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The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration bestowed on members of the British or Commonwealth armed forces for acts of valour or gallantry performed in the face of the enemy. In the British honours system and those of many Commonwealth nations it is the highest award a soldier can receive for actions in combat. It was established in 1856 and since then has been awarded 1,356 times, including to three recipients who were awarded the VC twice.

The British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas, units composed of Nepalese soldiers—although originally led by British officers—has been a part of the army since 1815. When raised, it originally focused on conflicts in the Far East, but the transfer of Hong Kong from British to Chinese hands necessitated that the brigade move its base to the UK. A battalion is still maintained in Brunei and as at 2016, units serve in Afghanistan.

Since the VC was introduced it has been awarded to Gurkhas or British officers serving with Gurkha regiments 26 times. The first award was made in 1858 to a British officer of the Gurkhas, John Tytler, during the campaigns that followed the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The first award to a native Gurkha, Kulbir Thapa, was in 1915 during the First World War. When the Victoria Cross was initially established, Gurkhas, along with all other native troops of the British East India Company Army or the British Indian Army, were not eligible for the decoration and as such, until 1911, all of the Gurkha recipients of the award were British officers who were attached to Gurkha regiments. Until that time the highest award that Gurkhas were eligible for was the Indian Order of Merit. Since 1911 however, of the 16 VCs awarded to men serving with Gurkha regiments, 13 have been bestowed on native Gurkhas. The most recent award was made in 1965 to Rambahadur Limbu, during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. Along with the Royal Green Jackets, the Gurkha regiments are among the most heavily decorated Commonwealth units.

In 1950, when India became a republic, Gurkhas serving in the Gurkha regiments of the Indian Army lost their eligibility for the Victoria Cross and they are now covered under the Indian honours system. Under this system the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), which is India's highest military decoration for valour, is considered to be equivalent to the Victoria Cross. As such only those serving in the Gurkha units of the British Army remain eligible for the Victoria Cross.

Two George Cross (GC) medals have been awarded to Gurkha soldiers for acts of bravery displayed not in combat. The GC is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the UK honours system, the George Cross is equal in stature to the Victoria Cross. This has been the case since the introduction of the George Cross in 1940. The two Gurkha recipients of the George Cross or its erstwhile equivalent the Empire Gallantry Medal (EGM) are Nandlal Thapa and Chitrabahadur Gurung. Both were awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal for their gallantry in the rescue operations following the 1935 Quetta Earthquake. When the George Cross was created in 1940, recipients of the EGM could exchange their EGMs for the GC. Thapa did that, but Gurung could not, since the latter died in 1939.

Recipients

* indicates that the Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously

Notes

1. Staff corps were created in 1861 to provide British officers for native regiments, including the Gurkhas, who were designated as "attached to" the various native groups. The units are ordered by Gurkha regiment.

References

1. ^ "Victoria Cross". Ministry of Defence (UK). Archived from the original on 11 July 2007. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
2. "Brigade of Gurkhas". British Army. Archived from the original on 12 July 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
3. ^ Parker 2005, pp. 391–393.
4. Parker 2005, p. 62.
5. "The world's most exclusive club". Ministry of Defence. 30 April 2007. Archived from the original on 9 June 2007. Retrieved 16 June 2007.
6. "Param Vir Chakra". Pride of India.net. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
7. Parker 2005, p. xvii.
8. "Decorations, Gallantry and Distinguished Conduct medals: George Cross". UK Government. Archived from the original on 23 June 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
9. gurkha_museum (10 May 2021). "Gurkhas and the Empire Gallantry Medal and George Cross". The Gurkha Museum - Winchester. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
10. "Brigade of Gurkhas; Honours and Awards: Victoria Cross". British Army. Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
11. "Glossary: S". British Library. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
12. "No. 22176". The London Gazette. 24 August 1858. p. 3903.
13. "No. 23902". The London Gazette. 27 September 1872. p. 4489.
14. "No. 24314". The London Gazette. 14 April 1876. p. 2476.
15. "No. 24697". The London Gazette. 18 March 1879. p. 2241.
16. "No. 24843". The London Gazette. 11 May 1880. p. 2968.
17. "No. 26165". The London Gazette. 26 May 1891. p. 2805.
18. ^ "No. 26306". The London Gazette. 12 July 1892. p. 4006.
19. "No. 27584". The London Gazette. 7 August 1903. p. 4976.
20. "No. 27636". The London Gazette. 15 January 1904. p. 331.
21. "No. 27758". The London Gazette. 24 January 1905. p. 574.
22. "No. 29371". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 November 1915. p. 11450.
23. "No. 30122". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 1917. p. 5702.
24. "No. 30757". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 June 1918. p. 7307.
25. "No. 36053". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 1943. p. 2719.
26. "No. 36190". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 September 1943. p. 4347.
27. "No. 36764". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 October 1944. p. 4900.
28. "No. 36785". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 November 1944. p. 5129.
29. "No. 36742". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 1944. p. 4673.
30. "No. 36860". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 December 1944. p. 5933.
31. "No. 36730". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 October 1944. p. 4569.
32. "No. 36950". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 February 1945. p. 1039.
33. "No. 36715". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 September 1944. p. 4423.
34. "No. 36690". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 September 1944. p. 4157.
35. "No. 37195". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 July 1945. p. 3861.
36. "No. 37107". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 1945. p. 2831.
37. "No. 43959". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 April 1966. p. 4947.

Sources

• Parker, John (2005). The Gurkhas: The Inside Story of the World's Most Feared Soldiers. Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7553-1415-7.

External links

• UK Ministry of Defence website: Details of the Gurkha Brigade Archived 12 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine

v t e Gurkha topics
Background	Nepal Gorkha Darjeeling Sikkim Gorakhnath Khukuri Nepali people Nepali language Khas people Rai people Limbu people Gurung people Magar people Burmese Gorkha
Service	East India Company Army British Indian Army Britain–India–Nepal Tripartite Agreement Nepal Nepalese Army India Gorkha regiments 1st Gorkha Rifles 3rd Gorkha Rifles 4th Gorkha Rifles (battalions:5th) 5th Gorkha Rifles 8th Gorkha Rifles 9th Gorkha Rifles 11th Gorkha Rifles United Kingdom Brigade of Gurkhas Current British Gurkhas Nepal Royal Gurkha Rifles (emblem:Queen's Truncheon) 10 Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment RLC Queen's Gurkha Engineers Queen's Gurkha Signals Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas Historical 2nd Gurkha Rifles 6th Gurkha Rifles 7th Gurkha Rifles 10th Gurkha Rifles Brunei Gurkha Reserve Unit Singapore Gurkha Contingent
People	Kingdom of Nepal Prithvi Narayan Shah Kalu Pande Damodar Pande Bahadur Shah Anglo-Nepalese war Amar Singh Thapa Bhakti Thapa Ujir Singh Thapa Balbhadra Kunwar World War I Kulbir Thapa World War II Ganju Lama Since 1945 Bishnu Shrestha
Welfare	Gurkha Justice Campaign (people:Joanna Lumley, Nick Clegg) The Gurkha Welfare Trust
Honours	Victoria Cross
Influence	The Gurkha Museum Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu Gorkhaland movement Gorkha Beer Gorkha Airlines Gorkha Municipality
Category

• Brigade of Gurkhas
• Victoria Cross lists
• Gurkhas
• Indian recipients of the Victoria Cross
• Nepalese World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross
• Nepalese World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross