Hi Nick
The 39th Regiment had a second battalion from 1803 to 1815. It served in England, Ireland and the Channel Islands, before going to Portugal in 1809. The 1st Bn served in Malta and Sicily before going to Portugal.
His record includes the information that he was at the first siege of Badajoz. So he must have been in the 2nd Bn then, as the 1st Bn did not arrive in Portugal until later in the year. I happen to have a muster for the 2nd Bn for 1812-1813, but unfortunately a page containing details of 66 men, including all the Ss, is missing. This must have happened when it was bound about 150 years ago.
As he enlisted before 1818 he received ‘half period’ a 50% bonus for serving in the East (or West Indies).
The surgeons log for his trip to NSW is online. It contains this: Folios 27-28: Sergeant Smith, aged 38, soldier, 39th Regiment; disease or hurt, acute rheumatism. Put on sick list, 27 February 1827 at sea. Discharged 29 February 1827 well.
The age is a bit out, but you can look at the muster to see if there was another Sergeant Smith at this time. The 39th Foot moved from Limerick to Buttevant to Cork in 1824-25. But these places are where the CO was. Regiments were usually spread over a wide area in company strength detachments. Again the musters will tell you where he was.
Ken
