Gurkha Lance Corporal Gajbahadur Gurung killed in action

British Gurkha, Lance Corporal Gajbahadur Gurung, serving with the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, was killed in Afghanistan on Friday 27th January 2012.

L-Cpl Gurung was on a foot patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand when he was shot and died from the wound. Born in Majthana, Nepal, in October 1985, he joined the Brigade of Gurkhas in December 2004. After he completed training in the UK, he joined 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles and served both in Brunei and Britain.

Known as 'Gaj' to his friends, L-Cpl Gurung served three times in Afghanistan. First in 2006 with 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, and again in 2008. Major Spiro Christopher Marcandonatos, Officer Commanding D (Delhi) Company, 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, said: "I have known Lance Corporal Gurung for nearly three years. An extraordinary individual, he made an impression from the very first time I met him. Bright and well-educated, he was most definitely a 'people person' who abided by all the right values; a true Gurkha at heart, with a Western twist."

He leaves behind his wife Manisha, father Gum Bahadur, mother Lekh Maya, his brother Buddha and sister Junu.

British Gurkha killed in action

A British soldier serving with the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles has been killed in action in Afghanistan.

Lt Col Gordon Mackenzie, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "It is with great sadness that I announce that a soldier from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles was killed during operations with Afghan Police partners to extend security in the Nahr-e Saraj region of Helmand.

"Whilst protecting a checkpoint, his team came under insurgent small arms fire, during which he received a fatal gunshot wound."

The fallen soldier has been named as Rifleman Vijay Rai

UN Gurkha Guard, Dil Prasad Gurung

SECURITY CONTRACTOR
Name:	Dil Prasad Gurung
Age:	40
Nationality:	Nepalese
Employer:	IDG Security (contracted to UN)
Location:	Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan
Date:	2 April 2011
Cause:	Wounds received while defending UN civilian employees against mob attack on UN compound

Dil Prasad Gurung, from Pokhara in Nepal, joined IDG Security in Afghanistan in August, 2010. Before this he had a long and distinguished career in the Indian Army where he served in the 3/3 Gorkha Rifles. Altogether Dil Prasad served in the Indian army for 19 years, achieving the rank of sergeant. He is survived by his wife, Kumari Vija Gurung, as well as two sons and a daughter.

UN Gurkha Guard, Narayan Bahadur Thapa

SECURITY CONTRACTOR
Name:	Narayan Bahadur Thapa Magar
Age:	37
Nationality:	Nepalese
Employer:	IDG Security (contracted to UN)
Location:	Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan
Date:	1 April 2011
Cause:	Killed defending UN civilian employees against mob attack on UN compound

Narayan Bahadur Thapa Magar, from the Rupandehi district of Nepal, joined IDG Security in Afghanistan in September, 2010. Before this, Narayan Bahadur had a long and distinguished career as a professional soldier. He spent 19 years with the 1/5 Gorkha Rifles in the Indian Army. Six months were spent deployed to the UN mission in Sudan. Narayan is survived by his wife Yami Kumari Thapa and two sons.

UN Gurkha Guard, Chhabi Lal Purja Pun

SECURITY CONTRACTOR
Name:	Chhabi Lal Purja Pun
Age:	55
Nationality:	Nepalese
Employer:	IDG Security (contracted to UN)
Location:	Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan
Date:	1 April 2011
Cause:	Killed defending UN civilian employees against mob attack on UN compound

Chhabi Lal Purja Pun, from the Myagdi district of Nepal, worked for IDG security in Afghanistan since 2005. During this time he defended UN compounds in Kabul, Kalat, Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif. Before coming to Afghanistan, Chhabi Lal served with the 3/8 Gorkha Rifles (Indian Army) for 24 years. He achieved the rank of sergeant. Chhabi Lal had significant combat experience. He is survived by his wife, Purni Purja Pun, two sons and a daughter.

UN Gurkha Guard, Min Bahadur Thapa

SECURITY CONTRACTOR
Name:	Min Bahadur Thapa
Age:	53
Nationality:	Nepalese
Employer:	IDG Security (contracted to UN)
Location:	Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan
Date:	1 April 2011
Cause:	Killed defending UN civilian employees against mob attack on UN compound

Min Bahadur Thapa, from the Myagdi district of Nepal, joined the UN security detachment in 2010. Initially he was posted to defend the UNOCA compound in Kabul, but he was later transferred to the UN complex in Mazar-e-Sharif. Before that, he spent 28 years in the Indian Army with 2/4 Gorkha Rifles. After he retired, he spent two and a half years working security on cruise ships. He is survived by his wife, Lekh Maya Thapa, two sons and a daughter.

