Indeed, well done to all. Perhaps our illustrious :yuk: leaders should now take a look at the following link, it may give them some idea of the bravery and dedication shown by this regiment.

http://www.thekhukurihouse.com/Content/VCHolders.php

Bigwings :ok:

Mr Pun VC, welcome to the UK. I hope you are treated in the manner in which you should be.

Mr Byrne, you are an arse. How on earth could a VC winner, serving in HM Forces at the time not have sufficient ties to the UK? I notice in the photo on the BBC website he is wearing a Golden Jubilee medal. Now I know that these were given to all VC holders, but at the time of their instigation, I seem to recall one of Tone's mob stating that they were a recognition of an individual's loyalty to the Queen. So, he is loyal enough to receive a medal, but not to be let in to the country, where as countless illegal immigrants and scroungers are waved through customs in the name of multiculturalism. Go figure.

Gurka Musem email enquiry sent.

Great result all round. Now to keep the ball rolling!

Just up on ARRSE from Kieran:

This is the official Press Release from Mr Pun VC, which I will send to the Press Association and Reuters after it is posted here:-



PRESS STATEMENT BY VICTORIA CROSS HOLDER TUL BAHADUR PUN VC



WHEN I ARRIVE IN THE UK I WILL NOT LEAVE MY GURKHA COMMRADES BEHIND



2 June 2007, Pokhara, Nepal



First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the British people for granting me the privilege to come and live amongst them in a country which I have fought for and love. I am overjoyed to learn that I have finally been allowed the right to settle and live in the UK. I could not sleep last night, as I was so happy with the news that Great Britain would be allowing me to come and get the medical treatment which is so lacking for many veteran Gurkhas in Nepal.

I would also like to make it clear that this victory would not have been made possible without the overwhelming and generous support of the Great British Public; my brothers and sisters in arms in the British Armed Forces both past and present; the Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen’s Organisation (GAESO); Joanna Lumley; Jay Miller; the British press and media; and my solicitors Howe & Co . I am humbled by the thousands of emails in support of me and the Gurkhas, that continue to flood into the website set up for me: www.vchero.co.uk . I have been moved of the accounts of the very many the telephone calls and letters of support sent by those, who like me, do not have access to computers.

I will never forget the 45,000 Gurkhas killed in battle fighting along side our British friends, nor will I ever forget my British brothers and sisters who have laid-down their lives fighting alongside the Brigade of Gurkhas in numerous theatres of war over the last 200 years. In life it is the greatest honour to be a Gurkha, because it is the greatest honour to serve the British people and our Brigade. When I come to be with the British people, I will do my best to be a credit to Britain and to help the plight of my fellow Victoria Cross winners who live in poverty in Nepal. It is saddening that so many brave men of my Brigade have to rely on charity to get their basic living and health needs.

I do not ask anything of Britain, or its people, save to help me get a little medical care now that I am old. However, I do have one request for your country, a country which I love so much, and that is to ask if your great country can please look at the plight of my veteran Gurkha comrades in arms, and the injustices they continue to face when asking for their rights to come to Britain and the continuing injustice of unequal pensions for those, like me, who have fought for British freedom against the forces of tyranny but happened to have retired from the British Army before 1997.

I never left any of my comrades on the battlefield, British or Gurkha, and I will not abandon my veteran Gurkha comrades now in their hour of need, when I come to live in Great Britain.

From the bottom of my heart, I am deeply touched by the support shown to me by the people of Great Britain, and across the world, and I give you my most solemn thanks.


Sincerely,


Tul Bahadur Pun VC

Pokhara, Nepal

:ok::ok::D:ok:
Thanks for posting that Kokpit. It all brings tears to the eyes. The people that made this happen was you folks! All the mails to MP's and celebs, all the phone calls made to radio stations etc. What has been achieved in such a short time has been nothing short of miraculous. Give yourselves a pat on the back. I will keep you posted on his arrival times etc, in case anyone wants to go and applaud his arrival at Heathrow.
Someone on ARRSE wrote the following, it had me blubbing in a heart beat:{
Well done everyone:D:D

ps, i have some more photos of Mr Pun when he was given the news, let me know if you want them and i will pm them.

Tigs 2 - yes please.

Kokpit - a very moving post which left me feeling humble..... very humble.

Respect to all.
Brian

Tigs - Kokpit's and your posts had the beery tears coursing down the seamed old cheeks. I tried to read them out to Mrs airsound, and completely failed....

Bless the old man.

As far as the pictures are concerned - to save you having to pm them to everyone, can you not just post them here? I'm sure we'd all love to see them.

feeling deeply moved, and overjoyed for a fantastic outcome

airsound

Airsound
we have been asked not to put the photos on a public forum until 0900 on Monday as one of the papers wants them. I am happy to pm them.

Fair enough Tigs - if you can spare the time, please go ahead.....

Don't suppose you can say which paper?

airsound

Think its the Mirror or the Mail. I have pm'd you.

Tigs
Would you also PM them to me please when you have a moment.

Thanks

Bigwings :ok:

Me too plz Tigs if possible.

Cheers.

If poss I'd like to get a decco at the pics Tigs.
What might our next "Team" operation be?

^^Automatic and retrospective citizenship for every Nepalese man or woman who has ever earned the right to wear the uniform of a Gurkha soldier.

If it worked for Mr Pun VC, we owe it to the thousands of other brave Gurkhas out there, to fight just as hard on their behalf, and to ensure that Mr Pun's story encourages a change in policy.

Photo's please Tigs.

A good article in the Telegraph "We refused this war hero a home":

"The nameless, faceless Foreign Office pen-pusher at the British Embassy in Kathmandu saw only a dusty, frail, elderly peasant making an outrageous request of Her Majesty's Government.

Could he come to live in Britain with his wife and youngest son so that he could benefit from the National Health Service? It took around two weeks for the embassy's response to make its way up the precipitous mountainside to the tiny shack where the old man lives. It arrived with the heavy thump of a big red rubber stamp. Request Denied......." :ok:

Bl00dy marvelous news,

It just goes to show that 'public power' does have some clout still in this nation.

Welcome Mr Pun VC Sir! You are most welcome.

TSM

To save lots of pm's, please would you post the pics on this forum on Monday.
Thanks,
H-D ;)

I must say that I am appalled that the Gurkha Museum in Winchester has not come forward in anything I have read.

The Telegraph yesterday asserted that WO Pun's VC was "taken from him under controversial circumstances" and that it belongs to him and no-one else. What rights do they have to it? Do they have a Bill of Sale or a written agreement from WO Pun?

The point is that it is worth anything over £500,000, and I suspect that Lord Ashcroft would be more than happy to purchase it to go with the 150 VC's he now has in his collection. That is a huge amount of money and WO Pun could live very comfortably here with cash in the bank.

I did write to the curator of the museum, as did many others, but I have not had a reply.

Perhaps WO Pun's solicitors might care to inspect the legality of the museum's hold on his VC.

Now! I wonder how quickly WO Pun will be here?

I imagine airlines or the RAF would be only too happy to arrange it so I hope the HO will act VERY soon.

As with the above post, I to have emailed the Gurka Museum with no response unfortunatly.

Keep the support going, we achieved something the first time, lets keep it rolling.