More recent operations
Since 1997, the Brigade of Gurkhas has been operationally and battle proven in Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor, Sierra Leone, Macedonia, Iraq and eleven years in Afghanistan (almost as long as the Malayan Emergency).
Since 1997 Brigade units, from platoon/troop level and above, have deployed over one hundred times.
The two Royal Gurkha Rifles Battalions alone have deployed on an impressive 15 operational tours.
The three Gurkha reinforcement Companies, raised to support British units have deployed on operations, 18 times in 13 years.
The human cost and sacrifice has been high. 54 officers and soldiers of the Brigade have been wounded in action and 15 have made the ultimate sacrifice.
In 1977, during the Silver Jubilee Year, the Queen honoured three units of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Gurkha Engineers and Gurkha Signals received Royal titles and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales was appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the 2nd KEO Gurkha Rifles.
In 1992 the Gurkha Transport Regiment was redesignated The Queen’s Own Gurkha Transport Regiment. Following the Government’s decision to reduce and restructure the Army the Brigade reduced in size from 8,000 to 3,500 by 1998.
In 1994 the four Rifle Regiments disbanded and were reformed into a large Regiment, The Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) which initially consisted of three battalions.
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is the Regiment’s Colonel-in-Chief. RGR was reduced to two battalions in November 1996 when 3 RGR disbanded on the withdrawal of 1 RGR from Hong Kong to UK. At that time three Gurkha Rifle Companies were formed to reinforce the Infantry until 2005 the Brigade also provided reinforcements for various specialist posts throughout the Army. The Corps Regiments reduced in size to a Regimental Headquarters and two squadrons each, these squadrons are deployed within the parent corps regiments.
There are currently nearly 4000 Gurkhas in the British Army. As the British Army reshapes as part of a modernization programme, the Brigade of Gurkhas continues to develop with new units and support teams across the Army.
Find out more about our history with the Gurkha Museum
