Orders, Decorations and Medals

An extremely rare Borneo operations M.M. pair awarded to Corporal Bombahadur Limbu, 1/7th Gurkha Rifles: a leading scout in a three-man reconnaissance patrol, he killed outright a brace of Indonesian insurgents in a jungle firefight - and wounded a further three while lending cover to his comrades as they withdrew across a deep, fast flowing river

Military Medal, E.II.R., 2nd issue (21152190 Rfn. Bombahadur Limbu, 7 G.R.); General Service 1962, 2 clasps, Borneo, Malay Peninsula (21152190 Rfn. Bombahadur Limbu, 1/7 G.R.), good very fine (2) £3000-3500

Just 36 Military Medals (and two Bars) were awarded for the Borneo confrontation 1962-66.

M.M. London Gazette 14 December 1965. The original recommendation states:

‘On the 18 March 1965, Rifleman Bombahadur Limbu was in operations in the Bau District of the First Division of Sarawak. On this day Bombahadur was the leading scout of a three man reconnaissance patrol some six hundred yards from their patrol base, in thick jungle. The patrol halted on the far side of a deep, swift flowing river. While the patrol commander checked his map Bombahadur acted as sentry some twenty yards off, on a track. Suddenly three Indonesian regular soldiers appeared on a bend in the track ten yards away. Bombahadur fired, immediately killing the two leading Indonesians. He then shouted a warning to his patrol commander. By this time a whole Indonesian platoon of some forty men had deployed on the rising ground ahead of Bombahadur and opened very heavy automatic and rifle fire on him. Realising that his two comrades would require time to swim across the river behind him, Rifleman Bombahadur coolly covered their withdrawal for several minutes. During this exchange of fire Bombahadur wounded three more Indonesians. His fire was so effective that the enemy pulled back. Bombahadur, having checked that his comrades had withdrawn, then swam across the river and returned to his patrol base. Bombahadur showed an utter disregard for his own safety in the face of great personal danger. Despite tremendous odds he selflessly covered the withdrawal of his comrades across a deep, fast flowing river which he knew he himself would have to cross. Rifleman Bombahadur's gallant and inspiring conduct is worthy of the highest praise.’

The Gurkhas suffered by far the highest casualties of the Borneo confrontation, with 43 killed in action and a further 87 wounded.

Bombahadur Limbu enlisted in the 1/7th Gurkha Rifles at Dharan, Eastern Nepal, in December 1960, and was discharged in the rank of Corporal in September 1976; sold with photocopied service record.