THE only surviving Gurkha recipient of the Victoria Cross Captain Rambahadur Limbu VC was in Salisbury on Tuesday with his wife and son (also an ex-Gurkha) to visit The Gurkha Welfare Trust’s head office in Queen Street.
Now living permanently in Nepal, Rambahadur made a rare trip to England to attend last month’s VC & GC Association reunion, as well as various Remembrance events. Rambahadur won the VC for exceptional bravery during the Borneo campaign in November 1965.
Rambahadur told the Journal how he had stormed an enemy position under heavy fire during the jungle assault.
He described how his platoon had overcome grenades and barbed wire as they moved in to attack the fortified hilltop.
Leading the assault, his section was soon alone in the middle of the enemy position. One of his men was shot in the stomach and badly wounded, another was killed instantly with a shot to the head.
Rambahadur fought back an enemy advance with grenades, forcing them to flee, before crawling 100 yards to report the skirmish to his troop commander.
He returned to his position and carried his injured comrade back to the safety of the trench, saving his life, before rushing back into danger to retrieve the dead soldier’s body.
He then withdrew under heavy fire, with his two surviving men.
Two members of Rambahadur’s platoon were injured and three were killed, while 24 enemy soldiers died.
His visit comes only a few weeks before the 200th anniversary of Gurkha service to the British Crown in 2015.
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