The National Memorial Arboretum
Exploring some of the memorials with South Asian connections at the year-round centre for Remembrance.
© South Asian Heritage Trust | All Rights Reserved
Lachhiman Gurung was born on the 30th of December 1917, in the Dakhani, Tanahu District of Nepal. In 1941, at the age of 24, he enlisted in the 8th Gurkha Rifles, becoming a Rifleman.
In the spring of 1945, Gurung found himself battling with Japanese forces at the village of Taungdaw in Burma.
The citation in the London Gazette of 24th July 1945 describes the battle:
“… on the night of 12th/13thMay,1945, Rifleman Lachhiman Gurung was manning the most forward post of his platoon … at least 200 enemy assaulted his Company position … the enemy hurled innumerable grenades at the position … One grenade fell on the lip of Rifleman Gurung’s trench; he at once grasped it and hurled it back at the enemy … another grenade fell directly inside the trench … this Rifleman … threw it back. A third grenade then fell just in front of the trench. He attempted to throw it back, but it exploded in his hand, blowing off his fingers, shattering his right arm and severely wounding him in the face, body and right leg …Rifleman Gurung, regardless of his wounds, fired and loaded his rifle with his left hand … after being severely wounded Rifleman Gurung … by his magnificent example, so inspired his comrades to resist the enemy to the last … His outstanding gallantry and extreme devotion to duty, in the face of almost overwhelming odds, were the main factors in the defeat of the enemy”.
Gurung was given the Victoria Cross (VC) in Delhi on 19th December 1945, by Field Marshal Lord Wavell and Lord Louis Mountbatten. Moving to the UK in 2008 Gurung passed away on the 12th of December 2010 at the age of 92 and is buried in Chiswick New Cemetery.
Exploring some of the memorials with South Asian connections at the year-round centre for Remembrance.
An aviation enthusiast’s special mission to honour a Second World War agent in occupied France.
The Indian Army Memorial Room stands as a tribute to the rich history and enduring spirit of the Indian soldiers of the British Indian Army.
The story behind the tribute to commemorate the service of Sikh members of the Armed Forces.
The first of the Trust’s projects is the South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM), which first took place in 2020 and runs from the 18th of July to the 17th of August each year.
SAHM seeks to commemorate, mark and celebrate South Asian cultures, histories, and communities.
It seeks to understand the diverse heritage and cultures that continue to link the UK with South Asia.
© South Asian Heritage Trust | All Rights Reserved
