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The Brigade of Gurkhas

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Nepalese Kukris

The Royal Gurkha Rifles

HQ The Brigade of Gurkhas is located at Netheravon, Wiltshire and is responsible for the administration of all units within the Brigade. In the main Gurkha units are located in UK with the exception of the 1st Bn which is located in Brunei and British Gurkhas Nepal.

The Royal Gurkha Rifles

The Regiment consists of the following Battalions: 1st Bn The Royal Gurkha Rifles (1 RGR) 2nd Bn The Gurkha Rifles (2 RGR)

The Royal Gurkha Rifles were formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the four separate Gurkha Regiments: 2nd King Edward VII’s Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles); 6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles’; 7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Gurkha Rifles and 10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles.

The Gurkhas are unique in that they are recruited in Nepal, that is independent of the UK and not even a member of the Commonwealth.

Gurkhas were encouraged to volunteer for the British East India Company after the Nepal War because of their impressive fighting capabilities. They can trace their relationship with the British Army back to 1816 and have been part of the British Army ever since.

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