The Victoria Cross: the British Army's top medal for bravery

He was praised for his "calm display of courage and complete contempt for danger" in battle in 1944 in the Burmese jungle.

He died in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, at the weekend, aged 81.

When he was 24, Agansing Rai was an acting corporal in the Fifth Royal Gurkha Rifles fighting to keep the Japanese from crossing from Burma into India in 1944.

The fighting was particularly intense because Japan was desperate to punch through to India before the monsoon season began.

Turning point of the campaign

Their failure is regarded as the turning point of the Burmese campaign.

In the midst of the fighting, Rai's company was ordered to recapture two outposts that had been over-run by the Japanese.

As they approached the first, they were pinned down by heavy machine gun and artillery fire, and began taking heavy casualties.

Realising that the gun had to be taken out as quickly as possible, Rai led his men directly across 80 years of ground to the machine gun, and killed three of the four soldiers manning it himself.

Rai and his men then charged a second gun. All but three were killed before they reached halfway, but they managed to knock it out.

Then Rai, with a grenade in one hand and a sub-machinegun in the other, single-handedly attacked and killed four Japanese soldiers firing from a bunker and inflicting heavy casualties on his fellow soldiers.

Magnificent display of initiative, outstanding bravery and gallant leadership

Victoria Cross citation

Rai's Victoria Cross citation said: "Rai's magnificent display of initiative, outstanding bravery and gallant leadership so inspired the rest of the company that, in spite of heavy casualties, the result of this important action was never in doubt."

A spokeswoman for the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association said: "He was a very fine, wise man.

"He was very self-contained and quiet, but he had a wonderful sense of humour and enjoyed life greatly."

Ten Gurkhas won Victoria Crosses during World War II. The Nepalese soldiers have fought for Britain for 200 years and have a fearsome reputation, helped by the 13-inch curved kukri knives that they carry into battle.