William Vousden
William John Vousden was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.Military career
Vousden was born in Perth, Scotland and trained at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was 34 years old, and a captain in the 5th Punjab Cavalry, Bengal Staff Corps, and British Indian Army during the Second Afghan War when the following deed took place on 14 December 1879 on the Koh Asmai Heights, near Kabul, Afghanistan, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross:
He continued to serve in the 5th Punjab Cavalry, was mentioned in despatches 8 June 1891 and 26 January 1898, promoted to Brevet Colonel in July 1894 and substantive Colonel of the Indian Staff Corps in January 1899.
In April 1901 he took a command in the Punjab Frontier Force with the temporary rank of brigadier-general, and shortly thereafter he was granted the local rank of major general.
He was appointed to act as Inspector General of Cavalry in India from October 1901, in the absence in South Africa of Colonel Edward Locke Elliot, and received the temporary rank of major general while officiating as such. Following the end of the war in South Africa, Elliott returned in late 1902, and Vousden stepped down.
He died of dysentery the following year, at the age of 54.
