Intrepid Gurkha gets top bravery medal from Queen
June 2nd, 2011 - 10:13 pm ICT by IANS
London, June 2 (IANS) A Gurkha, who fought off 30 Taliban on his own to thwart an assault on his checkpoint in Afghanistan even when his ammunition ran out, has been conferred the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross by the Queen.
The gallantry award is second only to the Victoria Cross - the highest honour for bravery in the face of the enemy.
Corporal Dipprasad Pun, 31, was on sentry duty when he came under attack at Helmand checkpoint, in southern Afghanistan, last September.
Impelled by the belief he would die at their hands, Pun fired over 400 rounds, launched 17 grenades and detonated a mine to prevent the insurgents, The Sun reported Thursday.
Even when that was exhausted, the Gurkha used his machine gun’s tripod to beat a militant.
Cpl Pun held off the enemy for 15 minutes until back-up arrived. He saved three comrades with his action.
He said: “I thought I was definitely going to die so I thought I’d kill as many of them as I could first.”
Cpl Pun, of the 1st Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles, received the medal at Buckingham Palace.
The soldier of Ashford town in Kent said: “This will be a great memory.”
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