Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second World War Burma operations M.M. awarded to Rifleman Ramparsad Gurung, 3rd Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles, who won an immediate award for his gallantry in an attack on ‘Wireless Ridge’ on the Silchar Track during the siege of Imphal in April 1944: invested with his award by the Viceroy of India that August, he was wounded in subsequent operations during the capture of Monywa

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (10390 Rfmn. Ramparsad Gurung, 8 G.R.), officially engraved naming, edge bruise, better than very fine £600-800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Gallantry Awards to the Indian Army for the Burma Campaign 1944-45.

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M.M. London Gazette 31 August 1944. The recommendation - for an immediate award - states:

‘On 16 April 1944, during the attack on Wireless HIll, Rifleman Ramparsad Gurung was No. 2 on the L.M.G. in one of the forward sections as it advanced up the steep and base side of the hill under very heavy enemy fire. When his Platoon Commander was killed and all three Section Commanders were either killed or wounded, the attack came to a halt, for many other casualties had also been sustained.

Rifleman Ramparsad Gurung, on seeing Rifleman Karnabahadur go forward with his L.M.G. immediately picked up the L.M.G. from his No. 1 who had been hit and continued the advance with Rifleman Karnabahadur and Rifleman Fattasing, all carrying L.M.Gs; the three men reached the first objective and stormed two enemy positions, killing all the occupants and occupying and holding the positions on their own for some time in the face of enemy counter-attacks, until rejoined by the remainder of the Platoon.

This feat of coolness and courage on the part of Rifleman Ramparsad and his two companions in doing the enemy out of the positions and holding them against very heavy fire was undoubtedly responsible for the eventual capturing of the whole position and is worthy of the highest praise.’

Ramparsad Gurung was a Hindu Gurkha from the village of Ghorbana in Gulmi district, Nepal. Wireless Hill, where he won his M.M., was an important feature overlooking the Silchar Track during the siege of Imphal. Having been presented with his M.M. ‘in the field’ by the Viceroy of India on 7 August 1944, Ramparsad Gurung was wounded in the operations that led to the capture of Monywa on 16 January 1945; sold with copied research.