William Olpherts

Having passed as interpreter in the native languages, Olpherts was given the command of the 16th Bengal Light Field Battery, and joined Sir Hugh Gough's expedition against Gwalior. Olpherts's battery was posted on the wing of the army commanded by General Grey, Lieutenant (Sir) Henry Tombs, V.C., being his subaltern. He was heavily engaged at Punniar on 29 December 1843, and was mentioned in despatches.

For his services in the Gwalior campaign Olpherts received the bronze decoration. Being specially selected by the governor-general,

For highly distinguished conduct on the 25th of September, 1857 when the troops penetrated into the city of Lucknow, in having charged on horseback, with Her Majesty's 90th Regiment, when gallantly headed by Colonel Campbell, it captured two guns in the face of a heavy fire of grape, and having afterwards returned, under a severe fire of musketry, to bring up limbers and horses to carry off the captured ordnance, which he accomplished, (Extract from Field Force Orders of the late Major-General Havelock, dated 17 October 1857.)[1]

Later acts

Olpherts almost surpassed this piece of bravery by another two days later. When the main body of Havelock's force penetrated to the Residency, the rearguard consisting of the 90th with some guns and ammunition was entirely cut off. However, Olpherts, with Colonel Robert (afterwards Lord) Napier, sallied out with a small party, and by his cool determination brought in the wounded of the rearguard as well as the guns.

Sir James Outram, then in command of the Residency at Lucknow, wrote: »My dear heroic Olpherts, bravery is a poor and insufficient epithet to apply to a valour such as yours.« Colonel Napier wrote in his despatch to the same effect.

From the entry into Lucknow of Havelock's force until the relief by Sir Colin Campbell on 21 November Olpherts acted as brigadier of artillery, and after the evacuation of the Residency by Sir Colin Campbell he shared in the defence of the advanced position at the

In 1859–60 Olpherts served as a volunteer under Brigadier (Sir) Neville Chamberlain in an expedition against the Waziris on the north-west frontier of the Punjab, thus completing twenty years of continuous active service. Olpherts's dash and daring earned for him the sobriquet of "Hell-fire Jack", but he modestly gave all the credit for any action of his to the men under him. From 1861 to 1868 he commanded the artillery in the frontier stations of Peshawur or Rawal Pindi, and in that year he returned home on furlough, when he was presented with a sword of honour by the city and county of Armagh. Returning to India in 1872, he commanded successively the Gwalior, Ambala, and Lucknow brigades, but quit the country in 1875 on attaining the rank of major-general. He was promoted lieutenant-general on 1 October 1877, general on 31 March 1883, and in 1888 became colonel commandant of the Royal Artillery. Olpherts was raised to the dignity of K.C.B. in 1886 and of G.C.B. in the 1900 Birthday Honours.^[2]

Retirement

He died at his residence, Wood House, Upper Norwood, on 30 April 1902, and was buried at Richmond Cemetery, Surrey (now in London).^[3] Olpherts married in 1861 Alice, daughter of Major-general George Cautley of the Bengal cavalry, by whom he had one son, Major Olpherts, late of the Royal Scots, and three daughters.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Army Museum (Chelsea, England).

Notes