23 June 1944, a battalion of the 6th Gurkha Rifles are assaulting the railway bridge at Mogaung, Burma, when almost immediately the lead section is opened up on and decimated by Japanese machine gun fire, leaving only 21 year Tul Bahadur Pun, who takes charge of the Bren gun and continues the charge.
With all the fire now concentrated at this lone Gurkha, Tul miraculously manages to cross over 30 yards of ankle deep mud, fallen trees and shell holes whilst firing his gun from the hip. Upon reaching the enemy position Tul killed three of the occupants and made a further five of the defenders flee. He then provided accurate fire to the remainder of his Platoon who succesfully took their objective.
This at least was the official account.
In interviews given later on in life it would transpire that Tul actually killed 4 with his gun, 3 with his Kukri and incinerated a further 30 Japanese troops in a dugout with a flamethrower he aquired later on in the day.
Whatever the numbers, for his actions that day 21 year old private Tul Bahadur Pun was awarded the Victoria Cross, with the official citation owing it to "outstanding courage and superb gallantry in the face of odds which meant almost certain death."
