Correct as of

2008

Master
Rastra Rai IV WTF

THE BRIGADE OF GURKHAS

Gurkhas have served the British crown since 1815 and over 38000 were killed in the two World Wars.  In 1948 the Brigade was split between the British and the new independent Indian armies with 4 infantry regiments, each of 2 battalions, coming to the British Army after which regiments of Engineers, Signals and Transport were raised.  The Brigade of Gurkhas is a generic term that includes all Gurkha units in the Army, wherever they may be.

 The reduction of the size of the Army announced under ‘Options for Change’ saw the Brigade ordered to reduce from 9 major units to two.  Currently the Brigade consists of:

• The Royal Gurkha Rifles of 2 Battalions
• The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers (Two Squadrons)
• Queen’s Gurkha Signals (Three Squadrons)
• The Queen’s Own Gurkha Transport Regiment (Two Squadrons)

 In addition to the current Infantry Battalions and Corps squadrons the Brigade provides 2 Gurkha companies at Sandhurst and Brecon.

 GURKHA COMPANY

 Until 1948 recruits for the Brigade of Gurkhas were trained at Regimental Centres in India.  After Indian independence and the division of the Brigade between the Indian and British Armies, British Gurkha recruit training was centralised at the Training Depot Brigade of Gurkhas at Sungei Patani, North Malaya on 15 August 1951.

In 1971 the Depot moved to Malaya Lines in Hong Kong and in December 1994 was retitled The Gurkha Training Wing and moved to Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Church Crookham.  In December 1999 GTW moved to 3^rd Battalion, ITC Catterick and became Gurkha Company, based in Helles Barracks.

 The role of the Gurkha Company is to mould a Nepalese youth into a Gurkha soldier trained to the standards of the British Army, who retains his Nepalese identity and will live up to the traditions of the Brigade.

 Gurkha Company is part of the 3^rd Battalion, under command Headquarters ITC Catterick, with a permanent staff of 80 all ranks.  Gurkha Company currently consists of 230 recruits, organised into 2 wings, A (Imphal) Wing and B (Meiktila) Wing.

 It is here that Gurkha soldiers are trained to be part of the modern British Army whilst retaining their proud heritage that is summed up in the Gurkha motto – “Khatar hunnu bhanda marnu ramro”, “It is better to die than live a coward”.

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