French Foreign Legion

The French Foreign Legion  is a military service branch of the French Army established in 1831, unique because it was created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces.

Since 1831, the Legion has suffered the loss of nearly 40,000 of its own men serving the ranks and France: Loyada, Chad, Zaïre, Lebanon, Central Africa, Gabon, Kuwait, Rwanda, Djibouti, Ex-Yugoslavia, Somalia, Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Afghanistan, Mali, Sahel and others.

The Foreign Legion was primarily used to protect and expand the French colonial empire during the 19th century. The Foreign Legion was initially stationed only in Algeria, where it took part in the pacification and development of the colony. Subsequently the French Foreign Legion (FFL) was deployed in a number of conflicts, including the First Carlist War in 1835, the Crimean War in 1854, the Second Italian War of Independence in 1859, the French intervention in Mexico in 1863, the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the Tonkin Campaign and Sino–French War in 1883, supporting growth of the French colonial empire in Sub-Saharan Africa and pacifying Algeria, the Second Franco-Dahomean War in 1892, the Second Madagascar expedition in 1895, and the Mandingo Wars in 1894.

In April 1863, a battle between the French Foreign Legion and the Mexican army showed how effective and ballsy legionnaires really could be.

With a total of just 65 men, the legionnaires fought back against a force of approximately 3,000 at the Battle of Camarón. Despite the overwhelming odds, the small patrol of legionnaires inflicted terrible losses on the Mexican forces and they refused to surrender.

In World War I, the Foreign Legion fought in many critical battles on the Western Front. It played a smaller role in World War II than in World War I, though having a part in the Norwegian, Syrian and North African campaigns. During the First Indochina War (1946–54), the Foreign Legion saw its numbers swell. The FFL lost a large number of men in the catastrophic Battle of Dien Bien Phu. During the Algerian War of Independence (1954–62), the Foreign Legion came close to being disbanded after some officers, men, and the highly decorated 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1er REP) took part in the Generals' putsch. Notable operations during this period included the Suez Crisis, the Battle of Algiers and various offensives launched by General Maurice Challe including Operations Oranie and Jumelles.

Though troops serving the Legion hail from 138 different countries, they can become French citizens eventually. After serving at least three years honorably, they can apply to be citizens.

But they also have a much quicker path: If they are wounded on the battlefield, they can become citizens through a provision called “Français par le sang versé” (“French by spilled blood”), according to The Telegraph.

The French government allowed this automatic citizenship provision in 1999.

Current units of the Brigade of Gurkhas

Almost 200 years ago troops in support of the British East India Company invaded Nepal. They suffered heavy casualties at the hands of the Gurkhas and signed a hasty peace deal and offered to pay the Gurkhas to join their army. A soldier of the 87th Foot wrote in his memoirs: "I never saw more steadiness or bravery exhibited in my life. Run they would not, and of death they seemed to have no fear, though their comrades were falling thick around them".

Some 200,000 Gurkhas then fought in the British Army in the First and Second World Wars - in France, Flanders, Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Gallipoli, Palestine, Salonika and in the desert with Lawrence of Arabia and then across Europe and the Far East in World War II. They have since served in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Borneo, Cyprus, the Falklands, Sierra Leone, East Timor, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Current units of the Brigade of Gurkhas include:

• HQ, Brigade of Gurkhas, based at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Surrey
• British Gurkhas Nepal
• 1st and 2nd Battalions, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
• The Queen's Gurkha Engineers based within 36 Engineer Regiment, Invicta Park Barracks, Maidstone
• The Queen's Gurkha Signals, based in York, Bramcote, Blandford and Stafford. There are additional Troop locations in Nepal and Brunei.
• 10 Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment RLC, based at Aldershot Garrison.
• Gurkha Staff and Personnel Support Company
• The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas
• Gurkha Company, 3rd Battalion, Infantry Training Centre, Catterick
• The Gurkha Company (Sitang), Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
• The Gurkha Company (Mandalay), Infantry Battle School, Brecon
• Brigade of Gurkhas Training Team
• Gurkha Language Wing, Catterick

Royal Gurkha Rifles

The Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) is a rifle regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. Unlike other regiments in the British army, soldiers are recruited from Nepal, which is neither a dependent territory of the United Kingdom nor a member of the Commonwealth. Their motto is: Better to die than live a coward.

