"On the night of 5th-6th April, 1943, during the silent
attack on the Rass-Ez-Zouai feature, Subadar Lalbahadur Thapa was second
in command of D Company. The Commander of No. 16 Platoon was detached
with one Section to secure an isolated feature on the left of the
Company's objective. 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. On the capture of these
hills the whole success of the Corps plan depended. First contact with
the enemy was made at the foot of a pathway winding up a narrow cleft. 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. Into this arena and down its sides numbers of
automatic weapons were trained and mortar fire directed. 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 his men on and fought his way up the
narrow gully straight through the enemy's fire, with little room to maneuver, in the face of intense and sustained machine-gun
concentrations and the liberal use of grenades by the enemy. The next
machine-gun posts were dealt with, Subadar Lalbahadur Thapa personally
killing two men with his kukri and two more with his revolver. This
Gurkha officer continued to fight his way up the narrow bullet-swept
approaches to the crest. 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. This pathway was found to be the only practicable route
up the precipitous ridge, and by securing it the Company was able to
deploy and mop up all enemy opposition on their objective. This
objective was an essential feature covering the further advance of the
Brigade and of 'the Division, as well as the bridgehead over the
anti-tank ditch. There is no doubt that the capture of this objective
was entirely due to this act of unsurpassed bravery by Subadar
Lalbahadur Thapa and his small party in forcing their way up the steep
gully, and up the cliffs of the arena under withering fire."
From Subedar Magar's Victoria Cross citation, awarded on 11 June 1943.
May you be at peace,
Brian
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