Ganju Lama

Subedar Major Gyamtso Shangdarpa, VC MM ADC (22 July 1924 – 1 July 2000) better known as Ganju Lama was born in the Kingdom of Sikkim on 22 July 1924 to Shangdarpa parents of the Bhutia Community. The etymology of the name "Ganju Lama" tells us that during the Chogyal period, sons of the Shangdarpa clan were expected to serve as monks. He enlisted in the British Indian Army in 1942 at the age of seventeen, as a rifleman in the 1st battalion, 7th Gurkha rifles. The Gurkha regiments were in dire need of manpower and would accept anyone who closely resembled a Gurkha. He is the only Bhutia recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Ganju Lama
Birth nameGyamtso Shangderpa
Born22 July 1924
Sangmo, Kingdom of Sikkim
Died1 July 2000 (aged 75)
Gangtok, Sikkim, India
Allegiance British India
 India
Service/branch
Years of service1942–1968
Rank Subedar Major
Unit
Battles/warsWorld War II
Awards

Enlistment

Ganju Lama was born in Sangmo, southern Sikkim, India, on 22 July 1924. He enlisted in the Army in 1942 at the age of seventeen. His parents were both of Sikkimese Bhutia descent and lived in Sikkim, which made him unusual, as he was neither an ethnic Gurkha nor a Nepalese subject.[1] At that time, however, Gurkha regiments were prepared to accept any recruit who closely resembled a Gurkha and lived near the border of Nepal.[1] Ganju Lama's tribe lived in the kingdom of Sikkim. His name was Gyamtso Shangderpa, but a clerk in the recruiting office wrote it down as "Ganju", and the name stuck. After leaving the regimental depot in 1943, he joined the 1st Battalion, 7th Gurkha Rifles, near Imphal.[1]

Victoria Cross

Ganju Lama was nineteen years old, and a rifleman in the 1st Battalion, 7th Gurkha Rifles, in the Indian Army during World War II.

On 12 June 1944, near Ningthoukhong, India, 'B' Company was attempting to stem the enemy's advance when it came under heavy machine-gun and tank machine-gun fire. Ganju Lama, "on his own initiative with great coolness and complete disregard for his own safety", took his PIAT anti-tank weapon and crawled forward. Despite a broken wrist and two other serious wounds to his right leg and left hand he then moved forward, succeeded in bringing the weapon into action within 30 yards of the enemy tanks, knocking out two of them (a third was taken out by an anti-tank gun). He continued forward and used grenades on the tank crews who were trying to escape. Not until he "had killed or wounded them all did he allow himself to be taken back to the Regimental Aid Post" to have his wounds dressed.[2]

A month earlier, during operations on the Tiddim Road, Ganju Lama's regiment had surprised a party of Japanese and killed several of them. He was awarded the Military Medal for his part in that action.[3] This award was announced in the London Gazette after his Victoria Cross, appearing on 3 October 1944, almost a month later.[4]

Later life

After India gained its independence, he joined the Indian 11th Gorkha Rifles, retiring in 1968, to become a farmer in Sikkim. He was appointed honorary ADC to the President of India for life.[5] He died at Gangtok following a battle with cancer on 1 July 2000, aged 75.[6]

His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Gurkha Museum in Winchester, England along with those of other Gurkhas.[7]

A memorial in his memory (Ganju Lama War Museum) has been constructed at Sherathang in East Sikkim district of Sikkim.[8]

See also

Notes
  1. Parker 2005, p. 201.
  2. "No. 36690". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 September 1944. pp. 4157–4158.
  3. Parker 2005, pp. 201–202.
  4. "No. 36730". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 October 1944. p. 4572.
  5. "Ganju Lama, VC - Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. London. 3 July 2000. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  6. "A Tribute to World War II Hero" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 5 July 2000. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  7. The Gurkha Museum
  8. Ojah, Oineetom (6 December 2019). "Finally, a statue & museum to honour Sikkim's war hero Ganju Lama". EastMojo. Retrieved 28 March 2021.

References
  • Parker, John. (2005). The Gurkhas: The Inside Story of the World's Most Feared Soldiers. Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7553-1415-7.
  • Dominick Donald, Noah Price, Edwin King, Tom Bates
  • Ganju Lama, VC, The Times, 3 July 2000. Retrieved on 10 October 2009.
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