Rambahadur Limbu

Rambahadur Limbu, (रामबहादुर लिम्बू; 8 July 1939 – 22 April 2023) was a Nepalese Gurkha and 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. Rambahadur Limbu belonged to the Begha Clan of Limbu people of Nepal. Limbu was born in Chyangthapu village, Tehrathum, in East Nepal, and later lived in Damak.

Victoria Cross
In November 1965, Limbu was 26 years old, and was a lance corporal in the 2nd Battalion, 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles, British Army during the Indonesian Confrontation. On 21 November in Sarawak, Borneo, Limbu was in an advance party of 16 Gurkhas when they encountered about 30 Indonesians holding a position on the top of a jungle-covered hill. Limbu went forward with two men, but when they were only ten yards from the enemy machine-gun position, the sentry opened fire on them, whereupon Limbu rushed forward and killed him with a grenade. The remaining enemy combatants then opened fire on the small party, wounding the two men with Limbu. Limbu then made three journeys into the open under heavy fire, two to drag his comrades to safety and one to retrieve their Bren gun, with which he charged down and killed many of the enemy.

Extracts from citation
"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 21 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."

The medal was presented by the Queen in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in 1966. Limbu's five-year-old son attended with his father.

His original Victoria Cross was stolen, along with all his other possessions, while he was asleep during a train journey in India to his native Nepal in 1967. It has never been found, and he was issued with a replacement.

Later career
Limbu reached the rank of captain, as a Queen's Gurkha Officer (QGO), and was appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in 1984 for his service as Queen's Gurkha Orderly Officer. He then retired from active service in 1985.

Death
Limbu died from heart and kidney failure in Lalitpur on 22 April 2023, aged 83.

In the media
Limbu was interviewed for the 2006 television docudrama Victoria Cross Heroes which also included archive footage and dramatisations of his actions.

Medal entitlement
Captain Rambahadur Limbu was entitled to the following medals;