Gurkha Rifles

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Gurkha tribesmen began to be recruited into the Bengal Army after the Gurkha War in 1816. They bore many names before becoming Gurkha Rifles. Articles on the regiments can be found as follows:

The 11th Gurkha Rifles was raised during the 1st World War then disbanded. The 25th, 26th & 29th Gurkha Rifles were raised during the 2nd World War then disbanded.

On the FIBIS website British Indian Army regiments are listed with titles as at the re-organisation of 1895. So 6th, 7th & 8th Gurkha Rifles are in articles titled 42nd, 43rd & 44th Gurkha Rifles. At the Partition of India in 1947 the regiments were given the choice of attachment to the British Army or the Indian Army. The 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th & 10th Regiments chose Britain. The 3rd, 4th, 5th , 8th & 9th Regiments chose India.

Details of the structure of the Regiments are available below.[1]

The kukri

The kukri ( or ‘khukuri’) , the Nepalese knife used by the Gurkha Regiments is an extremely lethal weapon which could be used to behead opponents.[2]

Some (or all) of the kukris were manufactured at the Rifle Factory, Ishapore[3]

External Links

Historical books online

References

  1. ↑ Great War Forum thread Ghurka infantry establishments
  2. ↑ William Pennington in his book Pick up your Parrots and Monkeys: The Life of a Boy Soldier in India (2003) reports being saved in WW2 Burma by a Gurkha who beheaded a Japanese who was about to kill the author. Pennington also reported seeing Ghurkas playing football with severed Japanese heads.
  3. ↑ Thread from Sword Forum 1927 RFI MKII Kukri with images. Images are also on Photobucket

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