Gurkha: Beyond the Bravery

2019, 60 minutes

A legendary tale of self-sacrifice, compassion and friendship.

25th September, 1915, British Forces launched a major attack on the German position at Loos, France, hence commencing the Battle of Loos. Kulbir Thapa, a 26 yrs old Rifleman in the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Queen Alexandra’s Own Gurkha Rifles, was in one of the leading companies venturing deep into German lines, and it was the first time he had been under fire and hope of survival evaporated when he was severely wounded. Moments later, out of an 800 man unit, fewer than 50 survived. Casualties on that day were the worst yet suffered in a single day by the British Army, including some 8,500 dead. A survival story behind the enemy line itself is a praise worthy tale of bravery but his story didn’t finish there. What unfolds next is a legendary tale of self-sacrifice, compassion and friendship. The next day, on the 26th of September, for a fleeting moment, amidst a burnt and grime filled no man’s land, he displayed a much greater heroism - humanity. This earned him the first ever Victoria Cross awarded to a Gurkha but most importantly, on the day, it brought both Britains and Germans together, to acknowledge the sheer will power of the Gurkha.

---