Tears for officer who saved Gurkha's life

Hariprasad Gurung and John Masters meet for the first time for 40 years. Photo / Simon Baker

Military men aren't supposed to cry. But when two old soldiers embraced at Christchurch's Papanui RSA last week, even the staunchest onlooker had a lump in his throat.

If not for an amazing feat of courage by one of the pair almost 45 years ago, the other would not be alive for this emotional reunion to have taken place.

On September 2, 1965, when Gurkha soldier Hariprasad Gurung fell wounded on the battlefields of Borneo, the only thing standing between him and death at the hands of the advancing Indonesian forces was an army officer from Christchurch.

John Masters, now 75 and stricken with terminal cancer, could have run for his own life, but he refused to let his comrade die.

Under threat of being gunned down himself, he got Mr Gurung to his feet and helped support his weight as they struggled together to get to safety in the thick jungle that lay ahead.

The pair had to survive a harrowing night alone before Mr Masters could go for help the next day and return with a rescue party.

Mr Masters, whose feat of courage earned him the Military Cross, told the Herald he had given up hope of seeing Mr Gurung again after 40 years apart, until fellow war veterans and Maori Television got together to fly him from Nepal to Christchurch.

"I didn't know how I would feel to see him again," he said.

"I thought about it over the past days and I thought, 'I will just wait until I see him and something will happen'. And when he came in [to the RSA] ... I was overcome, because he looked so wonderful and so well."

Though the ravages of time had taken a toll on both, Mr Masters immediately recognised the man whose life he saved. "He was always a very good-looking man. He still looks very handsome to me."

Speaking through an interpreter, Mr Gurung, 76, said he felt shock and surprise to see his saviour again after so many years and he wanted to cry.

The translator said: "The first time he saw [Mr Masters] he felt tears were coming from his eyes, even though it wasn't seen publicly.

"He still remembers the time when the colonel saved him.

"If it had not been for him, he would died there and then."

Mr Masters said he had always thought Mr Gurung was hit by five bullets in the legs "and he tells me it was three".

"My memories of that day are quite clear, but probably quite different to Hariprasad's, because in a battle situation, every man sees something different and has a different outlook on what is happening."

Mr Gurung had also never imagined he would meet Mr Masters again, his interpreter said.

"And he will go back [home] with fond memories."

* Maori Television will screen the full story of John Masters and Hariprasad Gurung during its Anzac Day coverage on April 25.