Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

A remarkable ‘Escape from Burma’ M.C. and MacGregor Memorial Medal group of six awarded to Subadar Tekbahadur Limbu, 10th Burma Regiment, for successfully leading a party of forty men of his battalion through 600 miles of enemy occupied territory

Military Cross, G.VI.R. reverse officially dated ‘1943’ and additionally inscribed ‘Sub. Tekbahadur Limbu, B.F.F., 10 Burma Regt.’, contained in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals; MacGregor Memorial Medal, silver, large type, 70mm (1942. Awarded to Subedar Tekbahadur Limbu, N.S.S. Bn. Burma F.F., for successfully leading a party of forty men of his battalion through 600 miles of enemy occupied territory) contained in its H.M. Mint Calcutta fitted case of issue, accompanied by a detachable ring suspension of the official pattern which screws into the rim of the medal at 12 o’clock, and a long length of original MacGregor tartan neck ribbon, good very fine and very rare (6) £3000-4000

M.C. London Gazette 23 September 1943, and Gazette of India 15 January 1944.

Both the Military Cross and the MacGregor Memorial Medal were awarded for the same remarkable exploit, the citation for the former being in the form of a ‘Most Secret’ interrogation report circulated at Defence H.Q. in New Delhi on 17 March 1943, by the Combined Services Detailed Intelligence Centre (India), a department of the Directorate of Military Intelligence:

‘I am directed by His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief to forward a copy of the Interrogation Report in respect of Subedar Tekbahadur Limbu, late Northern Shan States Bn. Burma Frontier Force, who successfully accomplished a remarkable journey from Songlon, his post in the Wa States, to India, bringing a considerable number of his men through with him. His Excellency recommends that Subedar Tekbahadur Limbu be considered for the award of the Military Cross, in recognition of this outstanding achievement. This recommendation is supported by His Excellency the Governor of Burma.’


The actual Interrogation Report, running to nine pages plus various Appendices with nominal rolls, describes in detail Subedar Tekbahadur Limbu’s remarkable journey over a distance of some 600 miles in three months. The report concludes:

‘C172 [Subedar Tekbahadur Limbu] is the first of this type to escape to come to C.S.D.I.C. and has been interrogated “blind.” His general bearing throughout his interrogation has been straightforward and helpful. For instance, it is known to his interrogator that he is ashamed of having thrown away his arms even of necessity, and that he feels this action may get him into serious trouble. Yet he has not hesitated to state that he did so, and though giving a reason for his action, has not tried to excuse himself.

Up to the crossing of the Salween on 20th May there seems no reason at all to suspect his statements. Thereafter he was moving through, or very close to, enemy territory, but repeated cross-examination has failed to indicate any false aspect of his account. His dates and itinerary are shaky, but it must be remembered that the trek lasted over 3 months under most trying conditions, and his story would therefore be more suspect were his dates and place names anything but approximate. Places he knew he has stated accurately.

The party was certainly helped by the knowledge most of its components had of the people, the language and, in parts, the country. Any Eastern Nepal Gurkha could pass as a Kachin, and the language comes easily to them. Nevertheless these men, by example and persuasion, in spite of illness, lack of food, and climatic and geographical disabilities, failed to succumb to the offer of an apparently easier line of action put forward by a British official, and chose instead an amazing march of 600 miles, or more, to India. C142 and his party should be classified “White”, with the strongest possible recommendation for award, as a tribute, not only to those who survived, but also to those who died on the way.’

After his arrival at Hoshiarpur, Subadar Tekbahadur Limbu went down with fever and dysentery, and after discharge from hospital was sent on leave on 15th September to 31st October 1942. He was a married man and his family, wife and five children, had been in Lashio. He therefore went to look for them, knowing that many Gurkha women and children had trekked out from Burma. He went first to his father-in-law’s home, Dharan, Dhankuta, Nepal. Not finding them there he went to the Gurkha Recruiting Depot, Ghum, Darjeeling, and from Major Chappell obtained a pass to go to Ledo. However, at Tinsukia he met Subadar Budhiman Rai, of the Myitkyina Bn. who told him his wife had passed through on her way to Gauhati. He therefore returned to Gauhati, where in 21st or 22nd October he found his wife in the refugee camp, and from her he learnt that his five children had died on the trek through the Hukawng valley.

The MacGregor Memorial Medal was founded in 1888 as a Memorial to the late Major-General Sir Charles MacGregor, as an award for outstanding military reconnaissance of exploration, in the remote areas of India or on its frontiers, which produced new information of value to the defence of India. Most journeys involved considerable risk. Hazards could include hostile tribes, armed brigands, extremes of climate, harsh terrain, or dangerous animals. It was envisaged that two awards would be made annually; a large silver medal to officers, and a small silver medal to other ranks. If there were no deserving cases in a particular year, no award would be made. For specially valuable work a gold medal of the smaller size could be awarded whenever the Council deemed it desirable.

The MacGregor Memorial Medal is the only exclusively military award, instituted during British rule, which continues to be granted to the Republic of India’s armed forces. The criteria of endeavour for both officers and other ranks to become eligible for the award have been rigorously upheld. In the one hundred years from its founding until 1987, only 114 awards have been made: 7 in gold, 59 large silver medals to officers, and 48 small silver medals to non-commissioned officers and other ranks. Sold with full research.