Forgot your password?
Gurkha Who Repelled Taliban Attack Gets Bravery Medal
BBC NEWS, UK
March 24, 2011 A Gurkha who single-handedly fought off an attack by at least a dozen Taliban insurgents has been awarded Britain's second highest medal for bravery.
Acting Sergeant Dip Prasad Pun used up all of his ammunition and resorted to using his machine gun tripod to repel the attack in Afghanistan in September. The Gurkha, 31, of Ashford, Kent, said he was a "lucky guy" and very proud to get the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.
Acting Sgt Pun was on sentry duty at a checkpoint near Babaji, in Afghanistan's Helmand province, on September 17 last year when he spotted insurgents trying to plant a bomb beside the front gate. Moments later, militants opened fire on the compound from all sides.
For more than a quarter of an hour, alone on the roof, Acting Sgt Pun fought off an onslaught from rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47s. In total, he fired more than 400 rounds, launched 17 grenades and detonated a mine.
At one point, when an insurgent tried to climb up to his position, his rifle failed and he resorted to throwing his machine gun tripod to knock him down.
Acting Sgt Pun, who is originally from the Nepalese village of Bima, believed at the time that there were more than 30 attackers.
Local villagers later told him the figure was more likely to have been 12 to 15. Recalling the incident, he said: "As soon as it was confirmed [they were] Taliban, I was really scared.
"But as soon as I opened fire that was gone - [I thought] 'Before they kill me I have to kill some.' "I thought they were going to kill me after a couple of minutes, definitely." "I think I am a very lucky guy, a survivor," he added. "Now I am getting this award, it is very great and I am very happy."
The citation on his medal - which is only one level below the Victoria Cross - states that he saved the lives of three comrades who were inside the checkpoint at the time.
A total of 136 UK servicemen and women are being honored, four posthumously.
