The last Gurkha recipient of the UK’s Victoria Cross award has died in Nepal, aged 82.
Rambahadur Limbu received the highest military decoration at Buckingham Palace from Queen Elizabeth II in 1966, after rescuing fellow soldiers during an attack by Indonesian forces on the island of Borneo the previous year.
The Brigade of Gurkhas are Nepalese soldiers recruited by the British Army since a peace treaty was signed in 1815.
Capt Limbu was a lance corporal when he fought at the Battle of Bau, a conflict between Indonesian and British forces after Indonesia opposed the formation of Malaysia.
A small group of Gurkhas were by attacked a company of Indonesian forces. Capt Limbu was “determined to gain first blood”, leading his group through exploding grenades and a downpour of automatic fire, according to the Gurkha Brigade Association.
Despite the imminent dangers, he found time to rescue his wounded comrades. “I didn’t think I was going to be shot. All I cared about was rescuing my friends,” he told The Daily Mirror in 2014.
Capt Limbu left the British Army in 1985, having risen through the ranks. He was appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order in 1984 for his service. He retired in 1992 and lived in the city of Damak in Eastern Nepal.
In 2014, Capt Limbu travelled to Westminster to speak during the Gurkha Welfare Inquiry, seeking support for veterans in Nepal, according to The Guardian.
The following year, he took part in Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s parade celebrating the Gurkha Brigade’s 200-year history, according to Hello. “The Brigade of Gurkhas is more than just a fighting force, it is also — in every sense of the word — a family,” said King Charles III at the time.
The British ambassador to Nepal, Nicola Pollitt, visited Capt Limbu in September 2022 so that he could sign the condolence book for Queen Elizabeth II. “He signed the book, recalling with pride and sadness his long service for Her Majesty,” Ms Pollitt tweeted.
The Gurkha Brigade Association said: “He has been a figurehead and exemplar of Gurkha bravery for generations of Gurkha recruits and soldiers.”
Capt Limbu is survived by his wife, Eunimaya, and three children.
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