The Royal Gurkha Rifles was formed on 1 July 1994. This was the result of the Government’s announcement in 1991 of plans to restructure the Army (‘Options for Change’), and with the planning for the handing back of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China (completed 30 June 1997) necessitating the withdrawal of the military garrison, it was decided to reduce the size of the Brigade of Gurkhas. On 1 July 1994, the four Gurkha Rifle Regiments, (click on Individual Regiments to see their history)  2 GR, 6 GR, 7 GR and 10 GR amalgamated to form one Regiment titled ‘The Royal Gurkha Rifles’ (RGR). Initially, the Regiment comprised of three battalions but the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were amalgamated in Brunei in late 1996. The Regiment has carried forward the traditions of its forbears; its uniform combines the historical embellishments and they carry the Battle Honours of the four previous Regiments and their property is found on display, and in use, in the RGR Battalions. Regimental affiliations with the King’s Royal Hussars, the Royal Regiment of Scotland (a legacy of the association with The Royal Scots) and the Rifles (similarly, a legacy of the association with the Royal Green Jackets) have also been retained. The latter affiliation goes back to the days of the Indian mutiny and a working relationship with the 60th Rifles, from whence the Regiment’s beginnings as a Rifle Regiment came. The distinctive rifle green uniform, red piping on the collars of tunics and Rifle Regiment’s marching pace of 140 paces to the minute all stem from this era.

The Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment that is considered, widely, to be amongst the best in military professionalism. Manned by particularly fit, enthusiastic and committed officers and soldiers, it takes pride in its world-renowned operational effectiveness.

The word 'Gurkha' is synonymous with unswerving loyalty, cheerful courage, uncomplaining acceptance of hardship and the highest standards of discipline and smartness. The Gurkhas' fundamental strength is drawn from their clan heritage and warrior instincts. Mentally and physically tough and possessing inherently adroit field crafts and skills, they make ideal infantrymen. The British and Gurkha officers, in particular, emulate the 'Rifles' philosophy, which centres on 'the thinking fighting man': alert, dynamic, thorough, self-reliant, forward looking and resourceful. It is about using initiative without necessarily always waiting for precise instructions. There is flair, ingenuity, versatility and an eagerness always to improve.

Gorkha regiments (India)

Since the independence of India in 1947, as per the terms of the Britain–India–Nepal Tripartite Agreement, six Gorkha regiments, formerly part of the British Indian Army, became part of the Indian Army and have served ever since. The troops are ethnic Nepali Gurkhas of Nepal and ethnic Indian Gorkhas of India. They have a history of courage in battle, evident from the gallantry awards won by Gorkha soldiers and battle honours awarded to Gorkha both before and after joining the Indian Army. A seventh Gorkha Rifles regiment was re-raised in the Indian Army after Independence to accommodate Gorkha soldiers of 7th Gurkha Rifles and the 10th Gurkha Rifles who chose not to transfer to the British Army.

They are one of the most feared soldiers in the world and have won the respects of even their enemies. The Gorkhas were integrated with the Indian Forces on April 24, 1815. Over time they have served in all theatres of war and won many military decorations. Here are some facts about the most respected regiment of the Indian Army.

Impressed by the fighting qualities displayed by the Gorkhas of Nepal during the Gurkha War, Sir David Ochterlony was quick to realise Gorkha Regiment, was raised as the Nasiri regiment. This regiment later became the 1st King George’s Own Gurkha Rifles, and saw action at the Malaun fort under Lieutenant Lawtie.

They were instrumental in the expansion of the British East India Company throughout the subcontinent. The Gorkhas took part in the Anglo-Sikh wars, Afghan wars, and in suppressing the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Throughout these years, the British continued to recruit the Gorkhas and kept increasing the number of Gorkha regiments.

By the time First World War started, there were 11 Gorkha regiments under the British Indian Army.The Gorkha regiments played a vital role in the Commonwealth armies during both the World Wars seeing action everywhere from Monte Cassino in the west to Rangoon in the east, earning battle honours everywhere. As a testament to the psychological factors of the Gorkha Regiments on its enemies, during the North African campaign, the German Afrikakorps accorded great respect to the brave Nepalese knife khukri-wielding Gorkhas.

