Brigade of Gurkhas going]". Brigade of Gurkhas Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective name which refers to all the units in the British Army that are composed of Nepalese Gurkha soldiers. The brigade, which is 3,640 strong, draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally served in the British Indian Army prior to Indian independence, and prior to that served for the East India Company. The brigade includes infantry, engineering, signal, logistic and training and support units. They are known for their kukris, a distinctive heavy knife with a curved blade, and have a reputation for being fierce and brave soldiers. The brigade
Combat knife a trench knife, the "combat knife" was used by both sides on the Western front during World War I. Since then, combat knives have been issued by the armies of many nations. Though they differ in detail, they all share the common characteristic of being purposely designed for military use, with their primary role as a close-quarters combat weapon. During World War II, the British Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife was designed by William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes, two former members of the Shanghai Municipal Police who trained many soldiers in close-quarters fighting. The Fairbairn-Sykes knife inspired several similar knives