पहिलो भिक्टोरिया क्रस पाउने नेपाली काे हुन ?- The first Nepalese people who got the Victoria Cross?

पहिलो भिक्टोरिया क्रस पाउने नेपाली कुलबिर थापा हुन । 

Kulbir thapa is the first nepalese people who got Victoria cross.

The First Gurkha Victoria Cross – Rifleman Kulbir Thapa, 3rd Queen Alexandra’s Own Gurkha Rifles, 25th/26th September 1915.

सन् १८८९ डिसेम्बर १५ मा पाल्पा जिल्लामा जन्मिएका थापा १९१५ मा फ्रान्सको लू युद्धमा देखाएको बहादुरीका लागि भिक्टोरिया क्रस (भिसी) प्रदान गरिएको थियो । थापा २६ बर्षको हुँदा १९१५ मा युद्धमा निस्किएका थिए ।आफू समेतघाइते अवस्थामा रहेका उनले मेल्टन माउब्रेका लिसेस्टरशायर रेजिमेन्टका सिपाही २० वर्षीय बिल केइटलीलाई खाड्ल बाट उद्धार गरी स्याहार गरेका थिए । त्यो अवस्थामा उनलाई दुष्मनहरुले जतिबेला पनि आक्रमण गर्न सक्थे । तर उनले आफ्नोप्रवाह नगरी ति घाइते सोल्जरको स्याहार सुसार गरेर बसिरहे ।

उक्त सिपाहीलाई सुरक्षित बनाइसकेपछि उनले अन्य दुई घाइते गोर्खाहरुको उद्धार गर्न गए । दुष्मनहरुको क्षेत्रबाटै जोगिएर उनले ती घाइते सैनिकहरुलाई एक पछि अर्काे गरेर सुरक्षित स्थानमा ल्याएर उपचार गराए । यसरी उनले तीनजनाको जीवन बचाएर बहादुरी देखाए । कुनै पनि बेला दुष्मनको गोलीले हान्न सक्ने सक्ने त्रासलाई उनले प्राथमिक मानेनन् ।उनलाई सकेसम्म सोल्जरहरुको जीवन बचाउनु नै प्राथमिक लाग्यो ।

हल्लाहरुका अनुसार उनी तेस्रो पटक गोर्खा सैनिकलाई बोकेर खाडलबाट बाहिर निस्किएर आफ्नो काँधमा घाइतेसैनिकलाई बोकेर नो–मेन्स ल्याण्ड अर्थात मान्छेलाई जान निषेध गरिएको क्षेत्र पार गर्दै थिए, त्यस अवस्थामा जर्मनसैनिकहरुले उनलाई तालि बजाएर सम्मान गरेका थिए । २५ सेप्टेम्बर देखि ८ अक्टोबर २०१५ सम्म भएको लू युद्धमा उनलेदेखाएको यसप्रकारकारको साहसलाई लिएर सम्मानस्वरुप भिक्टोरिया क्रस प्रदान गरिएको थियो ।

Born on December 15, 1889 in Palpa district, Thapa was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) for his bravery in the French Loo War in 1915.  Thapa went to war in 1915 when he was 26 years old. He rescued and nursed 20-year-old Bill Keightley, a soldier of the Leicestershire Regiment from Melton Mowbray, who was also wounded.  In that situation, enemies could attack him at any time.  But he continued to take care of the wounded soldier.

 After making the soldier safe, he went to rescue two other injured Gurkhas.  After escaping from the enemy's territory, he brought the wounded soldiers one by one to a safe place and treated them.  In this way, he showed bravery by saving the lives of three people.  He did not consider the fear of being hit by the enemy's bullets at any time as primary. He thought that saving the lives of the soldiers as much as possible was primary.

 According to the rumours, he came out of the ditch carrying the Gurkha soldier for the third time and carrying the wounded soldier on his shoulder, he was crossing the no-man's land i.e. the area where people were not allowed to go, in which case the German soldiers applauded him.  He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery during the Loo War from 25 September to 8 October 2015.