Portraits of 11 Gurkha soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan were flown over to Nepal from the UK and handed over to their families at an event in Pokhara on 11 May 2025. Portraits of the 11 Gurkhas and four British Officers who died during the conflict in Afghanistan were unveiled at the Gurkha Memorial Museum in Pokhara before being handed-over. The portraits till date were on display at the Gurkha Museum in Winchester, UK from where they were transported to Nepal by the Veterans Can… team.
Kevin Wills, an artist and Army veteran, painted portraits of each of the 457 British Army officers and soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan and the Brigade of Gurkhas lost 15 members during the Afghanistan conflict. The originals of the four British Officers have already been presented to their families in the UK. The Veterans Can… team had been fundraising to undertake a trip to Nepal to present the remaining portraits to the families of the Nepalese Gurkha fallen heroes.
A team comprising Kevin and British Army veterans from the Veterans Can… travelled to Kathmandu from the UK, where they were joined by Gurkha veteran Hari Budha Magar MBE. The team then travelled on to Pokhara to meet with the families at a respectful event held at the Gukha Memorial Museum. Amidst a solemn atmosphere of the event, Kevin and the team presented the portraits to the families of the fallen Gurkhas. His Excellency Mr Rob Fenn, Britain’s Ambassador to Nepal; Colonel Dan Rex MVO, Commander British Gurkhas Nepal, Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) JP Cross OBE, army veterans, serving personnel and well-wishers were present to show their solidarity at the event which started with respects paid amidst a parade of BGN Pokhara officers and staff.
Kevin Wills, artist of the ‘Fallen of Afghanistan’, said, “The project was an idea he had four years ago, and it felt like the right thing to do to make sure those who made the ultimate sacrifice were not forgotten. It was a huge honour being able to present the last few portraits to the museum in the presence of the families of fallen Gurkhas; and that being able to draw a line under this project with such an expedition was amazing.”
Colonel Dan Rex MVO, Commander British Gurkhas Nepal, who read out the names of the Fallen heroes, said, “The Brigade of Gurkhas is a close and very special family and whilst the loss of our brothers has brought us enormous sadness, their memory and the times we spent together has also been source of great pride, strength and happiness. They will always be with us, and we shall never forget them.” He thanked artist Kevin saying, “It has been a true labour of love and an extraordinary achievement, which has meant a great deal to all the families and friends of the fallen. We are hugely grateful!”
Portraits of Fallen Gurkhas handed over to Families
