United Kingdom. Cap badge of the 10th Gurkha Rifles, Princess Mary’s Own Regiment. 1980s restrike.

The “Shiny Eight”, as the regiment is popularly known in the Gorkha fraternity of the Indian Army, can trace its history back to the 16th Sylhet Local Battalion, which was raised in 1824 as part of the British East India Company and since then the identity of the Regiment has undergone a number of transitions before reaching its present designation as the 8 Gurkha Rifles, which it achieved in 1907. World War I (1914-18) testified to the enigmatic valour and heroism of the Regiment during the course of combat service in Italy, France, Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) and Egypt. During the fighting in France, the 2nd/8th[5] distinguished itself by fighting virtually to the last man during the Battle of Loos on 25 September 1915, hurling themselves time after time against the weight of German defences. Having mustered almost eight hundred men to begin with, by the end of the day they had a frontage of just one officer and forty-nine men.

The Regiment won 14 battle honours during this period: La Bassee, Festubert, Givenchy, Neauve Chapelle, Aubers, France and Flanders 1914-15; Egypt, Megiddo, Sharon, Palestine, Tigris, Kut-at-Amara, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1916-18. Following the war, it also participated in the Third Afghan War, earning the Afghanistan 1919 battle honour. The Regiment’s battalions also saw active overseas actions in Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Tobruk, El Alamein and Burma during World War II where the Regiment earned its fourth VC and twenty-two battle honours. Lachhiman Gurung was awarded the VC during the Burmese Campaign. In January 1943 the 2nd Battalion was attached to the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade which had just returned from the Western Desert after having been almost destroyed at the Battle of Gazala. At the end of the month the brigade was renamed as the 43rd Indian Infantry Brigade (Lorried). The brigade and its Gurkha battalions were sent to Italy in mid 1944 as an Independent brigade. The Regiment’s World War II Battle Honours include: Iraq 1941, North Africa 1940-43, Gothic Line, Coriano, Sant’ Angelo, Gaiana Crossing, Point 551, Italy 1942-44; Tamu Road, Bishenpur, Kanglato-ngbi, Mandalay, Myinmu Bridgehead, Singhu, Shan-datgyi, Sittang, Imphal, Burma 1942-45. Brass.

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