The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. It takes precedence over all other postnominals and medals. It may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and civilians under military command, and is presented to the recipient by the British monarch during an investiture held at Buckingham Palace. It is the joint highest award for bravery in the United Kingdom.
The VC was introduced in 1856 by Queen Victoria to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War. Only 14 medals have been awarded since the end of the Second World War. And 6 of these VCs were awareded to brave Magars that we outline below, extracted from the London of 28 December 1944 :
Rifleman Kulbir Thapa,
3rd Gurkha Rifles, France
25/26th September 1915
 "For most conspicuous bravery during operations against the German trenches, south of Mauquissart. When himself wounded, on the 25th September 1915, he found a badly wounded soldier of the 2nd Leicestershire Regiment behind the first line German trench, and, though urged by the British soldier to save himself, he remained with him all day and night. In the early morning of 26th September, in misty weather, he brought him out through the German wire, and, leaving him in a place of comparative safety, returned and brought in two wounded Gurkhas one after the other. He then went back in broad daylight for the British soldier and brought him in also, carrying him most of the way and being at most points under enemy's fire".
London Gazette 18 November 1915
Rifleman Karan Bahadur Rana
3rd Gurkha Rifles, Palestine
10th April 1918
 "For most conspicuous bravery, resource in action under adverse conditions, and utter contempt for danger.
During an attack he, with a few other men, succeeded under intense fire in creeping forward with a Lewis gun in order to engage an anemy machine gun which had caused severe casualties to officers and other ranks who had attempted to put it out of action.
No 1 of the Lewis gun opened fire, and was shot immediately. Without a moment's hesitation Rifleman Karanbahadur Rana pushed the dead man off the gun, and in spite of bombs thrown at him and heavy fire from both flanks, he opened fire and knocked out the machine-gun crew; then, switching his fire on to the enemy bombers and riflemen in front of him, he silenced their fire. He kept his gun in action and showed the greatest coolness in removing defects which on two occasions prevented the gun from firing. During the remainder of the day he did magnificent work, and when a withdrawal was ordered he assisted with covering fire until the enemy were close on him. He displayed throughout a very high standard of valour and devotion to duty".
London Gazette 21 June 1918
Subadar Lal Bahadur Thapa,
2nd Gurkha Rifles, Tunisia
5/6th April 1943
 "...Subadar Lalbahadur Thapa took command of the remaining two Sections and led them forward towards the main feature on the outer ridge, in order to break through and secure the one and only passage by which the vital commanding feature could be seized to cover the penetration of the Division into the hills...This steep cleft was thickly studded with a series of enemy posts, the inner of which contained an anti-tank gun and the remainder medium machine-guns. After passing through the narrow cleft, one emerges into a small arena with very steep sides, some 200 feet in height, and in places sheer cliff...
The garrison of the outer posts were all killed by Subadar Lalbahadur Thapa and his men by kukri or bayonet in the first rush and the enemy then opened very heavy fire straight down the narrow enclosed pathway and steep arena sides. Subadar Lalbahadur Thapa led him men on and fought his way up the narrow gully straight through the enemy's fire... The next machine-gun posts were dealt with, Subadar Lalbahadur Thapa personally killing two men with his kukri and two more with his revolver... He and two Riflemen managed to reach the crest, where Subadar Lalbahadur Thapa killed another two men with his kukri, the Riflemen killed two more and the rest fled. Subadar Lalbahadur Thapa then secured the whole feature and covered his Company's advance up the defile.
...The outstanding leadership, gallantry and complete disregard for his own safety shown by Subadar Lalbahadur Thapa were an example to the whole Company, and the ruthless determination of this Gurkha officer to reach his objective and kill his enemy had a decisive effect on the success of the whole operations".
Extracts from London Gazette 15 June 1943
Rifleman Tulbahadur Pun,
6th Gurkha Rifles, Burma
23rd June 1944
 "...a Battalion of the 6th Gurkha Rifles was ordered to attack the Railway Bridge at Moguang ...the enemy opened concentrated and sustained cross fire at close range from a position known as the Red House and from a strong bunker position two hundred yards to the left of it...both the leading platoons of "B" Company, one of which was Rifleman Tulbahadur Pun's, were pinned to the ground and the whole of his Section was wiped out with the exception of himself, the Section Commander and one other man. The Section Commander immediately led the remaining two men in a charge on the Red House but was at once badly wounded. Rifleman Tulbahadur Pun and his remaining companion continued the charge, but the latter too was immeditely badly wounded.
