Kulbir Thapa
Kulbir Thapa (born December 15, 1889 in Nigalpani , † October 3, 1956 in Nigalpani) was a Nepalese soldier in the First World War . In 1915 he was the first member of a Gurkha unit to be awarded the Victoria Cross .
On September 25, 1915 he was a member of the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles near the French town of Laventie . Although he was wounded himself, he helped a seriously injured soldier of the 2nd Leicestershire Regiment behind the enemy line, even though the Briton asked him to save himself. At dawn on September 26th, Thapa carried the soldier back through the barbed wire obstacles towards his own lines. After temporarily putting him to safety in a shell hole, he went back again to help two other injured Gurkhas. Although it had meanwhile been cleared up and the area was in the fire area of the German soldiers, he managed to rescue the wounded. On November 18th, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his selfless commitment. After recovering from his injuries, he was promoted to sergeant and later served with his regiment in Egypt. After the end of the war he returned to his homeland. The medal he was awarded is now in the Gurkha Museum in Winchester .
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Web links
- Rifleman Kulbir Thapa (English)
- Uncommon valor (Nepali Times, August 2001, English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Thapa, Kulbir |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Nepalese soldier; Bearer of the Victoria Cross |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 15, 1889 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Nigalpani , Nepal |
| DATE OF DEATH | 3rd October 1956 |
| Place of death | Nigalpani , Nepal |