Imperial holdover: Gurkhas flock to British army

"Never has a nation had such loyal and good soldiers for so long at so cheap a price," said J.P. Cross, a retired lieutenant colonel who served with Gurkha troops for his entire 38-year career and now lives among them in Pokhara.

He describes the bonds between Gurkhas and British officers like himself as "a chemistry of camaraderie that has stood the test of time."

"Since 1815, these people have regarded the British as kindly fathers who liberated them from a caste system and replaced it with meritocracy, who looked upon them as individuals and matchless soldiers," he said.

The author of several books on the Gurkhas, Cross said there was "something about these people that allows them to give something extra for a longer period at a higher level than any other soldiers I have ever met."

That something, he says, springs from struggle with their harsh environment, the need to act decisively when frequent natural disasters strike, an innate discipline and loyalty to one's own. Thirteen Gurkhas have won the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for bravery, three of them posthumously.

Is the modern Gurkha still matchless? Cross isn't sure whether as many would be ready to sacrifice their lives. But he says the new breed is smarter than its forefathers, and still in great demand: 120,000 serve in the Indian army, the sultan of Brunei keeps his own Gurkha guard and Singapore incorporates them into its police force.

Anderson, the officer at the Pokhara camp, said fewer Gurkhas are now recruited directly from the hills because they come down to first study in towns. But they haven't lost their prized qualities.

"You want the robust hill boy but you also want soldiers who are more urban-savvy and technologically aware," he said. "So the situation is now perfect for the British army."

Will the sun ever set on this relic of the British Empire?

"That question has been asked again and again," said Maj. Rick Beven, commander of British Gurkhas Pokhara. "After World War II, the partition of India, the handover of Hong Kong. But they're still here. As long as there are operations and they do well, there will be a future for them in the British army."