Rifleman Tulbahadur Pun then seized the Bren Gun, and firing from the hip as he went, continued the charge on this heavily bunkered position alone, in the face of the most shattering concentration of automatic fire, directed straight at him. With the dawn coming up behind him, he presented a perfect target to the Japanese. He had to move for thirty yards over open ground, ankle deep in mud, through shell holes and over fallen trees. Despite these overwhelming odds, he reached the Red House and closed with the Japanese occupants. He killed three and put five more to flight and captured two light machine guns and much ammunition. He then gave accurate supporting fire from the bunker to the remainder of his platoon which enabled them to reach their objective.
His outstanding courage and superb gallantry... were most inspiring to all ranks and were beyond praise".
Extracts from London Gazette 9 November 1944
Subadar Netrabahadur Thapa,
5th Gurkha Rifles, Burma
25/26th June 1944
 "Subadar Netrabahadur Thapa was in command of... the isolated piquet known as Mortar Bluff... Owing to its commanding position the retention of Mortar Bluff was vital to the safety of other positions farther down the ridge and to Bishenpur itself.
...the enemy began to attack. For this purpose a 75 millimetre and a 37 millimetre gun... poured shell after shell at point blank range for ten minutes into the narrow confines of the piquet, and this was followed by a determined attack by not less than one company of Japanese. A fierce fight ensued in which Subadar Netrabahadur Thapa's men, exhorted by their leader, held their ground against heavy odds and drove the enemy back with disproportionate losses...
...Still in considerable strength and as determined and ferocious as ever the enemy poured out from the jungle...to the piquet defences... ...both the L.M.G. and T.M.G. of one section jammed... and the enemy... over-ran this and another section, killing or wounding 12 out of the 16 men... Subadar Netrabahadur Thapa himself...stemmed any further advance with greandes.
...at 0400 hours a section of 8 men with greandes and small arms ammunition arrived. Their arrival inevitably drew fire and all the 8 were soon casualties...Subadar Netrabahadur Thapa retrieved the ammunition and... took the offensive... Whilst so doing he received a bullet wound in the mouth followed shortly afterwards by a grenade which killed him outright. His body was found next day, kukri in hand and a dead Japanese with a cleft skull by his side.
...His find example of personal bravery and his high sense of duty so inspired his men that a vital position was held to the limit of human endurance..."
Extracts from London Gazette 12 October 1944
Rifleman Sher Bahadur Thapa
9th Gukha Rifles, Italy
18/19th September 1944
 "...Rifleman Sherbahadur Thapa was a number one Bren gunner in a rifle Company which... came under heavy enemy observed small arms and mortar fire. He and his section commander charged an enemy post, killing the machine gunner and putting the rest of the post to flight. Almost immediately another party of Germans attacked the two men and the section commander was badly wounded by a grenade, but, without hesitation, the Rifleman, in spite of intense fire, rushed at the attackers and reaching the crest of the ridge brought his Bren gun into action against the main body of the enemy who were counter-attacking out troops.
...By the intensity and accuracy of the fire which he could bring to bear only from the crest, this isolated Gurkha Bren gunner silenced several enemy machine guns and checked a number of Germans who were trying to infiltrate on to the ridge.
At the end of two hours both forward Companies had exhausted their ammunition and, as they were by then practically surrounded, they were ordered to withdraw. Rifleman Sherbahadur Thapa covered their withdrawal as they crossed the open ground to positions in the rear and himself remained alone at his post until his ammunition ran out. He then dashed forward under accurate small arms and mortar fire and rescued two wounded men, who were lying between him and the advancing Germans.
While returning the second time he paid the price of his heroism and fell riddled by machine gun bullets fired at point blank range.
The great bravery of this Gurkha soldier was instrumental in saving the lives of many of his companions and his outstanding devotion to duty contributed largely to the severe reverse which the enemy eventually suffered when our troops counter-attacked...".
Extracts from London Gazette 28 December 1944
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