Bhanbhagta Gurung was born in Phalpu, a small hill village in western Nepal in the district of Gorkhain September 1921. He enlisted in the British Indian Army during World War II, joining 3rd Battalion, 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles at the age of eighteen. Promoted to Lance Naik, he served in the Chindit expedition led by Brigadier Orde Wingate into northern Burma in March 1943. He was serving in Number 4 Column, deep behind Japanese lines across the Chindwin, when the column was ambushed by the Japanese 33rd Division and ordered to disperse. His battalion was withdrawn from the line after the expedition for several months of training and refitting, and redeployed in March 1944 in Arakan in the 25th Indian Division, fighting down the Mayu Range towards Akyab. Bhanbhagta was promoted to Naik. Shortly before the action that won him the VC, he was reduced to the ranks for neglect of duty after being blamed for taking the wrong hill, to the ire of the battalion commander. In February 1945, the 25th Indian Division landed at Ru-ywa, as a diversion from the offensive by General Sir William Slim's 14th Army towards Mandalay, and advanced to the Irrawaddy through the An pass, held by the Japanese 54th Division from a number of hills. The Gurkhas held two hills, code-named "Snowdon" and "Snowdon East", but were attacked by the Japanese and pushed back. They were ordered to retake the hills.
Details
Bhanbhagta Gurung was about 24 years old, and a Rifleman in the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Gurkha Rifles, British Indian Army when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC: His regiment gained the battle honour "Tamandu" as a result of the engagement and he received his Victoria Cross from King George VI at Buckingham Palace.
Later life
Soon after the war ended, Gurung's company commander tried to persuade him to continue serving, but he declined as he had a frail widowed mother as well as a young wife and children to take care of in Nepal. When he quit the regiment in January 1946 he had regained his former rank of Naik and had been given the rank of Honorary Havildar. In addition to his VC he was also awarded the Star of Nepal, 3rd Class, in 1945. In 2000 the Gurkha training company block at Catterick was named after him. His three sons also served in the 2nd Gurkhas. Bhanbhagta suffered from asthma for many years and for the last four years of his life was housebound at his youngest son's house at Gorkha. His oldest son Krishna Bahadur Gurung's youngest son is now a captain in the 1RGR army in Brunei with his wife and children. He died on 1 March 2008, aged 86.
