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

A fine Second World War I.D.S.M. group of five awarded to Rifleman Ganbahadur Gurung, 2-4th P.W.O. Gurkha Rifles, for gallantry during a sustained air attack in the Syrian Desert in 1941

Indian Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (7946 Ganbahadur Gurung, 2-4 G.R.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; War Medal, these last four all impressed (7946 Gan Bahadur Gurung, 4 G.R.) together with rare IV Gurkha cap badge and ‘4G’ shoulder title, good very fine (7) £600-800

I.D.S.M. London Gazette 21 October 1941.

The recommendation states: ‘At Tel Abiad on 9 July 1941, while his platoon was preparing a position on a bare ridge devoid of cover, Rifleman Ganbahadur Gurung was posted as an air sentry by his L.M.G. which was mounted on a tripod in the open. At 1400 hrs five enemy fighters attacked the position. When the attack developed the remainder of the platoon took cover in their slit trenches, but Rfn. Gurung stood by his L.M.G. and was subjected to three dive attacks, once by three fighters and twice by two. On each occasion Rfn. Gurung engaged the enemy with such effect that the fighters were forced to swerve and miss their mark. The bursts fired by Rfn. Gurung definitely hit the enemy hard so that during the final attack, one of the fighters wobbled badly and lost height as it made off. It is thought that this aircraft crashed on the other side of the Turkish frontier. By his staunchness and gallantry under the close and heavy fire of several cannon and machine guns this Rfn. with his comrade 7919 Rfn. Deba certainly beat off a determined fighter attack and gave a most praiseworthy example of coolness and courage.’

The author John Masters was serving as an officer in the 2-4th Gurkhas at this time and witnessed this incident which he described in his book The Road Past Mandalay: ‘

I looked right, and there, standing in an open field, I saw two riflemen of “B” Company. They had been moving their Bren gun, on its anti-aircraft mount, from one site to another when the attack came in. The Moranes were not firing at us now, but at them. Unhurriedly the two Gurkhas set up the tripod. One took the gun, the other stood ready with the reserve magazines. The fighters screamed down on them - crrrrrrrump. The Bren began to fire back. I began to cry with pride. The earth boiled round and behind the two men, both nineteen years old, and they stood there, completely in the open, upright, and always sending that thin stream of fire back at the multi-gun monsters. This was what we were fighting with, and by God, this was what we were fighting for, too - survival, and self respect, a refusal to be terrified by sheer force. The attacks continued for five minutes, and the last plane climbed away very slowly, black smoke pouring from its engine nacelle. Riflemen Deba and Ghanbahadur picked up gun and tripod and marched on to their new position.’

Ganbahadur Gurung was wounded in Italy on 13 October 1944.

Sold with further research.