William John Vousden

He charged through a larger force and brought his men clear.

William John Vousden was born at Perth on 20 September, the son of an officer of the 51st Fusiliers. He was educated at Dr Hill's establishment and at Canterbury before entering the Army in January 1864 as an ensign in the 35th Regiment of Foot. He became a lieutenant in 1867 and transferred to the 5th Punjab Cavalry, later joining the Bengal Staff Corps. His captain's commission dated from 8 January 1876.

He served through both phases of the Second Afghan War. In January 1879 he accompanied the expedition into the Khost Valley and fought at Matun. Later that year his regiment joined Frederick Roberts's advance toward Kabul. At Karatiga his horse was shot beneath him. He subsequently fought at Charasia and took part in the occupation of Kabul and the cavalry pursuit that followed.

On 14 December 1879, during fighting around Kabul, Vousden was serving with a cavalry squadron escorting artillery. With a very small party he encountered a much larger body of Kohistani fighters. He led his men into their line, although their opponents attempted to surround them.

The Victoria Cross citation published in the London Gazette on 18 October 1881 describes repeated charges through the opposing force, first in one direction and then the other. Vousden and his men finally swept around the far side of the village and rejoined the remainder of their troop. Shadbolt's contemporary history reproduces the citation and records the episode within the regiment's operations, including the subsequent defence of Sherpur (https://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/NHC/AfghanCampaigns1878-1880/AfghanCampaigns1878-1880.htm).

The Afghan campaign also brought him a brevet majority. He received the Victoria Cross on 24 May 1882 from the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, A. R. Thompson. His later career remained closely connected with India's frontier forces. He served in the Miranzai expedition and subsequently with the Tochi Field Force and in the Tirah and frontier operations of 1897–98. These duties combined cavalry command with increasingly senior responsibilities.

Vousden married a daughter of Major-General Drummond in 1891. He became a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1900 and, with temporary or local rank as major-general, assumed command of the Punjab Frontier Force and District in 1901. He retired shortly before his death at Lahore on 12 November 1902. He was buried there and is also commemorated on his parents' grave at Rye in Sussex.