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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: wilcoxon on Thursday 09 August 18 22:07 BST (UK)
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I was lucky enough to find this on a man I`m researching, he is not in Britain in 1871, but back in 1881. Document dated 1878.
Does his place of service say Gold Coast ?
Any more you can glean would be good.
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Malta, Gibraltar, Canada, G Coast.
Whether that is Gold Coast (not Australia) or some other word beginning with g (Guiana?) , my dismal geography can't find an answer.
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Gold Coast was the pre-independence name for Ghana.
Drosybont
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Would an army officer had been there between 1861 and 1878, 4 months seems to be a short time.
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I can also see Malta and Gibraltar, but Canada ?
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Possibly the Third Anglo-Ashanti War, also known as the First Ashanti Expedition. Preparatory work by a team of Royal Engineers began September 1873, troops arrived late December 1873, several battles, brief occupation of Kumasi, treaty signed July 1874.
Drosybont
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Join the army and see the world, as they once said.
Agree with Canada, third down.
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Is his number 843?
MaxD
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Thomas Bowman b 1838 Devizes Kent.
Chelsea No. 55546 Document dated 5 February 1878.
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By way of confirmation (this is from his army discharge papers):
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Wilcoxon
Not sure how much you have got on this man (who isn't an officer by the way)
MaxD
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He was a Port Sergeant (ranking as a Quartermaster Sergeant)
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That was his job on the Garrison Staff on the excerpt from the document at the beginning. I believe him to have been 843 Sergeant Thomas Bowman whose parent regiment for 21 years of his service was 23rd Foot (later Royal Welsh Fusiliers) but this may all be known to Wilcoxon so I was asking how much was known already.
MaxD
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Thanks, sorry for the delay in getting back.
I have him from his birth, then in 1861 at Southern Barracks in Deal and his marriage in 1862 at Deal.
Nothing then till 1881 in Wrexham barracks as canteen steward.
1891 he is running a pub in the town, 1892 his wife dies and he married again, 1901 /1911 in Chester area and he died in 1912.
It`s only his Army records I didn`t have except for the pension details.
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In 1871 he is a Colour Sergeant in barracks at Chatham. His outline army career is on the right in the clip you posted. 6 months in the militia, 1 year 1 month in (something Corps - can't decipher it) 21 years in the 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) and lastly 1 yr 5 months on the staff of a garrison. The time line shows the various deployments http://royalwelsh.org.uk/regiment/history-regiment-timeline.htm including Canada and the Ashanti expedition.
MaxD
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1 year 1 month in (something Corps - can't decipher it)
L T Corps. He had former service in the Land Transport Corps - 1 year 51 days - which was allowed to reckon.
He rose to Colour Sergeant in 23rd Regiment and then transferred to the Staff of the Army as a Port Sergeant in September 1876.
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In 1871 he is a Colour Sergeant in barracks at Chatham.
MaxD
is this from the 1871 census. I `m struggling to find him.
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No it is from the British Army Worldwide Index 1871 on FindMyPast in his case extracted from the Muster Roll of the 2nd Battalion 23rd Foot - National Archive document WP 12/4053.
MaxD
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OK, Thank you all very much for your help.
Much appreciated.