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Oxford Inscriptions: OBLI, Cowley Barracks site, James Wolfe Road

Top of plinth (giving history of the site)

43rd REGT OF FOOT 1741	[Symbol of Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry]       COWLEY BARRACKS	52nd REGT OF FOOT 1755
PEGASUS BRIDGE NORMANDY 6 JUNE 1944		DEFEAT OF THE FRENCH IMPERIAL GUARD WATERLOO 18 JUNE 1815
THIS SITE WAS THE REGIMENTAL DEPOT OF THE OXFORDSHIRE & BUCKINGHAMSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY FROM 1876 TO  1958 THE REGIMENT WAS FORMED IN 1741 IT FOUGHT IN MANY THEATRES OF WAR AND ITS 47 BATTLE HONOURS INCLUDE QUEBEC 1759, CORUNNA 1809, WATERLOO 1815, NONNE BOS[S]CHEN 1914, THE SOMME 1916 AND PEGASUS BRIDGE IN NORMANDY 1944 IT RAISED 17 BATTALIONS IN WWI 1914–18 AND 10 IN WWII 1939–45 THE PLAQUE IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN ITS SERVICE FROM 1741 AND THE 5,878 OF ITS SOLDIERS WHO FELL IN WW1 AND 1,408 IN WWII, MANY OF WHOM TRAINED AT THESE BARRACKS POST WWII SOME 5000 NATIONAL SERVICEMEN ALSO COMPLETED THEIR RECRUIT TRAINING HERE IN 1966 THE REGIMENT WAS AMALGAMATED INTO “THE ROYAL GREEN JACKETS” AND IN 2007 BECAME “THE RIFLES”

Front of plinth (remembering three OBLI soldiers who won the Victoria Cross)

Edward Brooks VC survived the First World War
John Hollington Grayburn VC was killed at Arnhem aged 26 in 1944
Alfred Wilcox VC survived the Second World War

[Symbol of Victoria Cross] COMPANY SERGEANT MAJOR EDWARD BROOKS VC OXFORDSHIRE & BUCKINGHAMSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY SAINT-QUENTIN 28 APRIL 1917    [Symbol of OBLI]

[Symbol of Victoria Cross] LIEUTENANT JOHN HOLLINGTON GRAYBURN VC OXFORDSHIRE & BUCKINGHAMSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY (ATTACHED: 2 PARA) ARNHEM 17–20 SEPTEMBER 1944 [Symbol of OBLI and of Parachute Regiment]

[Symbol of Victoria Cross] LANCE CORPORAL ALFRED WILCOX VC OXFORDSHIRE & BUCKINGHAMSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY LAVENTIE 12 SEPTEMBER 1918     [Symbol of OBLI]

This plinth in memory of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (43rd and 52nd) was unveiled on 16 August 2019 at the Parade Green campus of Oxford Brookes University in James Wolfe Road. This Oxford Brookes accommodation was built on the former site of Cowley Barracks, the regimental depot of the OBLI from 1876 to 1958.

Above: General Sir Robert (Bob) Pascoe and Normandy veteran Private Reg Charles unveil the plinth, aided by representatives of Oxford Brookes University and Unite Students.

James Wolfe Road was named in December 1977 after General James Wolfe, the commander of the 43rd (later the Oxford and Bucks) Regiment who was known as “The Hero of Quebec”.

• Oxford Mail, 14 August 2019: “Plinth to be unveiled at former Cowley Barracks”
• Oxford Mail, 15 August 2019: “Normandy veterans lays wreath at memorial to Cowley Barracks”

More information on Cowley Barracks