Marking 57 years of Rambahadur Limbu’s VC bravery

In November 1965, at just 26 years old, Lance Corporal Rambahadur Limbu acted with bravery and valour on the battlefield during the Borneo Confrontation. Serving in the 2nd Battalion of the 10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles, Rambahadur rescued two of his men while under intense enemy fire. After securing their safety he returned to the attack to fight valiantly against enemy soldiers.

“I didn’t think I was going to be shot,” Rambahadur said in an interview with The Mirror. “All I cared about was rescuing my friends.”

For his actions that day, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Rambahadur with the Victoria Cross at Buckingham Palace in 1966.

In 1966, at Buckingham Palace, Rambahadur Limbu VC shows his son the Victoria Cross.

Later in his career, Rambahadur reached the rank of Captain and was appointed Member of the Victorian Order (MVO) in 1984 for his service as a Queen’s Gurkha Orderly Officer (QGOO).

Just four years after Rambahadur received the Victoria Cross, The Gurkha Welfare Trust’s founders pledged to help a great number of Gurkha veterans and their dependents who were living in poverty in Nepal. The Trust’s first ever public appeal featured Rambahadur, urging the British public to give generously to the Gurkha veterans who sacrificed so much for our country.

Today Rambahadur is the last living Gurkha VC recipient. He resides in Nepal, where we provide him with medical care via home visits and our world-class health facilities.

A member of our staff visits the home of Rambahadur Limbu VC to carry out a health check.

Rambahadur still strongly supports our work with his fellow veterans and Gurkha communities, and we were honoured to name our second Residential Home in Dharan after him. In 2019, Rambahadur joined residents from our two Residential Homes on a visit to Kathmandu, where he said:

“I feel very happy to be able to meet my brothers and sisters from the Residential Homes here in Kathmandu. I hope we continue to get the opportunity meet again. I have been to the home in Dharan which has been named after me. Everyone there is happy. They are in good health and have high morale. I would like to thank the staff who have taken good care of the residents and helped them live longer.”

Captain Rambahadur Limbu VC celebrates with other GWT pensioners in Kathmandu.

Over the years Rambahadur has made visits to the United Kingdom for special occasions. In November 2014 he arrived in England to attend Remembrance services and visit our head office in Salisbury to hear about the Trust’s latest developments.

Observing the war memorial outside our headquarters, Rambahadur said, “It is important to remember the sacrifice that these soldiers and many others made for us, just as we must remember the soldiers who have returned [to Nepal] and need our help today.”

In 2015, Rambahadur returned to England again to attend the G200 Pageant Celebration, which marked 200 years of Gurkhas serving with the British Army.

A member of our team took this photo of Rambahadur today, to mark the 57th Anniversary of Serikin Day and the award of his VC.

You can read the riveting full story of how Rambahadur earned his Victoria Cross on The Gurkha Museum’s website.