( A sequel to ‘Summer-Moonshine’)

Main article on the raid is at Blooding of the Phor Thud GR

Lt. Col. A.K. ‘Sam’ Sharma (May 2003)

By the time we returned to our FDL’s,
the sun, simmering through the pine, had
irrevocably broken the deathly dawn;
this time in new light;
now without doubt showing signs
of the lightening visitation by the Fifth Horseman,
the night before.

However,
the deathly silence was frequently
pierced by the swish of the high-decibel bullets of the enemy
Brownings, and the crumps of our three inch mortars,
in the clumps
of the rhododendron; fern
thicket and thorn
———- hope he makes it back ————————
through all this ——————–
safely….. somehow.
during this transparently
hostile day
in May

Through the field glasses
i search the Western Re-entrant,
and all the spurs descending on post,
and by and by,
I spy,
the extirpation——————-
also, the Turkey buzzard, the crow and the vulture feast
on dead razaakars, Rangers
and carcasses of buffaloes
and other assorted beast.

————— days later.
the UN MOGIP slaps a formal cease- fire violation;
officially confirm the carnage.

that day in May,
the surviving sons-of-bitches
had been partying the carrion-scavengers
on slivers of
ole Kharke,
hacked by them with his very own khukuri;
bit by very bit
whilst he was kicking still.

Forty five years later ; the Battalion has established a trophy to commemorate the Penga raid action. This is indeed a lasting memorial to this valiant action.


Lt. Col A.K. ‘Sam’ Sharma

Sam Sharma is 4/3 Gorkha Officers, who was the original Bronco. This poem, as well as Buzzard Feast are based on exploits of the broncos in the 1965 war with Pakistan; actually a raid on a Pakistani post, on the Line of Control. He is a regular visitor to the site and a great supporter.