Jemadar Badal Thapa IOM

Regimental History Volume I:

‘The Sirmoor Battalion, in Wheeler’s Brigade, was being heavily engaged where Sir Harry Smith, in his official report, states he saw [the brigade] two or three times charging and carrying guns and everything before them, again connecting their line and moving forward to a fresh assault.  He speaks of their coolness and alludes to ‘Wheeler’s irresistible Brigade’.  Here the colours of the the Sirmoor Battalion were almost shot to pieces, the staff of the King’s Colour was cut in half by a cannon ball and was spliced on the field, while a little later the black regimental colour was temporarily captured, the Goorkha officer carrying it being killed.  At once a party of Goorkhas, under Havildar Badal Sing Thapa, sprang forward and with great gallantry cut their way amongst the enemy, recovering the colour but not the staff.  This was replaced by a bamboo cut on the field.  Havildar Badal Thapa was conspicuous in daring in the fight and captured a Sikh standard, for which he obtained the 3rd Class Order of Merit and lived to be still further decorated and promoted for services before Delhi’.

Extract from Charles Reid diary 23 June 1857:

‘I must here mention the conduct of my friend ‘Buddul Tappah’ Jemadar, whom I promoted for his gallant conduct.  I detached him with his company for the purpose of driving out the mutineers who had taken possession of some buildings in the ‘Subzee-mundee’ from which they completely enfiladed the whole of my position.  He found a large body of the enemy in high bricked wall enclosure to which there was but one entrance and the fire kept up was so heavy that he found it impossible to advance through the gateway.  He accordingly divided his company, placing half at the entrance, and with the remaining half he proceeded to the rear of the enclosure; here he substituted the back and shoulders of a Goorkah for a ladder, and in a wonderful short space of time he, with the men he took with him, were on the top of the wall firing down upon the enemy.  The party left at the gate immediately rushed in, and thirty-five of the mutineers were killed on the spot, and great number went away wounded.  This was indeed a gallant and most daring achievement, especially as the company did not muster more than forty men.  This man obtained the third class ‘Order of Merit’ for capturing a standard at ‘Allewal’.  He has now the second class order, and those who first scaled the wall in the novel style above described have the third class.’