A scarce & desirable 'Gurkha Far East Prisoner of War' medal group of 3: Rifleman Gajbahadur Gurung, 2nd Battalion 1st Gurkha Rifles

- The 1939-45 Star (7774. Rfn. Gajbahadur Gurung, 2-1 G.R.)
- The Pacific Star (7774. Rfn. Gajbahadur Gurung, 2-1 G.R.)
- War Medal (7774. Rfn. Gajbahadur Gurung, 2-1 G.R.)

Note: The medals are all officially named impressed issues awarded by the Indian Army

The recipients regimental number is in the sequence issued to new recruits to 1 GR that joined the Indian Army circa 1940

Far East Prisoner of War: Captured at Singapore Colony 15 February 1942, and subsequently interred as a Far East 'Prisoner of War'

The recipient was a Nepalese soldier of Gurkha ethnicity from Western Nepal, whose regimental number is in the range allocated circa 1940, and who served as a 'Rifleman' with the 2nd Battalion 1st Gurkha Rifles of the British Indian Army

Gajbahadur Gurung is listed in a Nominal Roll of 2/1 GR FEPOW's - held by the Gurkha Museum in Winchester, Hampshire, England. The 2/1 GR FEPOW Roll was compiled by a Scottish Officer - Captain Norman 'Peter' George O'Neal of 2/1 GR, following the surrender, who later carried the roll in Siam during the construction of the 'Death Railway' and where he buried it to avoid it being found by the Japanese. Following the surrender of Japanese Forces in August 1945, the jar containing the FEPOW roll was discovered and eventually returned to the British officer, who had compiled it. It was, at the time, the only information available as to the whereabouts of British and Gurkha officers and Gurkha 'Other-Ranks' of 2-1GR following the surrender of the remnants of the battalion at Singapore Colony on 15 February 1942

2nd Battalion 1st King George V's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment) (2-1GR) was one of three Gurkha battalions of 28 Indian Infantry Brigade that took part in the defence and withdrawal from Malaya and the eventual surrender of British Empire & Commonwealth forces, to the Imperial Japanese Army, at Singapore Colony on, 15 February 1942

A scarce & desirable complete medal entitlement to a young Gurkha soldier who served - and fortunately survived - the Malaya campaign 1941-42, and subsequent years of harsh captivity under the Imperial Japanese Army

Condition: VF

Code: 21755