UN Gurkha Guards named

The four Nepalese Gurkha security guards killed 1st April protecting UN employees in Afghanistan have been named.

1. Min Bahadur Thapa
2. Chhabi Lal Purja Pun
3. Narayan Bahadur Thapa Magar
4. Dil Prasad Gurung (died from his injuries the following day)

Two other Nepalese nationals who were inside the building at the time of the attack are safe.

According to sources, the guards were employed by IDG Security Afghanistan, and contracted to guard the UN office.

Four UN Nepalese Gurkha Guards killed

Updated: Nepalese Gurkha Guards identified

During the deadly attack on United Nations workers on Friday 1st April 2011 in Mazar-i-Sharif, four Nepalese Gurkha contractors employed to guard UN staff were killed.

As hundreds of people rushed the compound where they were staying, the Gurkha guards engaged with defensive fire.

It is understood they killed several demonstrators before being over-run and subsequently killed.

Three UN workers - Joakim Dungel from Sweden, Siri Skare from Norway and Filaret Motco from Romania, died in the attack.

The previous day, but on a different continent, another UN aid worker, Zahra Abidi was killed in Ivory Coast, Africa.

British Gurkha, Suraj Gurung killed in action

Suraj Gurung

Rifleman Suraj Gurung from 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday 2 October 2010.

Rifleman Suraj, serving as part of Combined Force Nahr-e Saraj (South), was killed during a follow-up foot patrol after an attack on his patrol base. He was caught in an explosion when a suicide bomber detonated himself and he was killed in action.

He died at the front of his platoon, leading the way as he had done for the previous six months.

British Gurkha killed in insurgent attack

Sapper Ishwor Gurung from 69 Gurkha Field Squadron, 21 Engineer Regiment, was killed in Afghanistan on Friday 13 August 2010.

On 13 August 2010, whilst constructing a new sangar to increase the protection and security of the soldiers at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Shahzad in south west Helmand province, Sapper Ishwor Gurung's Troop came under insurgent attack and he was caught in insurgent fire. Despite the best efforts of his Troop to save his life, Sapper Ishwor was killed in action.

Gurkha killed at Bahadur

Rifleman Remand Kulung, from G (Tobruk) Company, 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire), attached to the Danish Battle Group, died on Thursday 12 August 2010 of wounds sustained in Afghanistan.

In the early hours of 10 August 2010, a Chinook helicopter was conducting a resupply at Patrol Base Bahadur. Part of the helicopter came into contact with a sangar near to an accommodation area where Rifleman Remand was resting.

The sangar collapsed and Rifleman Remand sustained serious injuries. He was evacuated to Bastion Role 3 hospital before subsequently being moved to the United Kingdom for further treatment.

At 1258hrs on 12 August 2010, Rifleman Remand Kulung died of his injuries in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, with his family present.

Major James Bowman, Gurkha Rifles, killed

Major James Joshua Bowman, 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, was killed along with two colleagues on 13 July 2010.

Major Josh Bowman was 34 years old and from Salisbury. He started his career in the British Army as a rifle platoon commander in B Company 1st Battalion The Light Infantry having commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1999. 

As a rifle platoon commander he deployed to Northern Ireland as part of the Rural Reinforcement Battalion. In Northern Ireland he operated from an isolated patrol base and for his outstanding performance throughout this tour he was awarded a General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland commendation. 

Following rifle platoon command he was posted as an instructor to the 3rd Battalion Infantry Training Centre in Catterick. He then returned to regimental duty in Paderborn, Germany, in the Armoured Infantry role as the Second in Command of D Company 1 Light Infantry. 

He deployed on Op TELIC 3 to Maysaan province, Iraq, before then taking command of the Mortar Platoon. 

It was following his Mortar Platoon appointment that Major Bowman began to broaden his horizons with numerous overseas postings. From August 2005 he completed a year in International Military Advisory Training Team (Freetown) Sierra Leone as the Operations Training Officer / Battalion Operations Advisor. 

In September 2006 he returned to the UK as an SO3 instructor in the Junior Officer Tactics Division to the Land Warfare Centre in Warminster. On completion of his two year appointment he had been selected for promotion to major. 

