My Journey to Become a Gurkha Gunner
By Gunner Lila Gurung, E Battery, 1 Royal Horse Artillery
On 20 April 2026, I stood in my ceremonial uniform alongside my 19 numberies as we took the oath as Gurkha Gunners, touching the Royal Artillery (RA) Guns.
Where It All Started – I was born in Dhading, Nepal, which lies in the western part of Nepal. My family later moved to Kathmandu, seeking better opportunities. At the young age of nine, I was admitted to a military school in Pokhara, Kaski, around 200 kilometres from home. This is where my ambition to join the British Army began. Growing up in a military environment, I developed a strong passion for it and made a promise to myself to be a soldier. The challenge and competitiveness of becoming a Gurkha in the British Army became my primary motivation to join.
Becoming a Gurkha – Right after my School Leaving Certificate examination, I started training for the British Army selection. In my first two attempts, my scores weren’t enough to reach the final phase. However, during my final attempt, I reached the final phase and was selected into the British Army. Out of tens of thousands, I was selected alongside 273 others on 1 February 2025. We then went through an Attestation parade on 7 February in front of our beloved families in Pokhara. After this, we arrived in Catterick and began our Basic Training, followed by Infantry Trade Training. On 12 November 2025, we officially became Gurkhas as we passed out after nine months of infantry training.
Gurkha Gunner – I heard about The King’s Gurkha Artillery (KGA) after it was announced on 28 April 2025, and I was immediately interested in joining them. I found it glamorous, and I thought it was a privilege to shape a new regiment’s identity. Additionally, it was a golden opportunity to be one of the first Gurkha Gunners. Therefore, I chose the KGA as my first choice, and fortunately, on 24 July 2025, I, along with 19 others, was selected to be one of the first Gurkha Gunners to join KGA directly from Catterick. I was awarded Champion Recruit for KGA on 11 November 2025. On 24 November, we arrived at Larkhill camp for our further training to become qualified Gunners.
Larkhill, My New Home – As soon as we arrived at Larkhill camp, we were mesmerised by the view of the guns, kept all over the camp. We started taking pictures of the Guns through the windows of our coach, and I was excited to see them in action. We all went through a two-week induction training before going to Nepal on leave. After returning from Nepal, we were loaded onto the Complex Platform User Course, and concurrently, we took driving theory tests. Later, we were assigned to Level 2 operator courses. Since my trade is Artillery Command System, I was assigned to complete the Level 2 Gunner Command Systems course, where I achieved the Top Student certification. As soon as the course was completed, we were on the FC BISA course for a week. After all these courses, I started working and helping 34 Battery. I was also deployed to Sennybridge Training Area on my first-ever artillery exercise, Combined Warrior 2026.
Becoming a Gurkha Gunner – Finally, it was the day I became a Gurkha Gunner. I found myself touching a Royal Artillery Gun during the parade and taking an oath, which will stay with me forever. I felt proud like never before, as nobody had done it before, and we made history as the first Gurkha Gunners.
Looking Forward – Since I am in E Battery, 1 Royal Horse Artillery, I am most looking forward to future deployments, learning new skills, gaining knowledge, and growing together with the KGA and the RA. I am also looking forward to sharing my knowledge and skills with the future Gurkha Gunners and maintaining standards, which our seniors and forefathers have maintained to this day.
The journey, from a naive dream of being a Gurkha to becoming a qualified Gurkha Gunner, would not have been possible without the support of my family, numberies, seniors, and instructors. I am grateful to have them all in my life, and it is an honour to be part of the formation of the KGA. I would love to help build the strong foundation of my proud regiment.
