Brigade of Gurkhas 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 celebrated
17th Gurkha Division 17th Gurkha Division The 17th Gurkha Division/Overseas Commonwealth Land Forces (Malaya) was a British military formation that saw active service during the Malayan Emergency. The Division was formed on 1 September 1952 at Maxwell Road Camp, Malaya, as part of the army response to the Malayan Emergency. It was a redesignation of Headquarters South Malaya District. It perpetuated the traditions of the former 17th Indian Infantry Division which had used a Black Cat as its emblem. Headquarters 17th Gurkha Division was the operational headquarters for all British and Gurkha units in Malaya. It controlled the 26th, 48th and 63rd Gurkha