William Vousden

Major General William John Vousden VC CB (20 September 1848 – 12 November 1902) 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: "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."

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 Inspector General of Cavalry in India in October 1901, with the temporary rank of Major General while officiating as such, and died of dysentery the following year, at the age of 54.