A Gurkha warrior who won the Victoria Cross for repelling wave after wave of Japanese attacks despite being badly wounded by a grenade blast has died at the age of 93, according to his family.

In his latter years, Lachhiman Gurung was a key part of the campaign fronted by actress Joanna Lumley to win Gurkhas the right to stay in this country, and she paid tribute to the fearless fighter, who was just 4ft 11in tall.

She said: “Although he was small in stature we shall all walk in his huge shadow.”

Born in the Chitwan District of Western Nepal in 1917 Lachhiman followed in the footsteps of his family and joined the British Indian Army in December 1940.

He would normally have been too short, but rules were relaxed because of the desperate need for manpower.

He joined the 4th Battalion of 8th Gurkha Rifles, which in May 1945 was part of the 89th Indian Infantry Brigade 7th Indian Division.

He and his comrades were defending an important jungle track alongside the west bank of the Irrawaddy River near the village of Taungdaw, Burma.

For three days and two nights the withdrawing Japanese attacked with fanatical fury sending in wave after wave of suicidal attacks.

Lachhiman, with two Gurkha comrades, held the most forward post some 100 yards ahead of the rest of the Platoon.

The Rifleman was in a trench with two comrades overnight from May 12 to 13 when at least 200 soldiers attacked their position.

Countless grenades were thrown, and he managed to return two of them, but a third exploded as he tried to snatch it away, blowing off fingers, damaging his right arm and leaving him blind in one eye, as well as with other wounds.