THE GURKHA KNIFE IN POLISH SECOND WORLD WAR MEMOIRS

The Second World War created numerous opportunities for intercultural encounters, including contacts between soldiers of the 2nd Polish Corps and the Gurkhas of the British Indian Army. This article focuses on a prominent single element highlighted in Polish war memoirs, the Gurkha khukuri knife. Used as a multipurpose tool in Nepal, it contributes to the image of fierce Gurkha soldiers, thanks to its reputation as a lethal weapon. The Gurkha knife attracted much attention during the war and seems to have become the most-remembered element of the representation of Nepalis in the Polish Second World War memoirs.