Gurkha Contingent

The Gurkha Contingent (Abbreviation: GC) is a line department of the Singapore Police Force consisting primarily of Gurkhas from Nepal. Members of the GC are trained to be highly skilled and are selected for their display of strong discipline and dedication in their tasks. The principle role of the contingent is to be a special guard force, and it is currently used as a counter-terrorist force.

Gurkhas are found all over the world and are often placed on the front lines of wars, conflicts or simply used to keep the peace. They have fought as British soldiers in the two World Wars, the Malayan Emergency, Indonesia’s Konfrontasi, the Falklands War and the Gulf War. They also take part in peacekeeping missions in several places around the world.

The GC was formed on 9 April 1949 in the wake of Indian independence from the British Empire, when Gurkhas of Nepal battalions from the Indian Army were divided between the Indian Army and the British Army. Those transferred to the British Army were posted to other remaining British Colonies. In Malaya and Singapore, their presence was required in the Malayan Emergency, and their roles were to replace the Sikh unit in Singapore which reverted to the Indian Army on Indian independence.

Just a year after their formation, their presence became an asset when racial riots between the Malay and European communities broke out over the disputed custody of Maria Hertogh. The GC troopers were again activated when major rioting erupted all over the country between the ethnic Malays and Chinese on Prophet Mohammed's birthday from 21 July 1964 till September that same year.

At that time, their presence as a neutral force was important because local police officers were often perceived to be (or were even expected to be) biased towards their own ethnic groups when handling race-related issues, further fuelling discontent and violence. Officers who attempt to carry out their duties impartially and in full accordance with the law also faced social backlash from their own ethnic communities, a difficult situation which can even lead to physical harm to individual officers.

In his autobiography, former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew recounted the use of the Gurkha Contingent as an impartial force at the time when Singapore had just gained independence. He wrote:

"When I returned to Oxley Road [Lee's residence], Gurkha policemen (recruited by the British from Nepal) were posted as sentries. To have either Chinese policemen shooting Malays or Malay policemen shooting Chinese would have caused widespread repercussions. The Gurkhas, on the other hand, were neutral, besides having a reputation for total discipline and loyalty."

Selection and Basic Training

The Gurkha recruiting process is one of the toughest of any Army in the world and soldiers are selected from the many thousands of hopeful applicants. The process begins in the hills of Nepal where retired Gurkha soldiers tour around remote villages conducting initial screening tests.

The selection process for the Gurkhas is very demanding: there are typically 25,000 applicants a year for just 200 places.Gurkhas training lasts for 36 weeks and addresses a range of areas such as the Brigade ethos, language training, cultural training, career management and trade selection, as well the same 26-week Combat Infantryman's Course that the Line Infantry receive. This enables the trained Gurkha soldiers to fulfil their roles on operations and continuing the great traditions of their forefathers.

All applicants must meet certain basic standards of education, fitness and health. If successful, they will be given a pass to attend the next stage. Retired Gurkha Officers will then hold a number of selection days across the country. They will set up a camp in the fields outside a village, and the candidates will come forward.

 Each and every hopeful recruit will give his all, be it in heaves, sit ups or maths exams. The criteria are strict, and no weakness goes unnoticed. All who make it through this stage are good enough to be soldiers in the British Army, but not all will make it, as the final hurdle still remains.

Only some 700 make it to the last stage in the process, known as Central Selection. The candidates report to the recruiting depot in Pokhara in Western Nepal and spend 2 weeks being put through their paces. The most gruelling assessment test is known as the doko race.

Candidates complete a 2 mile race up a near vertical hill carrying 35kg of rocks in a basket, the weight borne by the traditional Nepalese carrying strap across the forehead. It is not for the faint hearted, but the potential recruits will hurtle round the course in only 20 minutes.

Joining the regiment is not all about brawn - brains are fully exercised as well. All candidates must have passed the Nepalese School Leaving Certificate, equivalent to between GCSE and A-Level standard in the UK.

