Nepal information
British Army - Brigade of Gurkhas
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The British Gurkhas
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Nepal: Recruiting for the Gurkha regiment
The British Gurkhas
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Gurkhas have served in the British army for more than 200 years and have won 13 Victoria crosses. The soldiers of the British Brigade of Gurkhas come from Nepal.

The Brigade of Gurkhas is based at Shorncliffe, near Folkestone, Kent (United Kingdom) although one infantry battalion has its barracks in the state of Brunei.

External links
British Army: Gurkha Brigade
Gurkha Brigade
Official Website
British Army Gurkha Brigade Links
British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas
Ministry of Defence UK
Home Office UK
Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organisation
Folkestone Gurkha Memorial Fund
Gurkha Justice UK

The 2nd Battalion, the Royal Gurkha Rifles, is known as 2 RGR. The 630-strong battalion has its headquarters at Sir John Moore Barracks.

The British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas (BG) was stationed in Hong Kong until the former British colony was given back to China in 1997.

The BG is 2009 around 3,800 strong and provides around three per cent of the Army's strength and eight per cent of the Infantry.

The modern day Brigade of Gurkhas was formed in 1948 when four Regiments transferred from the old Indian Army to the British Army. There are seven Regiments in the Indian Army.

Gurkhas are recruited in Nepal and remain Nepalese citizens throughout their service with the Brigade of Gurkhas, which is in line with the wishes of the government of Nepal.

There are about 5,000 or less people who receive no pension at all and are living their lives in Nepal even after serving in World War II on behalf of Britain and other wars such as those in Malaya, the Falklands, Irak and Afghanistan.

Hundreds of men apply to join the British army

Outside a recruiting centre in Pokhara, Central Nepal, hundreds of young men file in for the final selectoral process for entry into the British army. It takes months - from basic literacy tests to the ability to race up a mountain with 35kg of rocks strapped on their backs.

It was over a 180 years ago that the British army decided it couldn't defeat these men in battle and so started to recruit them instead. The Gurkha Regiment is one of the most decorated in the British army and one of its most valuable assets. But the unquestioning loyalty and devotion of the British Gurkha can no longer be taken for granted. As so often in relations between wealthier countries and the developing world, even here there have been allegations of exploitation.

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more Information
External links
British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas
Ministry of Defence UK
Home Office UK
Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organisation
Gurkha Justice UKLiberal Democrats
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