The immensely popular Queen’s Gurkha Engineers are 75 years old this month.

To mark the regimental birthday, a parade took place at their Invicta Barracks home in Maidstone supported by The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas.

The Colonel Commandant Brigade of Gurkhas, Lieutenant General Richard Wardlaw, inspected the ranks with military families and veterans traveling from across the UK and Nepal to attend..

After a demonstration of Khukuri fighting skills, using the Gurkhas’ famed traditional knives, the Commandant of the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers, Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Castro spoke to the assembled men.

He said: “Today is a historic occasion and the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers move from strength to strength and are an integrated part of the Regiment and the local community around Maidstone.

“You can all be proud to say you are part of the historic journey of the Brigade of Gurkhas.”

Then it was time for senior officers to cut the birthday cake, using giant Khukuri knives.

The Gurkha Training Squadron RE was first formed in October 1948.

The 67 Field Squadron RE was raised in 1949, and the 68 Field Squadron RE in 1950 followed by the 50 Field Regiment RE in 1951.

The whole regiment became part of the Brigade of Gurkhas in 1955 and on September 28 the same year the name was changed to The Gurkha Engineers.

The Royal title, Queen’s Gurkha Engineers, was bestowed by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in April 1977.

The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers is now formed of 69 Gurkha Field Squadron, 70 Gurkha Parachute Squadron, 67 Gurkha Field Squadron and Gurkha Troop 37 Field Squadron.

In 2008 a bronze statue of a Gurkha soldier was unveiled outside Maidstone Museum in St Faith’s Street following a Kent Messenger-backed fundraising campaign to honour the Nepalese troops.

This was unveiled after a parade through the town by 150 Gurkha soldiers from the 69 Field Squadron and 70 Gurkha Field Support Squadron, who are both based at Invicta Barracks.

It came shortly after a High Court ruling declared that all Gurkhas should be allowed to settle in the UK in recognition of their loyal service to the Union.

A previous government policy had denied Gurkhas discharged before 1997 the right to live in the country.