A rare 'Borneo operations' D.C.M. group of three awarded to Rifleman (Local Lance-Corporal)...

A rare ‘Borneo operations’ D.C.M. group of three awarded to Rifleman (Local Lance-Corporal) Hindupal Rai, 10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles, for his gallantry near the Sarawak border on 25 March 1966, when he ‘personally silenced five of the enemy during a jungle ambush and dominated the action on the right flank of his Platoon during a fierce engagement at point-blank range’ - the last D.C.M. awarded to a Gurkha Distinguished Conduct Medal, E.II.R., 1st issue (21140375 L/L/Cpl. Hindupal Rai. 10 GR.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, E.II.R. (G.21140375 Rfn Hindupal Rai 1/10 G R); General Service 1962-2007, 2 clasps, Borneo, Malay Peninsula, unofficial retaining rod between clasps (21140375 Rfn. Hindupal Rai. 1/10 GR.) mounted as worn, light contact marks and minor edge bruising, good very fine and better (3) £4,000-£5,000 --- Only 4 D.C.M.s awarded for the Borneo Campaign, this being the last example awarded to the 10th Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles. D.C.M. London Gazette 13 December 1966. The original recommendation states: ‘On 25th March 1966, Lance Corporal Hindupal Rai was commanding a section of 10 Platoon D Company 1st Battalion 10th Princess Mary’s own Gurkha Rifles near the Sarawak border covering a complex of tracks to prevent the withdrawal of an enemy incursion party. Visibility was about three to ten yards. At 1030 hours, approximately 25 regular Indonesian troops approached 10 Platoon’s position, seven of them passing Lance Corporal Hindupal’s post from right to left at a range of three yards. Coolly he allowed them to pass towards Platoon Headquarters and a general purpose machine gun on his left. As the machine gun opened fire Lance Corporal Hindupal and his rifle group engaged three enemy to their front killing two. Within seconds, two more enemy advanced towards Lance Corporal Hindupal’s position firing bursts. He shot them both dead at point blank range. Heavy automatic fire was now directed towards Lance Corporal Hindupal’s section and a fierce fire fight ensued. By shouted fire orders, personal example and by crawling to the various groups of his section Lance Corporal Hindupal was able to prevent the enemy’s approach to the platoon position from along the main track. The order was then given to break off the engagement. He ordered his light machine gun group to move first while he covered them. The sound of this movement attracted further well-directed automatic fire which wounded the light machine gun Number 1. Lance Corporal Hindupal at once engaged the enemy, silencing them temporarily and continued to cover the withdrawal of the light machine gun party. Now ordering the rifle group to withdraw, first one and then a second Rifleman were killed within a few yards of him as they moved to the rear. He again took on the enemy single handed and so ensured the safe withdrawal of the remainder of his men. He was the last man to leave the position and was in the act of changing his magazine when an enemy advanced towards him firing an automatic weapon. Lance Corporal Hindupal shot him dead at two yards’ range. He now withdrew to the Company rendezvous, and reported that since he had been forced to leave two of his dead in the ambush position while extricating the rest of his section, he wanted to go back to get them. In spite of the now confused situation and continued enemy fire aimed at the ambush area, he personally led two sections of his platoon back to his post to recover the bodies. It seemed at the time, and in retrospect still does, that this act called for the greatest courage of all. In the action 13 enemy were killed; D Company lost 4 killed and two wounded. Lance Corporal Hindupal personally killed 5 enemy and dominated the action on the right flank of his platoon. His leadership, control, personal example, coolness and, above all, his courage throughout a fierce engagement at point blank range were outstanding.’ Hindupal Rai was decorated for gallantry by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at an investiture held at Buckingham Palace in March 1967. The event was later detailed in the Reading Evening Post on 7 March 1967: ‘The Queen decorated for gallantry four members of the 10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles for operations in Sarawak. The DSO went to Major Christopher Pike for “great personal courage, leadership and outstanding coolness under fire as a company commander; and the DCM to Lance-Corporal Hindupal Rai for “outstanding gallantry” as sector commander of a platoon. The Military Medal was awarded to Corporal Asmani Rai who showed “inspired leadership” in command of a section of a reconnaissance platoon, and to Lance-Corporal Jagatbahadur Limbu, who showed “complete disregard for his own safety” in his desire to get to grips with the enemy.’ Both Battalions of the Regiment made truly outstanding contributions to the success of the Borneo campaign in the mid-1960s, as did the Brigade of Gurkhas as a whole. In terms of enemy accounted for, gallantry awards won, and sheer professional accomplishment, the Regiment’s record was second to none; just six months earlier, in similar conditions on a jungle hill near Serikin, a fellow Gurkha, Lance Corporal Rambahadur Limbu of the 2nd Battalion, also found himself at the forefront of the action, faced intense machine gun fire concentrated upon him personally and carried out his leadership duties with persistence and bravery. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.