William Odgers
Encyclopedia
William Odgers VC
(14 February 1834 – 20 December 1873) was a British
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.
in the Royal Navy
during the Taranaki Maori War, New Zealand
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 28 March 1860 at Omata
, New Zealand
, Leading Seaman Odgers of HMS Niger
displayed conspicuous gallantry when a party of officers, sailors and marines from the ship stormed Kaipopo Pa during operations against Maori insurgents. His citation read:
A few days later, HMS Niger bombarded two coastal pa at Warea, about 40 kilometres south of New Plymouth, where the defeated Maori force had regrouped, with cannon and rockets.
Controversially this action was labelled a 'fictional triumph' and a myth by New Zealand
revisionist
historian
James Belich
. However military historian Nigel Prickett asserts the action was a catastrophic defeat for southern insurgents who lost their overall chiefs and most of their lesser chiefs at Kaipopo Pa.
This was the first VC won in New Zealand. He later achieved the rank of quartermaster
, and was in the Coast Guard Service. William Odgers was born in Falmouth
, Cornwall
, and died in Saltash
, Cornwall.
His medal is displayed at Sheesh Mahal Museum, Patiala, India
.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(14 February 1834 – 20 December 1873) was a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Details
Odgers was 26 years old, and a leading seamanLeading Seaman
Leading seaman is a junior non-commissioned rank or rate in navies, particularly those of the Commonwealth. When it is used by NATO nations, leading seaman has the rank code of OR-4. It is often equivalent to the army and air force rank of corporal and some navies use corporal rather than...
in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
during the Taranaki Maori War, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 28 March 1860 at Omata
Omata
Omata is a locality in Taranaki, in the western North Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 45 just southwest of New Plymouth.The population was 474 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 27 from 2001....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Leading Seaman Odgers of HMS Niger
HMS Niger (1846)
HMS Niger was a 8-gun screw sloop launched on 18 November 1846 from Woolwich Dockyard. She had been intended as a sailing sloop but her design was lengthened to fit a steam engine, and she was fitted with screw propulsion at Deptford Dockyard in 1847-48 prior to completion...
displayed conspicuous gallantry when a party of officers, sailors and marines from the ship stormed Kaipopo Pa during operations against Maori insurgents. His citation read:
A few days later, HMS Niger bombarded two coastal pa at Warea, about 40 kilometres south of New Plymouth, where the defeated Maori force had regrouped, with cannon and rockets.
Controversially this action was labelled a 'fictional triumph' and a myth by New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
revisionist
Historical revisionism
In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of orthodox views on evidence, motivations, and decision-making processes surrounding a historical event...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
James Belich
James Belich (historian)
James Christopher Belich, ONZM is a New Zealand revisionist historian, known for his work on the New Zealand Wars.Of Croatian descent, he was born in Wellington in 1956, the son of Sir James Belich, who later became Mayor of Wellington. He attended Onslow College.He gained an M.A...
. However military historian Nigel Prickett asserts the action was a catastrophic defeat for southern insurgents who lost their overall chiefs and most of their lesser chiefs at Kaipopo Pa.
This was the first VC won in New Zealand. He later achieved the rank of quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
, and was in the Coast Guard Service. William Odgers was born in Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, and died in Saltash
Saltash
Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a population of 14,964. It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth over the River Tamar. It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall". Saltash means ash tree by...
, Cornwall.
His medal is displayed at Sheesh Mahal Museum, Patiala, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Cornwall)