Monday 25 April 2011

Four Brave Gurkha Daredevils of History

For the past many days I have been reading in News regarding Gurkha veterans’ legal battle to settle in United Kingdom, due to changed immigration restrictions on the Nepalese soldiers and also their attempt to claim the same pensions as their British comrades. Today they face the illegitimate discrimination of Ministry of Defence, which is biasedlly based on their country of origin instead of the country in whose Army they loyally served for the last 200 years, with 200,000 Gurkha soldiers fighting in the last two world wars and about 3,500 Gurkhas currently serving in the British Army, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Gurkha Bridage world famous for its bravest of the brave soldiers, so much that the former British Empire even regarded it as one of the brightest jewels in the royal crown and had no other way save for taking one Gurkha brigade back home after the Indian independence in 1947. But today the British Government is accused by the Gurkhas for the act of 'treachery' over UK settlement right.

Though the British Government has forgotten the contribution of Gorkha veterans in World War II, I would like to mention here the Heroic Act of only four Gorkha Daredevils. Although there are thousands of story for bravery but Im mentioning the story of only four Gorkha Heroes here, which are exceptionally mind blowing jackass, its hard to picturize the daredevil stun they pulled that day.
But again as the Gurkha Motto goes, “Better to die then to be coward”.

On the word of erstwhile Chief of Staff of the Indian Army, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, “If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a Gurkha.”

Heed this too as said by none other than the Nazi dictator Adolph Hitler, if he had Gurkhas then he can win all over the world. He went further and said “there is nothing in the world I scare of but Gurkhas.”

So here are the Four Brave Gurkha Daredevils of History who are gonna make anybody go crazy after reading their deeds of bravery :


1.      Tul Bahadur Pun


Tul Bahadur Pun (23 March 1923 (or 1919) – 20 April 2011) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He later achieved the rank of Honorary Lieutenant. In addition to the Victoria Cross, Pun was awarded 10 other medals, including the Burma Star.

At the age of 21 years old, and as a Rifleman in the 3rd Battalion, 6th Gurkha Rifles, in the Indian Army during World War II when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC :
In Burma on 23 June 1944, a Battalion of the 6th Gurkha Rifles was ordered to attack the Railway Bridge at Mogaung. Soon enemy started cross fire from close range from a position known as the Red House and from a strong bunker position two hundred yards to the left of it, so intense was this cross fire that both the leading platoons of 'B' Company, one of which was Rifleman Tul bahadur Pun's, were pinned to the ground. The whole of his Section was wiped out, except for himself, the Section commander and one other man. The Section commander tried to lead the remaining two men but was at once badly wounded. Rifleman Tul bahadur Pun and his remaining companion continued the charge, but the latter too was immediately wounded.
Rifleman Tulbahadur Pun then seized the Bren Gun and firing from the hip He continued the charge on this heavily bunkered position alone. With the dawn coming up behind him and in the face of the most shattering concentration of automatic fire directed straight at him he presented a perfect target to the Japanese. He moved further ahead for thirty yards over open ground, ankle deep in mud, through shell holes and over fallen trees.
Despite these overwhelming odds, he reached the Red House and killing its Japanese occupants, captured two light machine guns and much ammunition. He then gave accurate supporting fire from the bunker to the remainder of his platoon which enabled them to overcome the remaining enemy bunkers.

2.      VC Ganju Lama

 


Ganju Lama (22 July 1924 - 2000) was a Gurkha recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
At the age of 19 years old, and as a Rifleman in the 1st Battalion, 7th Gurkha Rifles, in the Indian Army during World War II when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross:
In Burma, on the morning of the 12th June 1944, the enemy put down an intense artillery barrage lasting an hour; on north of the village of Ningthoukhong. The heavy artillery fire knocked out several bunkers and caused heavy casualties, and was immediately followed by a very strong enemy attack supported by five medium tanks. "B" Company, 7th Gurkha Rifles, was ordered to counter-attack and restore the situation. Shortly after passing the starting line it came under heavy enemy medium machine-gun and tank machine-gun fire at point blank range, which covered all lines of approach.

