b. 25/08/1860 Colchester, Essex, England. d. 22/11/1918 Wivenhoe, England.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 11/05/1898 Cienfuegos, Cuba.
Oakley was born on 25 August 1860 in Colchester, Essex and emigrated to the United States in April 1880. He enlisted in the Navy at Boston in November 1880 and was sent to fight in the Spanish–American War aboard the U.S.S. Marblehead as a gunner’s mate second class. He was later promoted to gunner’s mate first class.
He returned to England after 1911 as a US Navy pensioner and died 22 November 1918 in Wivenhoe, Essex, England. He was buried in the Old Cemetery (grave reference: section B-2-65).
In 2018 the US government erected a headstone at his grave which had previously been unmarked.
MOH CITATION:
On board the U.S.S. Marblehead during the operation of cutting the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Oakley displayed extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this period.
BURIAL LOCATION: WIVANHOE CEMETERY, WIVANHOE, ENGLAND.
SECTION B, ROW 2, GRAVE 65.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
