6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles
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The 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles was a
rifle regiment A rifle regiment is a military unit consisting of a regiment of infantry troops armed with rifles and known as Rifleman, riflemen. While all infantry units in modern armies are typically armed with rifled weapons the term is still used to denote r ...
of the
British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...
, before being transferred to the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
following India's independence. Originally raised in 1817 as part of the army of the British
East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
, the regiment has been known by a number of names throughout its history. Initially the unit did not recruit from the
Gurkha The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with the endonym Gorkhali ( Nepali: गोर्खाली ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of North India. The Gurkha units consist of Nepali and ...
s, although after being transferred to the British Indian Army following the
Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...
, it became a purely Gurkha regiment, in due course with its regimental headquarters at
Abbottabad Abbottabad is a city in the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. It is the 40th largest city in the country and 6th largest in the province by population, and serves as the headquarter of its namesake tehsil and district ...
in the North West Frontier Province of
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
. After 1947 the regiment was one of only four Gurkha regiments to be transferred to the British Army and this continued up until 1994, when it was amalgamated with other Gurkha regiments to form the
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, RGR soldiers are recruited from Nepal, which is neither a dependent territory of the Unit ...
. Over the course of its 177-year history, the regiment was awarded 25 battle honours, although prior to
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
it had only been awarded one and no battle honours were awarded to it after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.


History


Beginnings

The regiment was initially raised in 1817 as the Cuttack Legion as part of the army of the East India Company. This was a unit of Indian natives from the Cuttack City of
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
area and initially it was used to maintain order in the region, before moving to Northern
Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...
in 1823 when it became known as the Rungpoor Light Infantry. During the
Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...
the regiment remained "loyal" to the British and two of its members were awarded with the
Indian Order of Merit The Indian Order of Merit (IOM) was a military and civilian decoration of British India. It was established in 1837, (General Order of the Governor-General of India, No. 94 of 1 May 1837) although following the Partition of India The pa ...
, which was the highest award that a Gurkha could receive until 1911 when Gurkhas became eligible for the Victoria Cross. Following this, the regiment was transferred to the newly formed
British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...
and as time passed, the regiment began recruiting
Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
ese
Gurkhas The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with the endonym Gorkhali ( Nepali: गोर्खाली ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of North India. The Gurkha units consist of Nepali and ...
into its ranks—initially only two
companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...
of Gurkhas were formed, but, over time, more and more were recruited until it eventually became a pure Gurkha regiment, being numbered as the 42nd Regiment of Goorkha Light Infantry in 1886. During the period before the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the regiment was primarily involved in patrolling the north-east border of
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, indeed it remained in eastern India for 77 years, and as such the regiment gained only a single
battle honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In ...
up to 1914. In 1899 the regiment moved from Assam to
Abbottabad Abbottabad is a city in the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. It is the 40th largest city in the country and 6th largest in the province by population, and serves as the headquarter of its namesake tehsil and district ...
, in present-day Pakistan, and began operations on the North-West Frontier. In 1903, the regiment was also renumbered as the 6th Gurkha Rifles. A year later, a second battalion for the regiment was raised from a cadre taken from the 1st Battalion.


First World War

During the First World War the regiment was expanded further with the raising of a third battalion. The regiment served in a number of theatres during the war, including Persia, the Middle East, Turkey and Greece. The 1st Battalion had the distinction of being the first Gurkha unit to arrive at
Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...
, landing at Cape Helles on 25 April 1915. Their first major operation saw them attack an Ottoman position that was doing significant damage to Allied forces with machine guns—this involved them going up a 300-foot (91 metre) vertical slope which had defeated both the
Royal Marine Light Infantry Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Roya ...
and the
Royal Dublin Fusiliers The Royal Dublin Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army created in 1881 and disbanded in 1922. It was one of eight 'Irish' regiments of the army which were raised and garrisoned in Ireland, with the regiment's home depot being l ...
—however, the Gurkhas gained the position with ease. Eighteen Gurkhas were killed in this action and another forty-two were wounded. For their sacrifice, this area is now known as ''Gurkha Bluff''. The 2nd Battalion meanwhile began service with the
2nd (Rawalpindi) Division The 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division was a regular army division of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1903 after the British Indian Army#Kitchener reforms, Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army. During World War I it remained in British Raj, In ...
and in April 1916 transferred to the new 15th Indian Division where it served the remainder of the war in
Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...
. The 3rd Battalion was formed as the ''3rd Gurkha Reserve Battalion'' on 5 February 1917 at
Rawalpindi Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...
. In February 1918, it was transferred to the Bannu Brigade on the North East Frontier. With the brigade, it served in the
Third Anglo-Afghan War The Third Anglo-Afghan War was a short war which began on 3 May and ended on 8 August 1919. The new Amir of the Emirate of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan declared a Jihad against the British in the hope to proclaim full independence, as well as ...
in 1919. It was disbanded on 1 February 1921.