In August 2009 the Battalion conducted the Unit Move from Brunei to the UK and began the pre-deployment training for the Op HERRICK 12 deployment. 

His Gurkha soldiers developed a natural respect and affection for a leader who balanced the best traditions of a rifle regiment soldier with humanity and hospitality that found him at home in A (Delhi) Company.

Major Bowman had led his company through some of the toughest fighting experienced by the Battlegroup on Op HERRICK 12 thus far. 

He balanced the softer side of population centric counter insurgency with a genuine ability to motivate and lead his company onto the offensive when required. 

Read report of the three Gurkhas killed

Lt. Neal Turkington, Gurkha Rifles, killed

Lieutenant Neal Turkington, 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, was killed along with two colleagues on 13 July 2010.

Lieutenant Neal Turkington was born in Craigavon in Northern Ireland and was soon to celebrate his 27th birthday. 

After graduating from Imperial College London he attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst from 2007. 

He commissioned into 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles in August 2008 and went on to successfully complete the Platoon Commanders' Battle Course in Brecon, South Wales. 

His first appointment at regimental duty took him to the jungles of Brunei where he quickly settled in at the helm of 2 Platoon within A (Delhi) Company.

Having settled in to regimental life in Brunei, Lieutenant Turkington continued his Gurkha education by attending the mandatory three months of language study in Pokhara, Western Nepal. 

A keen adventurer and traveller he found many similarities between the foothills of the Himalaya and the other parts of the world which he travelled to so frequently, notably South America. 

At the end of the language training he conducted a memorable trek through Nepal in support of the Gurkha Welfare Trust and perfected the art of speaking Nepali with an Irish accent.

On returning to Brunei Lieutenant Turkington turned his attention back to a profession that he showed a real zeal for. The demanding jungle of Brunei was the perfect environment for this passionate infanteer. 

He had the highest expectations of himself and his platoon, to whom he dedicated himself wholeheartedly. 

Lieutenant Turkington relished the intellectual challenges of infantry command as much as the physical. 

Ambitious for his platoon, he was constantly challenging accepted practices in order to improve himself and his team, a trait that bore real fruits in the initial three months in Afghanistan.

Lieutenant Turkington was in his element as a junior commander and leader in Afghanistan.

The time and effort that he had dedicated to his soldiers over the previous two years was paying dividends every day in the toughest of environments. 

Read report of the three Gurkhas killed

Gurkha Arjun Pun killed in action

Corporal Arjun Purja Pun, 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, was killed along with two colleagues on 13 July 2010.

Corporal Arjun Purja Pun was 33 years old and was raised and recruited from Khibang village in the Magdi District in Nepal. 

He passed the notoriously gruelling Gurkha selection process and was enlisted into the British Army on 30 January 1995. 

His career was varied and successful and he was a hugely popular soldier wherever he served.

In 1998-99 he was a member of the Gurkha Reinforcement Company attached to B Company, 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. 

Most recently, he was posted to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where he supported the training of future Officers for the British Army and other national forces.

Corporal Arjun was in 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles based in Brunei at the time when they deployed on Op HERRICK 7 as the Reserve Battlegroup as part of Regional Command South based in Kandahar. 

He deployed on Op HERRICK 12 in early June 2010 as a battlefield casualty replacement. 

Read report of the three Gurkhas killed

British Gurkha Rifles lose three men

Major James Joshua Bowman, Lieutenant Neal Turkington and Corporal Arjun Purja Pun from 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles were killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday 13 July 2010.

L-R: Major James Bowman, Lt Neal Turkington, Cpl Arjun Pun

The three soldiers, serving as part of Combined Force Nahr-e Saraj (South), were killed in a suspected premeditated attack by a member of the Afghan National Army.

Secretary of State for Defence, Dr Liam Fox, said:

"The despicable and treacherous act which has taken the lives of these three brave men will not dent the resolve of the colleagues they leave behind.
"The efforts of 1st Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles have directly improved the security situation in the Nahr-e Saraj district; their bold acts have improved the lives of the Afghan people and their mission to partner and train the Afghan National Army is vital to our success.
"I extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the servicemen killed in this atrocious attack, their sacrifice will not be forgotten."

Use following links to read about each man:

Major James Bowman

Lieutenant Neal Turkington

Corporal Arjun Purja Pun