When his brothers were killed by the British King Cadwalla, he gathered an army and marched against him. The day before the battle he made his soldiers construct a wooden cross. Oswald knelt down, holding the cross in position until enough earth had been thrown in the hole to make it stand firm. He then prayed and asked his army to join in. He defeated Cadwalla, recovered his
fathers throne. He was killed by the King of Mercia at the battle of Maserfield. His feast day is August 9th.