Description
GSM 1918, bar Brunei, GSM 1962, bar Borneo, Rifleman Manbahadur Gurung, 1/2nd King Edward VII’s Own Gurkha Rifles, first unit deployed to save the Sultan of Brunei.
Both medals officially impressed: “21151780 Rfn Manbahadur Gurung 1/2 GR.”
The 2nd Gurkha Rifles, known as the 2nd King Edward VII’s Own Gurkha Rifles, original raised back in 1815 as “The Sirmoor Battalion.” took part in both the Brunei Revolt and the Borneo Campaign during the 1960s.
Brunei was the final clasp awarded of the first model of the General Service Medal, and Borneo the first clasp awarded of the new 1962 model.
You can read about these two campaigns on the Gurkha Museum Website below:
https://thegurkhamuseum.co.uk/blog/the-brunei-revolt-and-the-borneo-confrontation/
On 8th December 1962, the pro-Sukarno Rebels from the TNKU attempted to capture the Sultan of Brunei, who managed to call the British for help. In the meantime, Police Stations, Power Stations, the House of the Brunei Prime Minister and Sultan’s properties were attacked.
British Far East Command received the message from the Sultan, dispatching 2 companies from the 1/2nd Gurkha Rifles.
The men were immediately placed on notice to be airlifted straight from Singapore and within 9 hours were flow into Labaun Airfield.
They landed about 10pm that night and were immediately put into action against the rebel forces.
Meanwhile a group of Gurkhas under the command of Captain Digby Willoughby managed to secure the safety of the Sultan, and by the next day the rest of the 1/2GR had arrived where they took apart the resistance in “Operation ALE”.
They managed to capture over 3,400 rebels with many escaping into the jungles putting down the rebellion. In the meantime the Borneo Confrontation broke out nearby, with the 1/2nd Gurkhas being deployed into the jungle, leading to 4 years of fighting against the Kalimantan Army in Sabah (North Borneo) and Sarawak with all 8 Battalions of the British Gurkhas taking part in the fighting.
The Sultan of Brunei never forgot his saviours, the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien, and his young son and soon to be what is now the long standing current Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, were saved from the Palace by Captain Digby Willoughby and his brave Gurkhas.
Not long afterwards due to budget cuts and the general downsizing of the military, the 1/2nd Gurkhas were almost axed, but were saved by the Sultan, he soon after instituted in 1973 his special bodyguard the “Gurkhas Reserve Unit”, recently renamed the “Gurkha Security Unit”, conferring on the unit the Golden Jubilee Medal for 50 years of service.
