Gurkha Hero Receives Bravery Medal From The Queen
Year: 17 September 2010
Year: 17 September 2010
Corporal Dipprasad Pun: 'I thought I was going to die... so I tried to kill as many as I could'
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| Gurkha - Receive Gallantry Award |
A Gurkha soldier who single-handedly defeated more than 30 Taliban fighters has been awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross by the Queen.
Corporal Dipprasad Pun, 31, described how he was spurred on by the belief that he was going to die and so had nothing to lose in taking on the attackers who overran his checkpoint in Afghanistan.
His gallantry award is second only to the Victoria Cross - the highest honour for bravery in the face of the enemy.
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| Dipprasad Pun |
About Dipprasad Pun
दिपप्रसाद पुन is a Nepalese sergeant of the Royal Gurkha Rifles who was decorated with the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for an act of bravery during the War in Afghanistan on the night of 17 September 2010. Pun, then an Acting Sergeant, single-handedly defeated 12 - 30 Taliban insurgents who were storming his control post near Babaji in Helmand province.
Full Bravary Story By Him
Dipprasad Pun was on sentry duty on the evening of September 17 last year when he heard a clinking noise outside the small base. At first he thought it might be a donkey or a cow, but when he went to investigate he found two insurgents digging a trench to lay an improvised explosive device (IED) at the checkpoint's front gate. He realised that he was completely surrounded and that the Taliban were about to launch a well-planned attempt to overrun the compound.
The enemy opened fire from all sides, destroying the sentry position where Acting Sgt Pun had been on duty minutes before.
Defending the base from the roof, the Gurkha remained under continuous attack from rocket-propelled grenades and AK47s for over quarter of an hour.
Most of the militants were about 50ft away from him, but at one point he turned around to see a 'huge' Taliban fighter looming over him.
Acting Sgt Pun picked up his machine gun and fired a long burst at the man until he fell off the roof. When another insurgent tried to climb up to his position, the Gurkha attempted to shoot him with his SA80 rifle.
But it did not work, either because it had jammed or because the magazine was empty.
Acting Sgt Pun first grabbed a sandbag but it had not been tied up and the contents fell to the floor.
Then he seized the metal tripod of his machine gun and threw it at the approaching Taliban militant, shouting in Nepali 'Marchu talai' ('I will kill you') and knocking him down.
Two insurgents were still attacking by the time the heroic Gurkha had used up all his ammunition, but he set off a Claymore mine to repel them.
At this point his company commander, Major Shaun Chandler, arrived at the checkpoint, slapped him on the back and asked if he was OK.
Acting Sgt Pun admitted that he was confused at first about whether the officer was another member of the Taliban. Asked if he might have accidentally fired on his commander, the Gurkha smiled as he said: 'I didn't have any more ammunition.'
Acting Sgt Pun believed at the time that there were more than 30 attackers, although local villagers later told him the figure was more likely to be 12 to 15.
He said he thought the assault would never end and 'nearly collapsed' when it was over.
'As soon as it was confirmed (they were) Taliban, I was really scared,' he recalled.
'But as soon as I opened fire that was gone - before they kill me I have to kill some.
'I thought they were going to kill me after a couple of minutes, definitely.'
He spoke of his pride at receiving the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, which is only one level down from the Victoria Cross.
'I think I am a very lucky guy, a survivor. Now I am getting this award it is very great and I am very happy,' he said.
In total, Acting Sgt Pun fired off 250 general purpose machine gun rounds, 180 SA80 rounds, six phosphorous grenades, six normal grenades, five underslung grenade launcher rounds and one Claymore mine.
The only weapon he did not use was the traditional Kukri knife carried by Gurkhas because he did not have his with him at the time.
Family
Pun originally is from Bima in western Nepal, and lives with his wife Shobha in Ashford. His grandfather, Tul Bahadur Pun was a recipient of the Victoria Cross during World War II and his father and brother all served with the Gurkhas.
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