Description
Geneeral Service Medal 1962, bar Borneo, EIIR, 21154026 Rifleman Harkaman Limbu, 2/10 Gurkha Regiment.
Officially impressed: “21154026 RFN HARKAMAN LIMBU 2/10 GR”
With the outbreak of the “Indonesian Confrontation” in 1962, both battalions of the 10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles, were posted out to Malaysia for service.
They undertook 2 tours each, in 1964 and 1965.
Most notably, from the same battalion as Rifleman Harkaman Limbu, was in 1965 when the 10th Gurkhas earned their first and only Victoria Cross, Lance Corporal Rambahadur Limbu of the 2nd 10th, earned a VC for his actions in an incident in the Bau District in Sarawak, Borneo during Operation Claret, carried out against Indonesian-Held Kalimantan.
This action was later known as the Battle of Bau or Battle of Gunong Tepoi.
Now Captain, Rambahadur Limbu VC MVO remains the only living Gurkha Victoria Cross recipient.
The QUEEN has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS to:
21148786 Lance Corporal RAMBAHADUR LIMBU, 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles.
On 21st November 1965 in the Bau District of Sarawak Lance Corporal RAMBAHADUR LIMBU was with his Company when they discovered and attacked a strong enemy force located in the Border area… Leading his support group in the van of the attack he could see the nearest trench and in it a sentry manning a machine gun. Determined to gain first blood he inched himself forward until… he was seen and the sentry opened fire, immediately wounding a man to his right. Rushing forward he reached the enemy trench… and killed the sentry, thereby gaining for the attacking force a foothold on the objective… with a complete disregard for the hail of fire he got together and led his fire group to a better fire position…
…he saw both men of his own group seriously wounded… and… immediately commenced… to rescue his comrades… he crawled forward, in full view of at least two enemy machine gun posts who concentrated their fire on him… but… was driven back by the accurate and intense… fire… After a pause he started again…
Rushing forward he hurled himself on the ground beside one of the wounded and calling for support from two light machine guns… he picked up the man and carried him to safety… Without hesitation he immediately returned… [for the other] wounded man [and] carried him back… through the hail of enemy bullets. It had taken twenty minutes to complete this gallant action and the events leading up to it. For all but a few seconds this Non-Commissioned Officer had been moving alone in full view of the enemy and under the continuous aimed fire of their automatic weapons… His outstanding personal bravery, selfless conduct, complete contempt of the enemy and determination to save the lives of the men of his fire group set an incomparable example and inspired all who saw him.
Finally, Lance Corporal Rambahadur was responsible for killing four more enemy as they attempted to escape…
He displayed heroism, self sacrifice and a devotion to duty and to his men of the very highest order. His actions on this day reached a zenith of determined, premeditated valour which must count amongst the most notable on record and is deserving of the greatest admiration and the highest praise.
