Gurkha Boys and Recruits badges

[ukbrits]

Hi Guys,
3 more Gurkha badges to give the thumbs up or down on. The first badge is that of the Gurkha Boys, it has a clipped slider for beret wear and appears to have been made by J.R. Gaunt London. I am fairly happy this is an original item.

Second badge is cast and is either for Gurkha Recruits or the Gurkha Staff Band. Dunno if this is an original badge or a duffer.

Third badge is also cast white metal to the Gurkha Engineers - dunno about this one either?
As always opinions greatly received.
Regards
UKbrits

[Gurkha]

Gurkha Boys company, (1948-68) found in WM and AA, that one looks good to me. The Brigade badge, worn by the staff band (1955-70) and recruits in training. Example as shown locally made, also ordance issue is AA, still worn basic training and by some locally employed nepalese in BGN. Gurkha engineers
first pattern badge was in WM but usually AA for OR's and Silver for officers. that one looks a bit crude but may have been for the belt buckle. This one I have reservations about.
Regards

steve

[peter monahan]

Yes, the middle one looks to be "bazaar cast" in India. Doesn't mean it's not good, just that it's not to the British Brigade of Gurkhas.

I've forgotten how many battalions of Ghurkas the Indian Army has now, but probably in the dozens, with multiple battalions for each of the 6 regiments they got in 1947. Lots of scope there for 'locally made'. In fact, many of the IAs badges and accouterments are of poor quality by the standards British collectors and soldiers are used to. I'd say its a good one.

Peter

[Gurkha]

The locally made one was in fact made in Malaya, not india as they never served there. They were offically commisioned by the regt due to a c--k up with the supply of the MOD contract badges. So yes it is a 'British Brigade' badge.

Peter, there were 10 Regts (infantry) mostly with up to 4 Batts each (War raised from 2) till 1947. Post 47 only the 2nd.6th,7th and 10th stayed with Britain. Now we only have the Royal Gurkha Rifles with two Batts although enough recruits come forward to double this. The IA have 7 Gurkha regts (they reformed the 11th) with 4 or 5 batts each. The support arms were formed 1948, Engineers & Sigs, Transport 58 and the GMP 49 disbanded 1970. There were also plans for Gurkha REME, Catering Corps RAOC & RAMC. The 7th Gurkha Rifles were being retrained as Gunners by the RA when Malaya kicked off. But all were dropped as they needed the PBI.
regards
Steve

[ukbrits]

Hi Steve, Peter
Many thanks for your opinions. i think probably the same that the first 2 badges are fine but the Gurkha Engineers one may be suspect? I have a few more badges left to identify which I will post over the coming days.
Regards
UKbrits

[Gurkha]

Peter/ UKbrits,
My last post relates to the GMP badges not the above, it had been a long day and I thought I had been looking at the GMP post and the comments were about that 2nd one, not the brigade badge above. Those cast badges were made in Nepal as a stop gap. I appologise for being a numpty and will read the post better next time.