If successful, the new recruit will be kitted out and flown to Catterick in North Yorkshire to undergo training in the Gurkha Wing of the Infantry Training Centre. In his 8 months training, the new soldier will not only learn military skills, but will also pass English language exams.

As he passes out of recruit training, he can be justifiably proud of what he has achieved, but every new soldier joins his battalion knowing just how hard he will have to work to live up to the reputation that his forefathers have built.

Gurkhas in The British Army

After Indian independence – and partition – in 1947 and under the Tripartite Agreement, six Gurkha regiments joined the post-independence Indian Army. Four Gurkha regiments, the 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 10th Gurkha Rifles, joined the British Army on 1 January 1948.

During the Malayan Emergency in the late 1940s, Gurkhas fought as jungle soldiers as they had done in Burma.The 1/2nd Gurkha Rifles was deployed to Brunei at the outbreak of the Brunei Revolt in 1962.After that conflict ended, the Gurkhas were transferred to Hong Kong, where they carried out security duties.The need for such centralized training establishments became apparent following India's national independence and the Training Depot Brigade of Gurkhas was established on 15 August 1951 at Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaya.In 1974 Turkey invaded Cyprus and the 10th Gurkha Rifles was sent to defend the British sovereign base area of Dhekelia.On 1 July 1994 the four rifle regiments were merged into one, the Royal Gurkha Rifles, and the three corps regiments (the Gurkha Military Police having been disbanded in 1965) were reduced to squadron strength. On 1 July 1997, the British government handed Hong Kong over to the People's Republic of China, which led to the elimination of the local British garrison. Gurkha HQ and recruit training were moved to the UK.Gurkhas undergoing an urban warfare exercise in the United States. Note the kukri on the webbing of the nearest soldier.The Royal Gurkha Rifles took part in operations in Kosovo in 1999, in UN peacekeeping operations in East Timor in 2000 and in Sierra Leone later that year.

In 2007 the Brigade of Gurkhas announced that women were allowed to join.Like their British counterparts, Gurkha women are eligible to join the Engineers, Logistics Corps, Signals and brigade band, although not infantry units.In September 2008 the High Court in London ruled that the British Government must issue clear guidance on the criteria against which Gurkhas may be considered for settlement rights in the UK. On 21 May 2009, and following a lengthy campaign by Gurkha veterans, the British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced that all Gurkha veterans who had served four years or more in the British Army before 1997 would be allowed to settle in Britain.

In 2015 Gurkhas will have served in the British Army for 200 years. This is a significant achievement, characterised by excellence and sacrifice, and one that is worthy of celebration.

A series of celebrations are being planned to mark this remarkable milestone, including Guard mounting at Buckingham Palace, the presentation of the Queen’s Truncheon to HM The Queen, Trooping of the Queen’s Truncheon to the Gurkha Statue and Guard of Honour and Memorial Service at the Gurkha Statue in June 2015

As the leading Gurkha charity, The Gurkha Welfare Trust is the main beneficiary of Gurkha 200. It will be organising a number of special events. These will include a Beating Retreat, Cocktail Party and special Dinner, at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, in association with the Brigade of Gurkhas in June 2015 to mark the occasion. Local Branches will also be organising events throughout the country

Origins of Gurkhas

Gurkhas in 1814 A.D.

During the war in Nepal in 1814, the British failed to annex Nepal as part of the Empire but Army officers were impressed by the tenacity of the Gurkha soldiers and encouraged them to volunteer for the East India Company. Gurkhas served as troops of the East India Company in the Pindaree War of 1817, in Bharatpur, Nepal in 1826, and the First and Second Sikh Wars in 1846 and 1848. During the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, the Gurkha regiments remained loyal to the British, and became part of the British Indian Army on its formation. The 2nd Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) and the 60th Rifles famously defended Hindu Rao's house.

Robert Clive's decisive victory at the Battle of Plassey in 1757 firmly established British supremacy in India thereby opening the door for expansion of the Honourable East India Company. Some 10 years after Plassey the British started to come into contact with a unique and vigorous power on the northern borders of its newly won territories in Bengal and Bihar.

