It seems that while the kukri was obviously the well known weapon of the famed Gurkha regiments, by the late 19th century and of course throughout the 20th, these weapons were produced commercially for the military. I am not sure that these were used by units outside the Gurkhas without further research, but would not be surprised if they were. By WWI, there seems to have begun much of the reorganization and amalgamation of units that hallmarked considerable changes in the army. I dont think it was that unusual for units that had become gallantly labelled 'lancer' regiments to end up being utilized in many diverse capacities as the monumental undertaking of the "Great War' devoured resources.
I do know that the Gurkhas did eventually become well known in police and security capacities even to this day, and this type assignment was of course probably established for them often during peace time. It would not seem unlikely that a weapon such as the kukri would have been adopted by any forces who assumed duties that were outside thier original designation, such as if these lancers did become more diversified in wartime.
The 'frontier garrison' markings of course suggest the Northwest Frontier, where British forces were certainly diminished by the demand for them as reinforcements on the fronts were required by the war. I think one of the most fascinating aspects of WWI is that there were so many associated effects in so many worldwide regions, and these are seldom noted or discussed in the study of this war.
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