As part of the Gurkha Brigade Association’s Borneo 60 commemorations, a group of Malaya and Borneo veterans—joined by the family of Captain (Retd) Rambahadur Limbu VC, attended the Not Forgotten Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in May 2026.
Eight veterans from across the Brigade, together with Captain Limbu’s daughter‑in‑law and granddaughter, charmed and entertained HRH The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. Mrs Sudha Rai also managed to slip into the group, adding to the good humour of the day.
With Malaya and Borneo veterans a focus of the event, all enjoyed a generous time speaking with The Princess Royal. Major (Retd) Jonathan Aslett MC (The Second Battalion, Second Gurkha Rifles), aged 95 and a veteran of Korea, Malaya and Borneo, shared vivid recollections of his service in the Far East. Ms Preena Limbu, Mrs Indra Limbu and Mrs Sudha Rai were prominent among the families, with Mrs Rai reflecting on her experiences as a Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps.
Other veterans—including Colonels John Croft and David Corsellis (Queen’s Gurkha Engineers), Colonel Andrew Carter and Major Kelvin Kent (Queen’s Gurkha Signals), Mike Channing and John Conlin (6th Gurkha Rifles), and Major David Thomas (2nd Gurkha Rifles)—also exchanged stories, much to The Princess Royal’s amusement.