Inter-war years

Between the First and Second World Wars the regiment was reduced to two battalions once more and they returned to the North-West Frontier where they were employed on garrison duties.


Second World War

The Second World War saw the expansion of all ten Gurkha regiments of the British Indian Army, and the 6th Gurkhas raised a further two battalions, numbered as the 3rd and 4th Battalions. Over the course of the conflict, battalions of the regiment fought in
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and
Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...
, and also in
Waziristan Waziristan (Persian language, Persian, Pashto, Ormuri, , ) is a mountainous region of the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Waziristan region administratively splits among three districts: North Waziristan, Lower South Waziristan Dis ...
on the North West Frontier (1940–41) where they served as garrison troops and saw action against Pathan tribesmen. In January 1943 the 2nd Battalion was attached to the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade which had just returned from the Western Desert after being almost destroyed at the
Battle of Gazala The Battle of Gazala, also the Gazala Offensive (Italian language, Italian: ''Battaglia di Ain el-Gazala'') was fought near the village of Gazala during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, west of the port of Tobruk in Libya, f ...
. At the end of the month the brigade was renamed as the
43rd Indian Infantry Brigade (Lorried) The 43rd Independent Gurkha Infantry Brigade, also called the 43rd Indian Infantry Brigade or the 43rd Gurkha Lorried Infantry Brigade, was an infantry brigade of the Indian Army during World War II. It was created in 1943, by the renaming of th ...
. The brigade and its Gurkha battalions were sent to
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
in mid-1944 as an Independent brigade and fought in the Italian Campaign.Chappell 1993, p. 58. It was during the
Burma Campaign The Burma campaign was a series of battles fought in the British colony of British rule in Burma, Burma as part of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II. It primarily involved forces of the Allies of World War II, Allies (mainly from ...
, that the regiment received its first
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
, in fact two awards were made to members of the regiment for actions on the same day. Captain Michael Allmand and Rifleman
Tulbahadur Pun Tul Bahadur Pun VC (Nepali language, Nepali: तुल बहादुर पुन; 23 March 192320 April 2011) was a Nepalese people, Nepalese Gurkha recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for Chivalry, gallantry in the face of the ...
were awarded the VC for their actions during the fighting around the Pin Hmi Road Bridge at the
Battle of Mogaung The Battle of Mogaung was a series of engagements that was fought in the Burma Campaign of World War II between 6 and 26 June 1944 at the Burmese town of Mogaung. In brutal fighting, the 77th 'Chindit' Brigade under Brigadier Michael Calvert, ...
in Burma on 23 June 1944 while serving with the 3rd Battalion who were taking part Operation Thursday, which was the second Chindit expedition. The 3rd Battalion's involvement in this operation proved very costly and they suffered 126 killed, 352 wounded and 7 missing. As well as the two previously mentioned VCs, members of the battalion also received the following awards: 2 DSOs, 3 IOMs, 6 MCs, 4 IDSMs, 12 MMs, 3 US Silver Stars.


