Captain William John VOUSDEN VC
5th Punjab Cavalry

Date of birth: 20th September 1845
Date of death: 12th November 1902

Died aged 57
Buried at Lahore Cemetery
He was born at Perth in Scotland on the 20th of September 1845 the son of Thomas Vousden an infantry officer of the 51st Fusiliers and Catherine (nee Corrigan) Vousden. He was christened at Perth on the 5th of October 1845.

He was educated at Dr Hill's School at Woolwich and at the King's School Canterbury from March 1858 until 1862 when he was expelled after refusing "a debatable punishment".

He then attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst and was commissioned as an Ensign in the 35th Regiment of Foot on the 8th of January 1864. On the 4th of October 1867 he was promoted to Lieutenant and transferred to the Bengal Staff Corps and served with the 5th Punjab Cavalry.

He was promoted to Captain on the 8th of January and served in the Jowaki Alfridi Campaigns of 1877/78 and was present at the engagement at Jummo. He also served in the Afghan War of 1878 to 1880 and at the operations around Kabul in 1879. He was with the Khort Valley expedition seeing action on the 7th of January 1879 at Matun. He took part in the advance by General Roberts and saw action at Karatigi on the 27th of September 1879 (where his horse was shot from under him), at Charasiah on the 6th of October, and at Kabul on the 8th of October 1879.

On the 14th of December 1879 he and a small group of men from his regiment were on the Koh Asmai Heights facing a large number of Kohistani warriors who greatly outnumbered them. He and his men were cut off from the main British force and Captain Vousden led his men in an attack at the centre of the enemy lines and swept backwards and forwards among them until he and his group were able to re-join the main force.

For this action he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

The citation reads:-

"For the exceptional gallantry displayed by him on the 14th December, 1879, on the Koh Asmai Heights, near Kabul, in charging, with a small party, into the centre of the line of the retreating Kohistani force, by whom they were greatly outnumbered, and who did their utmost to close round them. After rapidly charging through and through the enemy, backwards and forwards, several times, they swept off round the opposite side of the village and joined the rest of the Troop".

As recognition of his service in the Afghan War of 1879 to 1880 he was promoted to Brevet Major on the 2nd of March 1881 and to Major on the 8th of January 1884.

In 1897 he served in the campaign on the North West Frontier under Sir William Lockhart with the Tirah Expeditionary Force and was appointed to Base Commandant on the 5th of April 1898,in the lines of communication. He was mentioned in despatches for his service during the campaign.

He was promoted to to Lieutenant Colonel on the 8th of January 1890 and to Colonel on the 29th of August 1893. He was appointed to the Staff in India on the 5th of January 1899.

He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) in the Queen?s birthday honours of the 23rd of May 1900 and he married the same year to Miss Drummond.

On the 1st of April 1901 he was given the temporary rank of Brigadier General while in command of a Second Class District in India and on the 3rd of April 1901 he was promoted to Major General in India while in command of the Punjab Frontier Force. On the 18th of October 1901 he was promoted to Inspector General of Cavalry in India on the Headquarters Staff.

He died of acute dysentery at Lahore on the 12th of November 1902. The inscription on his grave reads:-
"To the glory of God and in memory of General William John Vousden V.C., C.B. late Commandant, 5th Punjab Cavalry, whose brave and honest life in the service of his sovereign and country closed at Lahore on 12th November 1902."

He is remembered on his family grave at Rye in Sussex.
 

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