This power was the city-state of Gorkha led by its dynamic king Prithwi Narayan Shah. Gorkha was a feudal hill village in what is now western Nepal, and is the place from which the Gurkha takes his name. Prithvi Narayan Shah and his successors grew so powerful that they overan the whole of the hill country from the Kashmir border in the west to Bhutan in the east.

Eventually, as a result of boundary disputes and repeated raids by Gurkha columns into British territory, the Governor General declared war on Nepal in 1814. After two long and bloody campaigns a Peace Treaty was signed at Sugauli in 1816.

During the war a deep feeling of mutual respect and admiration had developed between the British and their adversaries, the British being much impressed by the fighting and other fine qualities of the Gurkha soldier.

Under the terms of the Peace Treaty large numbers of Gurkhas were permitted to volunteer for service in the East India Company's Army. 

From these volunteers were formed the first regiments of the Gurkha Brigade, and from this time stems Britain's friendship with Nepal, a country which has proved a staunch ally ever since and has become our 'oldest ally' in Asia.

Never has the trust that was then placed in the Gurkha soldier ever been in doubt. Alongside his British comrade in arms he has fought in many parts of the world and has proved himself to be of the closest friends and bravest of allies that Britain has known.

'Keeping the Peace' in India under the British flag began for Gurkha soldiers with the Pindaree War in 1817, and the first battle honour gained by Gurkha troops was at Bhurtpore in 1826.

The two senior regiments distinguished themselves in the hard fought battles of the 1st Sikh War in 1846, and six regiments of the Nepalese Army were offered to the East India Company for service in the 2nd Sikh War of 1848.

In the Indian Mutiny of 1857-1858 the 2nd Gurkhas showed striking proof of their loyalty at Delhi where, together with the 60th Rifles (now part of The Rifles), they held Hindu Rao's house, the key to the British position which was under continuous fire from the mutineers, for over three months. During this period the 2nd Gurkhas suffered 327 casualties (including 8 of their 9 British Officers) out of a total strength of 490.

Also during the mutiny, 12 Nepalese Army Regiments, a force of 8,000 men under the personal leadership of the Prime Minister of Nepal, took part in the final relief of Lucknow. Throughout the next 50 years there was much active service in Burma, Afghanistan, the North-East and the North-West Frontiers of India, Malta, Cyprus, Malaya, China (the Boxer Rebellion of 1900) and Tibet (Young husband's Expedition of 1904).

What is Brigade of Gurkhas?

Gurkha Soldiers in 1896 A.D.

The Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective term for units of the current British Army that are composed of Nepalese soldiers. The brigade, which is 3,640 strong, draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally served in the Indian Army prior to Indian independence, and prior to that of the East India Company. The brigade includes infantry, engineer, signal, logistic and training and support units. They are famous for their ever-present kukris, a distinctive heavy knife with a curved blade, and for their reputation of being fierce fighters and brave soldiers. They take their name from the hill town of Gorkha from which the Nepalese Kingdom had expanded. The ranks have been dominated by four ethnic groups: the Gurungs and Magars from western Nepal; and the Rais and Limbus from the east, who live in hill villages of hill farmers.The Brigade celebrated 200 years of service in the British Army in 2015.

The history of the service of the Brigade of Gurkhas to the British Crown goes back as far as 1815. Since then the Brigade has conducted itself with distinction during numerous conflicts worldwide. Prior to 1997 the Brigade's focus was in the Far East but following the handover of Hong Kong it moved to the UK which is now its base.The Brigade still maintains a battalion in Brunei and plays a full part in the British Army's operational deployments worldwide - currently, in Afghanistan.

The major units of the Brigade today are The Royal Gurkha Rifles (two battalions), The Queen's Gurkha Engineers, Queen's Gurkha Signals, and The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment. In addition there are two independent companies - Gurkha Company (Sittang) at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Gurkha Wing (Mandalay) at the Infantry Battle School, Brecon.
The Gurkha Company at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick, meanwhile, trains the recruits who pass the demanding selection procedure. This selection is organized by HQ British Gurkhas Nepal, which also works with the Gurkha Welfare Scheme, the field arm of the Gurkha Welfare Trust, in support of retired Gurkhas. Sub-units also include the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkha Staff and Personnel Support Company and the Learning Development Wing.