Post 1947

In 1946 the regiment was reduced to three battalions, following the disbandment of the 4th Battalion. A year later, India gained its independence and under the 1947 Tri Partite Agreement four regiments of the Brigade of Gurkhas were allocated to the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
, while the other six were transferred to the newly formed independent
Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...
. The 6th Gurkhas were one of the regiments that were transferred to the British Army, although the 3rd Battalion was transferred to the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force), which was one of the battalions that had been allocated to the Indian Army, and the regiment was thus reduced to two battalions once more. In 1959, the regiment was renamed as the 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles in honour of
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
. As with other Gurkha regiments, the 6th Gurkhas primarily saw service in the Far East until the British withdrawal from East of Suez. Both battalions participated in the
Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War, was a guerrilla warfare, guerrilla war fought in Federation of Malaya, Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Arm ...
. Later, between 1962 and 1964, the 1st Battalion served in the United Kingdom. Between 1963 and 1966, both the 1st and 2nd Battalions saw service in Borneo during the
Confrontation Confrontation is an element of conflict wherein parties confront one another, directly engaging one another in the course of a dispute between them. A confrontation can be at any scale, between any number of people, between entire nations or cu ...
. On 16 June 1969, the 6th Gurkhas was reduced to a single
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
, when the 1st and 2nd Battalions were amalgamated as the 1st Battalion. The single battalion continued to rotate with the other Gurkha regiments between
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
,
Brunei Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with ...
and
Church Crookham Church Crookham is a large suburban village and civil parish, contiguous with the town of Fleet, in northeast Hampshire, England. It is west-southwest of London. Formerly a separate village, it figures as a southern suburb of Fleet. Histor ...
until 1 July 1994. At that point, while in Hong Kong, the 1st Battalion was amalgamated with the 1st Battalion,
2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) The 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) was a rifle regiment of the British Indian Army before being transferred to the British Army on India's independence in 1947. The 4th Battalion joined the Indian Army as the 5th Bat ...
to form the 1st Battalion,
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, RGR soldiers are recruited from Nepal, which is neither a dependent territory of the Unit ...
.Parker 2005, p. 387.


Lineage

1817–1823: The Cuttack Legion
1823–1823: Rungpore Local Battalion (January–March)
1823–1823: Rungpore Light Infantry (March–May)
1823–1826: 10th Rungpore Light Infantry
1826–1827: 8th Rungapore Light Infantry
1827–1844: 8th Assam Light Infantry
1844–1850: 8th/1st Light Infantry Battalion
1850–1861: 1st Assam Light Infantry Battalion
1861–1861: 46th Regiment of Bengal Native (Light) Infantry
1861–1865: 42nd Regiment of Bengal Native (Light) Infantry
1865–1885: 42nd (Assam) Regiment of Bengal Native (Light) Infantry
1885–1886: 42nd (Assam) Regiment of Bengal (Light) Infantry
1886–1889: 42nd Regiment Gurkha Light Infantry
1889–1891: 42nd (Gurkha) Regiment of Bengal Light Infantry
1891–1901: 42nd Gurkha (Rifle) Regiment of Bengal Light Infantry
1901–1903: 42nd Gurkha Rifles
1903–1959: 6th Gurkha Rifles
1959–1994: 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles.


Victoria Cross recipients

There have been two
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
recipients from the 6th Gurkhas. These were: * Lieutenant (acting Captain) Michael Allmand, 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (Watson's Horse) attached to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Gurkha Rifles, 23 June 1944, Burma (posthumous); and * Rifleman
Tulbahadur Pun Tul Bahadur Pun VC (Nepali language, Nepali: तुल बहादुर पुन; 23 March 192320 April 2011) was a Nepalese people, Nepalese Gurkha recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for Chivalry, gallantry in the face of the ...
, 3rd Battalion, 23 June 1944, Burma.Parker 2005, p. 393.


