Royal Artillery - records deciphering and analysis

[Mrs Dalloway]

Hi.  I have just bought this record for my ancestor and I am trying to figure out what his record says about him.  Some of the handwriting is difficult to make out.  I am hoping that someone who has experience with army records might recognise some typical words and places?  I am especially interested in the words after it says 'Crimea'... various battles I suppose.  Also, he seems to have been court martialled, which sounds very serious, so any thoughts on that would be most welcome.  Was that a common event?
I appreciate any help offered.
Clarissabel

[Mrs Dalloway]

Going by Wiki - the battles in the Crimea were Alma, Siege of Sevastopol  and Battle of Inkerman... so I imagine that this is what the text says... but I still don't know about being court martialled.  How can his character be exemplary yet he was in clearly in trouble at least twice...  ?

[km1971]

Hi Clarissabel

It says "...and wears the medal for the Crimea with clasps for Alma, Inkerman and Sebastapol, and Turkish War Medal." The first two clasps were set battles, while the Sebastapol clasp was for being involved at any time in the year long siege.

Below this it says: "He has been twice convicted by courts martial, and in addition his name is eighteen times recorded in the Regimental Defaulters Book (punished summarily)."

The key is "Conduct has been exemplary". So it suggests that he carried out every order issued without hesitation, which is what they want. The rest could be for missing an item on parade, being late, or drunk. This may have stopped him being promoted from Gunner (the lowest rank), and he does not appear to have been awarded any good conduct badges. these would have given him a penny a  day extra pay. For his service he could have received 4 or 5, so worth having on a pay rate of a shilling or a shilling, one penny a day.

Ken

[JustinL]

Hello Clarissa and Ken,

The record continues, 'He is in possession of Five Good Conduct Badges'.

Justin
(in Raheny D5)

[km1971]

Hi Justin

Thanks for that.

Ken

[crimea1854]

Hi

According to the medal roll Gunner & Driver David Milligan. Regt No. 3646, served with 'B' Field Battery, No. 8 Company, 3rd Battalion Royal Artillery in the Crimea.

The Turkish Medal was awarded by the Sultan of Turkey to troops who served in the Crimea. It had been intended to issue the medal in three forms specific to the forces present; British, French and Sardinian, the medal being made in England. Unfortunately the ship carrying the British issued medals sank off Malta, so men received which ever was then available.

Martin

[Mrs Dalloway]

Thanks a million Ken!  You got so much more from that short piece of text than I did.  I just found a record online with basic information on him.  His marriage cert says that he was living on Spike Island in 1858.  His children's birth cert suggest he was living close to the coast in Dublin, near the martello tower, a few years later, so I think that this is my sncestor.  Can you tell from it if there might be more records somewhere else about him, actual full army records - the pink pages you can buy sometimes, or if this is it - just this standard information about the regiment.  Any information at all would be great.  I just don't know where to go from here.  
Clarisabel

[Mrs Dalloway]

Hi - just saw your posts - Martin... that is wonderful.  How did you find that information?  I think I am looking in the wrong places... Hi Justin, nice to know he got some badges.. and a few pence more pay!  Now I have a batallion and regiment number - although the number I had for him is 754.... did the numbers change?
Clarissabell

[crimea1854]

Clarissabell

I'm more comfortable with naval records, but I believe it was quite common for a man to have different regt. numbers as he moved from unit to unit.

On the question of the medal roll, this is on the subscription site 'Ancestry'.

Martin