William Oxenham
Corporal, 32nd Regiment
- Register No.
- 955 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Corporal all Corporals →
- Unit
- 32nd Regiment (register: 32nd Regiment of Foot) all 32nd Regiment of Foot VCs →
- Date of action
- 30 June 1857 on this day → all of 1857 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Indian Mutiny
- London Gazette
- the 21st November, 1859 on this day → all of 1859 →
- Born
- in July 1824 at Tiverton, Devon
- Died
- the 29th December, 1874 at Exeter, Devon
- Memorial / grave
- not known
Digest of citation
For Distinguished bravery shown by Corporal Oxenham on 30th June 1857 in the saving of the life of Mr Capper of the Bengal Civil Service. Corporal Oxenham worked to extract Mr Capper from the ruins of a verandah which had fallen on him after being brought down by enemy fire. All the time the corporal was exposed to extremely heavy fire
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
OXENHAM, William. (reg No. 955).
Corporal. 32nd Regiment * London Gazetted on the 21st November, 1859.
Born in July 1824 at Tiverton, Devon.
Died on the 29th December, 1874 at Exeter, Devon.
Memorial not known.
Digest of Citation reads: For Distinguished bravery shown by Corporal Oxenham on 30th June 1857 in the saving of the life of Mr Capper of the Bengal Civil Service. Corporal Oxenham worked to extract Mr Capper from the ruins of a verandah which had fallen on him after being brought down by enemy fire. All the time the corporal was exposed to extremely heavy fire.
* Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry.
Additional information:. Mr Capper wrote that he owed his life to Captain Anderson of the 25th Native Infantry, who had shamed the others* into action and that he felt, otherwise, that no effort would have been made to rescue him. He felt sure that Anderson had been exposed to the same heavy fire as Oxenham. The others consisted of Monsieur Geoffroi, a Frenchman; Signor Barsatelli, an Italian; two Englishmen from the Post Office Garrison, Messrs. Lincoln and Chick Anderson was recommended for the Victoria Cross in 1868, but it was never bestowed upon him. Corporal Oxenham's Victoria Cross was sold, along with six others, in November 1910 for £77.
Updated:28.4.03
Additional information
Mr Capper wrote that he owed his life to Captain Anderson of the 25th Native Infantry, who had shamed the others* into action and that he felt, otherwise, that no effort would have been made to rescue him. He felt sure that Anderson had been exposed to the same heavy fire as Oxenham. The others consisted of Monsieur Geoffroi, a Frenchman; Signor Barsatelli, an Italian; two Englishmen from the Post Office Garrison, Messrs. Lincoln and Chick Anderson was recommended for the Victoria Cross in 1868, but it was never bestowed upon him. Corporal Oxenham's Victoria Cross was sold, along with six others, in November 1910 for £77. Updated:28.4.03
* Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: not known
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