Sher Bahadur Thapa
Riflemen, 1st Battalion. 9th Gurkha Rifles. Indian Army
- Register No.
- 1137 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Riflemen (register: Rifleman) all Riflemans →
- Unit
- 1st Battalion. 9th Gurkha Rifles. Indian Army all 9th Gurkha Rifles VCs →
- Date of action
- 18–19 September 1944 on this day → all of 1944 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War
- London Gazette
- 28th December 1944 on this day → all of 1944 →
- Born
- the 20th November, 1921 and Ghalechap village in the Tannu
- Died
- in action on the 19th September, 1944 at San Marino, Italy
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- at English Cemetery, Alassio, Italy
- Medal held by
- the 9th Gurkha Rifles Headquarters, Varansi,
Digest of citation
On the 18th/19th September 1944, a company of the 9th Gurkha Rifles met fierce opposition from a well situated German position. The section commander and Rifleman Sher Bahadur Thapa made a charge and succeeded in silencing the machine-gun. After his section commander was wounded, the Rifleman, now alone, made his way to the exposed part of a ridge, from here, ignoring the hails of bullets, he managed to silence more machine guns as well as covering a withdrawal and rescuing two wounded men before he was finally killed
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
SHER BAHADUR THAPA. (reg No. 1137)
Riflemen. 1st Battalion. 9th Gurkha Rifles. Indian Army.
London Gazetted on 28th December 1944.
VC Medal's Custodian is the 9th Gurkha Rifles Headquarters, Varansi, India.
Born on the 20th November, 1921 and Ghalechap village in the Tannu District of Nepal.
Killed in action on the 19th September, 1944 at San Marino, Italy.
Memorial on grave at English Cemetery, Alassio, Italy.
Digest of Citation reads: On the 18th/19th September 1944, a company of the 9th Gurkha Rifles met fierce opposition from a well situated German position. The section commander and Rifleman Sher Bahadur Thapa made a charge and succeeded in silencing the machine-gun. After his section commander was wounded, the Rifleman, now alone, made his way to the exposed part of a ridge, from here, ignoring the hails of bullets, he managed to silence more machine guns as well as covering a withdrawal and rescuing two wounded men before he was finally killed .
India.
District of Nepal.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: at English Cemetery, Alassio, Italy
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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