Oxfordshire museum to unveil new display commemorating county’s military and civilian heroes

The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock will unveil a new display to celebrate 31 local men who were awarded prestigious military honours before the institution opened.
By Jack Ingham
Published 4th Oct 2023, 11:03 BST
Updated 4th Oct 2023, 11:03 BST
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The Woodstock museum will celebrate the 31 men who have been awarded the Victoria Cross, the George Cross, or the Edward and Albert medals at the display, which opens on Sunday, October 22.

All those recognised in the museum’s exhibition are individuals who have close links to Oxfordshire, with many born in the county or residents for much of their lives.

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Others served in one of the county regiments or in one of the permanently-based Royal Air Force stations, such as Bicester or the Explosive Ordnance Disposal regiment that was based in Didcot.

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James Langley Dalton, the assistant commissary in Lord Chelmsford’s force during the Zulu War, was one of the 11 men honoured with the award of the Victoria Cross following the January 1879 action at Rorke’s Drift.James Langley Dalton, the assistant commissary in Lord Chelmsford’s force during the Zulu War, was one of the 11 men honoured with the award of the Victoria Cross following the January 1879 action at Rorke’s Drift.
James Langley Dalton, the assistant commissary in Lord Chelmsford’s force during the Zulu War, was one of the 11 men honoured with the award of the Victoria Cross following the January 1879 action at Rorke’s Drift.

This new exhibit board at the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum tells the stories of those men whose valour on the battlefield and gallantry in action were formally recognised by their awards.

Included in the exhibition are the stories of 10 Oxfordshire men who were awarded the most prestigious decoration of the Victoria Cross prior to 1914, in campaigns ranging from the Crimean War to the Boer War.

Among the 10 Victoria Cross awardees is James Langley Dalton, the assistant commissary in Lord Chelmsford’s force during the Zulu War and one of the 11 men who were honoured with the award following the January 1879 action at Rorke’s Drift. Today, he gives his name to Dalton Barracks in Abingdon.

For more information on the exhibition or the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum, visit https://www.sofo.org.uk/

Related topics:Oxfordshire