas Brigade. they fought and died in France, Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Gallipoli, Palestine and Salonika. They won two Victoria Crosses. In World War II there were no fewer than 40 Gurkha Battalions, some 112,000 men. Gurkhas fought side-by-side with British and Commonwealth troops in Syria, the Western Desert, Italy, and Greece, from North Malaya to Singapore and from the Siamese border back through Burma to Imphal then forward again to Rangoon. A total of ten Victoria Crosses were awarded to Gurkhas.
After the partition of India in 1947 it was decided that six regiments of Gurkha Rifles would remain in the Indian Army while the remainder (2 GR, 6 GR, 7 GR and 10 GR) were established as an integral part of the British Army to become the modern Brigade of Gurkhas. They moved to the Far East in 1948 and formed 17 Gurkha infantry Division in Malaya. Additional units of Engineers, Signals and Transport were raised and regiments of the Brigade operated continuously throughout the twelve year Malayan Emergency. They were again on active service in the Brunei Revolt of 1962 and during 'confrontation' with Indonesia; four years of continuous operations from 1962 to 1966 in the jungles of Malaysia. It was in November 1965 that Lance Corporal Rambahadur Limbu won his Victoria Cross.
Between 1967 and 1972 the Brigade reduced from some 14,000 to 8,000 men as defence commitments changed and Britain's armed forces reorganised. The Brigade's home moved from Malaysia to Hong Kong with battalions also being stationed in the United Kingdom and Brunei. In 1974 Gurkhas were deployed to reinforce the British Sovereign base in Cyprus when Turkey invaded the island. A battalion took part in the Falklands campaign and Gurkhas were deployed in the Gulf War and more recently in Bosnia.
Following further restructuring and the withdrawal of the garrison from Hong Kong the number of Gurkhas serving has reduced to 3,400. Headquarters Brigade of Gurkhas, the recruit training wing and the Band have relocated in the United Kingdom. the four Rifle Regiments disbanded to form a large regiment - the Royal Gurkha Rifles and the three Corps Regiments have reduced to squadron size and are entirely UK based.
The Royal Gurkha Regiment
Following the Government's announcement of plans to restructure the Army and with the handing back of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China (30th June 1997), necessitating the withdraw of the military garrison, the size of the Brigade of Gurkhas has been reduced. On 1st July 1994 the four Gurkha Rifle Regiments, 2 GR, 6 GR, 7 GR and 10 GR reformed into a large regiment titled the Royal Gurkha Regiment (RGR). Initially the regiment consisted of three battalions; however on the withdrawal of 1 RGR from Hong Kong to the UK 3 RGR was disbanded in November 1996. 2 RGR is currently stationed in Brunei. The regiment provides three reinforcement companies to 1 Royal Scots, 1st Battalion the Princess of Wales Regiment and 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment. They also have two demonstration companies, at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and infantry Training Centre Wales.
The Regiment has carried forward the traditions of its forebears: the uniform combines their historical embellishments. the Queen's Truncheon awarded to the Sirmoor Battalion in Delhi is in service with the regiment, the Drums carry the Battle Honours of the four previous regiments and their property is open permanent loan to RGR. They retain the affiliations with the King's Royal Hussars, the Royal Scots and the Royal Green Jackets. The latter affiliation goes back to the days of the Indian Mutiny and an association with the 60th Rifles from when the beginnings as a Rifle Regiment began. The distinctive rifle-green uniform and black buttons, red piping on the collars of the tunics and Rifle Regiment's marching pace of 140 paces per minute start from this era.
Royal Gurkha Regiment in the jungle.
Regimental march - "Lutzow's Wild Hunt".