Rifleman Ganju Lama attacked the enemies only carrying a gun in his hand and not being noticed by the enemies he crawled forward towards them on his own initiative, with great coolness and complete disregard for his own safety. In spite of a broken left wrist and two other wounds, one in his right hand and one in his leg, caused by withering cross-fire concentrated upon him, He succeeded in bringing his gun into action within thirty yards of the enemy tanks and started firing at the enemy Type 97 Chi-Ha tanks knocking out first one and then another, the third tank being destroyed by an anti-tank gun. Blood was flowing down his body and with one grenade in his hand he was crawling towards the enemies, when he was quite close to the enemies he threw the only grenade he had with him, killing some more enemies.
The Japanese were not at all expecting this solo attack by Ganju lama who had destroyed their fully loaded two powerful tanks. The Japanese still did not give up and this fight lasted for about 13-14 hours, the Gorkhas did not let a single enemy to enter their territory. During this battle the Japanese 67th Regiment lost about 330 or more soldiers where the Gorkha Regiment lost only 30 soldiers.

3.      Lachhiman Gurung

 

 

Lachhiman Gurung (30 December 1917 – 12 December 2010) was a Nepalese recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

At the age of 27 years old, and as a Rifleman in the 4th Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles, in the Indian Army during World War II when the following deed took place on 12/13 May 1945 for which he was awarded the VC:
His Battalion was part of the 89th Indian Infantry Brigade of 7th Indian Infantry Division, which was ordered to cross the Irrawaddy River and attack Japanese forces to the north of the road from Prome to Taungup. The Japanese withdrew towards Taungdaw, where Gurung was part of the two companies of the 4th Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles waiting, when the Japanese attacked in force in the early morning.
Rifleman Lachhiman Gurung was manning the most forward post of his platoon which bore the brunt of an attack by at least 200 of the Japanese enemy. They attacked with guns, machines guns, tanks and grenades, twice he hurled back grenades which had fallen on his trench, but when He tried to clear the third grenade, it exploded in his right hand, blowing off his fingers, shattering his arm and severely wounding him in the face, body and right leg. His two comrades were also badly wounded but the rifleman, now alone and disregarding his wounds, loaded and fired his rifle with his left hand for four hours, calmly waiting for each attack which he met with fire at point blank range. Afterwards, when the casualties were counted, it is reported that there were 31 dead Japanese around his position which he had killed, with only one arm.
"It is only that we have such bad tempers when something makes us angry"
Lachhiman Gurung VC when asked "What makes Gurkhas so brave?"

4.      Bhanbhagta Gurung (My personal favourite) 



Havildar Bhanbhagta Gurung (September 1921 – 1 March 2008) (also known as Bhanbhakta Gurung) was a Nepalese recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

At the age about 24 years old, and as a Rifleman in the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Gurkha Rifles, British Indian Army when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC :

On 5 March, 1945, at Snowdon-East, near Tamandu, Burma (now Myanmar), Gurung and his unit were approaching Snowdon-East. His company became pinned down by an enemy sniper and was suffering casualties. As this sniper was inflicting casualties on the section, Rifleman Bhanbhagta Gurung, being unable to fire from the lying position, stood up fully exposed to the heavy fire and calmly killed the enemy sniper with his rifle, thus saving his section from suffering further casualties.
The section advanced again but came under heavy fire once again. Without waiting for orders, Gurung dashed out to attack the first enemy fox-hole, throwing two grenades, he killed the two occupants and without any hesitation rushed on to the next enemy fox-hole and killed the Japanese in it with his bayonet. He cleared two further fox-holes with bayonet and grenade. During his single-handed attacks on these four enemy fox-holes, Rifleman Bhanbhagta Gurung was subjected to almost continuous and point-blank Light Machine Gun fire from a bunker on the North tip of the objective. For the fifth time, Gurung went forward alone in the face of heavy enemy fire to knock out this position. He doubled forward and leapt on to the roof of the bunker from where, his hand grenades being finished, he flung two No. 77 smoke grenades into the bunker slit. Gurung killed two Japanese soldiers who ran out of the bunker with his Kukri, and then advanced into the cramped bunker and killed the remaining Japanese soldier.


5 comments:

  1. Nice words bro just revised some of the ghurkha history!

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Sushant i think we should make some good movies out of these brave heros hai ...la good going brother i always love armys history and their war story because i come from army family too... good work double like cha

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  4. I totally agree wid you fupu, someone sud make movies on these great heroes . . . .

    and thanx for liking it . . . .

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  5. yes bro let Nepalese people has to know the truth and facts of these unrevealed hereos..............who came back from faces of death putting their life in danger for their people morality and to keep faith and trust on today gurkhas boys and girls...............Dude nice idea.................Sewaro

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