Battle honours

The 6th Gurkhas received the following
battle honours A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military ...
: * Burma 1885–87. * ''The Great War'':
Helles Helles or hell is a traditional German pale lager beer, mainly produced in Southern Germany, particularly Munich. The German word ''hell'' can be translated as "bright", "light", or "pale". Flavour profile Helles-style beers are typically ...
, Krithia, Suvla, Sari Bair, Gallipoli 1915,
Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
, Egypt 1915–16, Khan Baghdadi, Mesopotamia 1916–18, Persia 1916–1918, North West Frontier India 1915–17. * Afghanistan 1919. * ''The Second World War'': Coriano, Sant Angelo, Monte Chicco, Lamone Crossing, Gaiana Crossing, Italy 1944–45, Burma 1942–45,
Shwebo Shwebo ( ) is a city in Sagaing Region, Burma, 110 km north-west of Mandalay between the Irrawaddy and the Mu rivers. The city was the origin of the Konbaung Dynasty, established by King Alaungpaya in 1752, that was the dominant politic ...
, Kyaukmyaung Bridgehead,
Mandalay Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. It is located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631 km (392 mi) north of Yangon. In 2014, the city had a population of 1,225,553. Mandalay was founded in 1857 by Ki ...
, Rangoon Road 1945,
Chindits 1944 The Chindits, officially known as Long Range Penetration Groups, were special operations units of the British and Indian armies which saw action in 1943–1944 during the Burma Campaign of World War II. Brigadier Orde Wingate formed them ...
.Parker 2005, p. 387.


Regimental Colonels

Colonels of the Regiment were: ;6th Gurkha Rifles * 1926–1951: F.M. Sir William Riddell (Birdwood), 1st Lord Birdwood, GCB, GCSI, GCMG, GCVO, CIE, DSO * 1951–1961: Gen. Sir John Harding, GCB, CBE, DSO, MC, ADC (Field Marshal from 1953) ;6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles (1959) * 1961–1969: Maj-Gen. James Alexander Rowland Robertson, GB, CBE, DSO * 1969–1974: Maj-Gen. Arthur Gordon Patterson, CB, DSO, OBE, MC * 1974–1978: Brig. David Leonard Powell-Jones, DSO, OBE * 1978–1983: Col. (Hon. Brig.) Sir Noel Edward Vivian Short, Kt, MBE, MC * 1983–1988: Lt-Gen. Sir Derek Boorman, KCB (also
Staffordshire Regiment The Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's) (or simply "Staffords" for short) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales's Division. The regiment was formed in 1959 by the amalgamation of the South Staffordshire R ...
) * 1988–1994: Maj-Gen. Raymond Austin Pett, MBE ''*1994 Regiment amalgamated to form
The 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, RGR soldiers are recruited from Nepal, which is neither a dependent territory of the Unit ...
''


Uniforms

The unique status of the unit until 1886 as the only Gurkha
Light Infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...
Regiment was reflected in its distinctive red coats. All other Gurkha regiments wore dark green uniforms and were designated as rifles. A suggestion by the then Viceroy
Lord Dufferin Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, (21 June 182612 February 1902), was a British public servant and prominent member of Victorian society. In his youth he was a popular figure in the court of Queen Victoria, ...
that the regiment change from light infantry to rifles was declined after long discussion on the grounds that recruits sought service in the distinctive ''Lai kurti paltan'' (red coat regiment) where they were sworn in on regimental colours (not carried by rifle regiments). While standardisation eventually converted the 1st Gurkha Light infantry to the 6th Gurkha Rifles the historic red was commemorated in the red ''toories'' on the
rifle green Varieties of the color green may differ in hue, chroma (also called saturation or intensity) or lightness (or value, tone, or brightness), or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tin ...
Kilmarnock caps.W.Y. Carman, page 208 "Indian Army Uniforms under the British from the 18th century to 1947. Artillery, Engineers and Infantry", Morgan-Gramian: London 1969"


See also

* John Lucas (MC)


Notes


References

* * * * *


Further reading

* * * {{cite book, last=Gibbs, first=Col.HKR, title=Historical Records of the 6th Gurkha Rifles, Vol II, 1919-1948, publisher=Gale & Polden, year=1955


External links


6th Gurkhas Homepage
Royal Gurkha Rifles 06 Gurkha 006 Rifle regiments of the British Army Rifle regiments Military units and formations established in 1817 British Indian Army infantry regiments British light infantry Border guards Gurkhas R Military units and formations disestablished in 1994