General Sir John Ormsby Vandeleur GCB

John Ormsby Vandeleur was born in 1763. He first came to notice for his exploits as a cavalry commander in the Second Maratha War in India where he took 2,000 prisoners at the battle of Laswari in Nov 1803. Also at Fathghar he defeated Holkar, and again at Afzalghar where he recaptured artillery. In the Peninsula War he commanded an infantry brigade and led Craufurd's division at Ciudad Rodrigo. He later commanded cavalry under Sir Thomas Graham at the Nive and led the cavalry division from Bordeaux to Calais. At Waterloo he commanded the 4th Cavalry Brigade consisting of the 11th, 12th, and 16th light dragoons. When Lord Uxbridge was badly wounded he took over command of the whole cavalry.
1781 Commissioned into 5th Foot, Dec
1783 Lieutenant in 67th Foot. West Indies
1788 Exchanged to 9th Foot
1792 Captain, 9 Mar
1792 Exchanged to 8th Light Dragoons, Oct
1793 Major, 4 May
1794 Served in Flanders
1795 Remained in Flanders until Dec
1796 Cape of Good Hope
1798 Lieut-Colonel in 8th Light Dragoons
1802 India with his regiment
1803 Second Maratha War, commanded a brigade
1804 Cavalry affair at Fathghar, Nov
1805 Cavalry charge at Afzalghar, 2 Mar
1807 Exchanged to 19th Light Dragoons, 16 Apr
1808 Brevet Colonel, 25 April
1811 Major-General, 4 June. Command of infantry brigade
1812 Severely wounded at Ciudad Rodrigo, 19 Jan
1812 Salamanca, 22 June
1813 Captured 300 French prisoners, June
1813 Vittoria, 21 June
1815 Made KCB, 3 Jan
1815 Commanded 4th Cavalry Brigade at Waterloo
1821 Lieutenant-General, 19 July
1823 Colonel of 14th Light Dragoons, 28 Oct
1829 Married Miss Glesse and had 2 children.
1830 Colonel of 16th Lancers, 18 June
1833 GCB
1838 General, 28 June
1849 Died 1 Nov, at his house at Merrion Square, Dublin

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