Nar Bahadur Ale, MVC

Biography

Lance Havaldar Nar Bahadur Ale was born on 15 July 1954 at Kaitar village in the Dailekh district of Nepal, the son of Shri Bal Bahadur Ale. He joined the Indian Army on 15 July 1972 at the age of 18 and was enrolled into the 3/4 GR battalion of the 4 Gorkha Rifles Regiment, an infantry regiment renowned for its gallant soldiers and a rich history of battle exploits. By 1987 he had completed around 15 years of service, had risen to the rank of Lance Havaldar, and had served across various field areas, developing into a battle-hardened soldier. During September 1987, his unit was deployed on the Siachen Glacier as part of Operation Meghdoot. Following the recapture of Quaid Post at Bilafond La in Operation Rajiv — renamed Bana Post — enemy troops continued to attempt to retake the lost ground. On 23 September 1987 a determined attack was launched against the Indian post at the Bilafond La complex, where Nar Bahadur Ale served as medium machine gun detachment commander. The assault was beaten back largely because of the accurate and effective fire of his weapon. On the night of 24 September 1987, the enemy launched a fresh attack in overwhelming strength, accompanied by heavy artillery shelling and missile fire. His detachment succeeded in blunting the attack, but a direct artillery hit incapacitated both his crew members. Though severely injured and bleeding profusely, he picked up the medium machine gun and fired it from his hip, breaking the assault just 50 yards short of the post and leaving at least 15 enemy soldiers dead. He refused evacuation and was instrumental in repelling two more attacks before succumbing to his injuries. For his conspicuous bravery and supreme sacrifice, Lance Havaldar Nar Bahadur Ale was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.