 oliver cyril spencer watson vc dso (7 september 1876 &ndash; 28 march 1918) was an english soldier who was posthumously awarded the victoria cross during the first world war. == biography == educated at st paul's school, london, and the royal military college, sandhurst, in 1897 watson was commissioned into the green howards and posted to the regiment's 2nd battalion, then serving in india. he took part in the tirah expedition of 1897-1898 on the north west frontier, in which he was severely wounded, and saw action again in the boxer rebellion of 1900. he was promoted lieutenant in 1898 and after being invalided from india in 1903 he retired to the reserve of regular officers in 1904. in 1909 he joined the county of london yeomanry (middlesex, duke of cambridge's hussars). he was promoted lieutenant in 1911, captain in 1913. he served in gallipoli in april 1915 and was promoted to major in july 1915, before returning to the uk. attached to the 2nd/5th kings own yorkshire light infantry in 1916, he went to france as the second-in-command in 1917. he was mentioned in despatches and awarded the dso in may 1917, having been wounded at bullecourt on 3 may 1917. ===victoria cross=== watson was 41 years old, and an acting lieutenant-colonel commanding the 2nd/5th battalion, king's own yorkshire light infantry (now part of the rifles) during the first world war when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the vc. on 28 march 1918 at rossignol wood, north of hebuterne, france, a counter-attack had been made against the enemy position which at first achieved its object, but as they were holding out in two improvised strong-points, lieutenant colonel watson saw that immediate action was necessary and he led his remaining small res
1876_births 1918_deaths British_Army_personnel_of_World_War_I British_Army_personnel_of_the_Boxer_Rebellion British_Army_recipients_of_the_Victoria_Cross British_World_War_I_recipients_of_the_Victoria_Cross British_Yeomanry_officers British_military_personnel_killed_in_World_War_I British_military_personnel_of_the_Tirah_Campaign Companions_of_the_Distinguished_Service_Order Graduates_of_the_Royal_Military_College,_Sandhurst Green_Howards_officers King\'s_Own_Yorkshire_Light_Infantry_officers People_educated_at_St_Paul\'s_School,_London People_from_Westminster