History of the Brigade of Gurkhas
War declared on Nepal
Peace Treaty (Sigauli). Gurkhas recruited into the East India Company
Proof of loyalty in the Indian Mutiny
Between both World Wars over 238,000 Gurkhas enlisted into the Brigade
Partition of India, Nepalese recruited into the British Army
Malayan Emergency, Borneo, Hong Kong, Falklands, Kosovo, South Sudan, Poland, Estonia, Afghanistan.
Gurkhas were first enlisted into the Corps of Royal Engineers in September 1948 when a Gurkha Training Squadron RE was formed at Kluang, Malaya. 67 Field Squadron RE was raised in 1949, 68 Field Squadron RE in 1950 and the RHQ of 50 Field Regiment RE followed in 1951.
The Regiment later became part of the Brigade of Gurkhas and ‘The Gurkha Engineers’ on 28th September; it is this date which we now celebrate as the Regimental Birthday.
The Regiment was based at Sungei Besi near Kuala Lumpur from 1955 – 1961. The Regiment became part of the Brigade of Gurkhas in September 1955, and by Royal Warrant, on 28 September 1955, its designation was changed to “The Gurkha Engineers” and its own cap badge and insignia were adopted.
The title ‘The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers’ was bestowed by Her Majesty The Queen on 21st April 1977. Shortly afterward in 1981 the newly re-established 69 Gurkha Field Squadron moved to Kitchener Barracks, to be deployed to the Falklands the following year.
The origin of The Queen’s Gurkha Signals can be traced back to 1948, soon after the end of World War II and the partition of British India. With Nepalese Gurkhas now a permanent feature of the British Army, there was a need to create specialised units to address new military challenges.
The organisation was formally established initially as Royal Signals Gurkha but renamed Gurkha Royal Signals after a short time.
In 1977, in recognition of their service, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the title of Queen’s Gurkha Signals, and today QGS soldiers and officers are deployed worldwide in support of British military operations.
The Band was raised in November 1859 as part of an Indian Army Gurkha Regiment called the Sirmoor Rifle Regiment. It had 16 Bandsmen and one Naik (a leader) and soon became a part of Regimental life, playing for parades, polo matches, dinners and troop entertainment at the Regimental base at Dehra Dun, North East of Dehli. In the early days the Band travelled with the Regiment to other areas of India, Malta, Cyprus and Afghanistan.
1886 saw the raising of a 2nd Battalion which allowed for a further 16 Bandsmen and Naik and whenever possible these joined the already trained band, effectively forming one large band. As the 2 Battalions were often co-located this worked well enough but when separated the band would support each Battalion with a smaller group both musically and as stretcher-bearers on operational duties.
When India was partitioned in 1947 Gurkha Regiments chose their new affiliations to either Britain or India. The 2nd Goorkhas, as the Regiment was now called, chose Britain and sailed for Sungei Patani in Malaya with the Band Instruments. Sadly there were no bandsmen to play them as they had all elected to remain in India! In 1949 sanction was given to raise the band again, with some 56 recruits commencing training.
Ad-hoc musical instruction from co-located British Regimental Bandmasters was given until May 1951 when Captain J P C Bailey MBE was appointed as the first Director of Music. From that day forward they have delighted crowds with their fast and slick marching displays, lively concert music, ethnic Nepali folk tunes and colourful traditional dances.
In 1950 the decision was made to raise a Staff Band for the Brigade and by 1958 there were two flourishing Gurkha bands. This happy state continued for some twelve years when, because of financial stringencies, the 2 bands were amalgamated. Hong Kong and the United Kingdom provided dual bases for the Band in support of the two Battalions of 2nd Goorkhas and other units of the Brigade of Gurkhas.
Then in 1994 as a result of the withdrawal from Hong Kong the Band moved back to the United Kingdom permanently. It has travelled extensively throughout the world. Australia, Brunei, Canada, South Korea and Malaya were visited in the 70’s and more recently Solomon Islands, The Falkland Islands, France, Canada, Korea, Germany, Cyprus, Belgium and Australia again in 1995.
Today, musicians are recruited into the Band after their basic military training. Initial musical instruction then commences, first under the supervision of the Director of Music then after approximately four years, at the Royal Military School of Music.
1994 - The Royal Gurkha Rifles was formed in 1994 by merging four Gurkha units of the British Army: the 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles), the 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles, the 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles and the 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles.
The Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment also known as 10 The Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment or 10 QOGLR is a regiment of the British Army. The regiment forms part of the Royal Logistics Corps and was created on 5th April 2001.
Gurkha Staff and Personnel Support (GSPS) Company was formed on 30 Jun 2011. GSPS personnel were known as Gurkha Clerks before the inception of GSPS.
The formation of the 400-strong King’s Gurkha Artillery will be completed over the next four years, with the first transfers of existing Gurkhas taking place this spring.
The new unit will initially form up in Larkhill, at the home of the Royal Artillery.
Recruit Intake 24 Attestation Parade 2024
Exercise Pacific Kukuri 23
Useful Information
The Headquarters Brigade of Gurkhas is located in Robertson House at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Email the Brigade Adjutant: [email protected]
Address: Headquarters Brigade of Gurkhas, Robertson House, Camberley, GU15 4PQ