He was approximately 37 years old, and a Subedar in the 1st Battalion, 2nd Gurkha Rifles, in the Indian Army during World War II when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 5/6 April 1943 during the silent attack on Rass-es-Zouai, Tunisia, Subadar Lalbahadur Thapa, taking command of two sections, made his first contact with the enemy at the foot of a pathway winding up a narrow cleft which was thickly studded with enemy posts.

The garrison of the out-posts were all killed by the subadar and his men, by kukri or bayonet and the next machine-gun posts were dealt with similarly.

This officer then continued to fight his way up the bullet-swept approaches to the crest where he and the riflemen with him killed four - the rest fled.

[1] He later achieved the rank of Subedar-Major His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Gurkha Museum in Winchester, Hampshire, England.