Charles Stevenson/Boer War

[campsie22]

Hi I have received great help from this forum when doing my family tree.  I am now doing my husbands tree and I am hoping for some help tracing his Great uncles Boer war service.  We do know that Charles Stevenson was born in 1876 in Glasgow and he never married.  On the 1901 Census he is at home in Glasgow, also states he is a soldier can't make this bit out, but looks like RFA and that he was on furlough.  We also know for sure that he was at Ladysmith.  I know it's not a lot to go on, but any help or pointers would be very much appreciated.
Thank you

[MaxD]

There appears to be only one C (no first name) Stevenson, number 3701, in the Boer War medal lists in the RFA but he does not have either of the Ladysmith clasps.  Otherwise nothing leaps off the page. 

That said, I see that in 1891 he was a cartwright apprentice.  The C Stevenson in the Boer War was a Bombardier (a one stripe man) Wheeler which was the job title of the men who repaired wheels on the guns and the carts.  Tempting to think it is the same man  What is the family evidence for Ladysmith?

MaxD

[ShaunJ]

3701 C Stevenson appears to have continued to serve with RFA through the first world war. There's a medical record from 1915 (ringworm) which reveals that he was 39 (so born circa 1876 - the right age) but only 12 completed years of service - so presumably had been in the reserve for a while.

[MaxD]

Shamelessly hanging on ShaunJ's coattails we find his medal card has the first name Charles.  There is also a notation on his medal card relating to Chelsea (presumably pension related) that looks similar to that on the SA medal clasps list.

ShaunJ I'd value your thoughts on the above.

MaxD

[ShaunJ]

Yes there are pension record cards for him on Fold 3 apparently. Charles Stevenson born Glasgow 1876, Gunner RFA 3701.

[ShaunJ]

Discharged " T of E" (presumably termination of engagement) 31.3.20 per the medal roll.

[ShaunJ]

As Max says the army medal records that can be found for 3701 Charles Stevenson record enquiries from "Chelsea". They are dated 1941.

[MaxD]

Campsie22 - the pension information that ShaunJ refers to is on a part of Ancestry that I don't have access to (and I assume ShaunJ doesn't either).  So far we have no 100% evidence linking the man with the family and the Ladysmith connection is not borne out by the medal records although what we have is compelling.  What is your take on what you have seen so far?

A little addition  to the Boer war info for C Stevenson - he appears on the medal roll as serving with No1 Ammunition Park, a place to which ammunition was delivered and distributed and where a wheeler would be busily employed fixing ammunition carts mostly.  As an unglamorous element of the artillery force, there is no diary type material that I can find.  The pension records may reveal who he served with in the Great War.

MaxD

[campsie22]

Wow, thank you all so much for that.   It does seems like our Charles Stevenson.  The information about Ladysmith was from my husbands father, but maybe he just went through there, but didn't fight.  He was involved with the fixing of the cart wheels. We didn't know about him being in the 1st world war. Is it possible to see the medal records somewhere and how do I find out about the Chelsea pension  records. 
I'm still amazed at the information you have given me.
Thank you