10 Mind-Blowing Feats Performed By Gurkhas

Incredible acts of bravery by the infamous Nepalese fighters.

A soldier from the company of Gurkhas that is to fly out to Bosnia shortly, in their first operational deployment since the Falklands conflict, trains at their base of Church Cookham in Hampshire today (Friday). The advance party of the Nepalese troops wi
Tim Ockenden/PA Archive

The Gurkhas are one of the most feared fighting forces in the entire world, and with good reason. Their reputation has been built on tales of outstanding bravery both in and out of the line of duty, so it is really no wonder that enemy combatants quake in their boots and start reconsidering their own allegiances whenever they hear that they are being sent into the fray.

From collective achievements that have seen small groups of these warriors claim seemingly impossible victories - adding to the legend that surrounds this rare breed of soldiers in the process - through to individual displays of bravery that highlight just why these Nepalese fighters are so massively feared and respected in equal measure, the stories of the feats of the Gurkhas are many and varied.

Here we look at some of the most outstanding feats performed by these legendary fighters. Some of these tales are apocryphal in nature - yet still interesting to read about - while others are well-known and more rigorously documented. 

Regardless, all of them demonstrate the heart, determination and sheer bravery that the Gurkhas have become known for, thus playing a part in maintaining the legendary reputation that this particular branch of the army has come to enjoy.

10. Argentinian Forces Flee For Their Lives During The Falklands Conflict

A soldier from the company of Gurkhas that is to fly out to Bosnia shortly, in their first operational deployment since the Falklands conflict, trains at their base of Church Cookham in Hampshire today (Friday). The advance party of the Nepalese troops wi
CLEAVER MARTIN CLEAVER/PA Archive
The Falklands War is a conflict that still causes consternation right through to the present day, with simmering tensions between Britain and Argentina seeming to have come close to the boiling point a number of times over the years that followed, only to eventually calm back down again.

During the war itself, the British demonstrated just how determined they were to retain the islands by deployingthe Gurkhas to fight on the ground against Argentinian troops.

According to apocryphal stories of the time, when the Argentinian forces located at Tumbledown found out that the Gurkhas were on their way to do battle with them, they simply turned tail and fled rather than face the coming fight.

It is believed that propaganda about the Gurkha's fighting prowess had been spread around the islands before their arrival, which likely played some part in the incident.

Regardless, there aren't many groups of fighters who could win a battle before they even arrive. The Gurkhas did eventually see action in the Falklands, but by the end of the war they had suffered few in the way of causalities.

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Lee Price is a writer for 411mania.com and Starburst Magazine, which is published in the UK. He is currently working as a freelance writer. He hopes to one day fund his addiction to video games by writing about video games, and he maintains a sporadically updated blog at leesrandombulls*it.wordpress.com