James Wilkins

3230 Private James Wilkins 3230 enlisted in 1850, and served with the 19th Regiment of Foot for 25 years, twelve of which were spent abroad, two in the Crimea and ten in the East Indies.

Wilkins fought in all of the major engagements of the Crimean War in which the regiment was engaged. His experience was no doubt of great use by the end of the conflict when the regiment was much depleted and manned by newly arrived reinforcements.

The casualty rate amongst the reinforcements from cold, wet and disease was so high that of one influx in November 1854, of the 102 men who had joined on 21st, by the end of the month many of them had died. Thus it was that by the Battle of the Redan, the regiment could only muster 418 officers and men, far fewer than the number who had been present at Alma.

Wilkins was discharged after having claimed the right after the completion of his second period of limited engagement. His conduct was stated to have been ‘good’ but he was mentioned 11 times in the Regimental Defaulters’ Book. However, numerous payments for good conduct are also noted in his records.