Jangia Thapa was one of Lord Roberts’s orderlies during the Second Afghan War of 1878–80. The Jemadar was nicknamed “Bullets” because regimental tradition held that he had once been struck on the forehead by a bullet which had been completely flattened without causing him the least discomfort.
He was admitted to the Order of British India, 2nd Class, in April 1897 and was selected as one of the representatives for India at the inauguration of the Australian Commonwealth in January 1901. The portrait of him was painted by Frederick Swynnerton in 1890.
His medals include the much‑prized Kabul to Kandahar bronze Star, awarded to those soldiers who took part in Lord Roberts’s famous forced march of more than 310 miles in August 1880. The other medals are for the Second Afghan War, with four clasps visible, and the India Medal with two clasps.
