British Gurkhas in Kosovo: Honoring the Fallen, Rekindling Memories of Family Sacrifice

The British Army’s 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles recently held a solemn remembrance ceremony in the Negrovce region of Kosovo to honor the first British soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Kosovo conflict. Among those commemorated was Staff Sergeant Balaram Rai, a Gurkha soldier who lost his life alongside Lieutenant Gareth Evans in 1999 during British peacekeeping operations at the onset of the Kosovo crisis.

The ceremony became a deeply personal moment for Corporal Bishwraj Rai, who laid a wreath bearing the words, “In honour and gratitude for your sacrifice, we remember your courage and dedication. From all ranks of the 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles.” Corporal Rai, who now serves in Kosovo as part of the British Army’s Strategic Reserve Force under NATO’s KFOR mission, reflected on the memories of his uncle, Staff Sergeant Balaram Rai. His uncle’s tragic death while clearing unexploded ordnance (UXO) from a village school in Orlate, about 22 kilometers west of Pristina, left a lasting impact on their family.

Corporal Rai, who was just nine years old when he lost his uncle, shared the emotional weight of that memory. “At the time, we were all living together as one family—my auntie, uncle, and whole family. Then we heard the news… my uncle and one of the troop commanders both lost their lives while clearing the UXO. They were trying to help the school by removing explosive devices when one detonated,” he said. “It was a very sad moment for me, as he was the reason I wanted to join the British Army Gurkhas.”

Balaram Rai and Lieutenant Evans, both members of the 69 Gurkha Field Squadron, Queen’s Gurkha Engineers, were killed while attempting to clear the explosives, a tragic outcome in their efforts to protect the community. Corporal Rai, now able to fulfill his wish of serving in Kosovo, described his arrival in the region as an emotional moment, saying, “I feel proud as well, and I can remember him by bringing a flower and laying a wreath at the place where he died.”

Today, 25 years after the conflict, KFOR’s mission to maintain safety and enable freedom of movement throughout Kosovo endures as a tribute to those who have fallen in the name of peace and security.