Description
Queen’s South Africa Medal, 3 bars, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, 4619 Pte William John Kelson, 2nd Wiltshire Regiment, a Chippenham Local on attachment from the 3rd Wilts Militia.
Officially impressed: “4619 Pte W. Kelson, 2nd Wilts: Regt.”
Neat official correction to “Pte W”.
Entitlement confirmed on the medal roll, which notes he was attached from the 3rd Wilts.
On attachment from the 3rd Bn Wilts Militia during the Boer War, he spent 56 days on Field Imprisonment No 1 having been court martialled from July 1900. It must have been a serious offence to warrant 2 months of Field Punishment.
William John Kelson (1866-1910) was born during 1866 in Chippenham, Wiltshire, to a local family.
His father William James was a GWR Porter from Wiltshire.
William worked as a Masons Labourer, and attested for service with his local 3rd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment of Militia on 11th December 1894. He listed himself as only 22 years old, but he was about 28 at the time.
When the Boer War began, he volunteered to serve and was placed on attachment to the 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment for overseas service being embodied on 16th January 1900 and sent to South Africa from 23rd January 1900.
However during his service on 5th July 1900, he was awarded 56 days of Imprisonment and Hard Labour by a Field General Court Martial, which was commuted to 56 days of field imprisonment No 1 by his officer.
F.P. No 1 usually consisted at the time of being placed in handcuffs or restraints and being attached to fixed object such as a gun wheel or fence post for up to 2 hours per day.
He returned home on 24th December 1901 and was discharged, receiving his £5 war gratuity on 7th January 1902.
Returning back home to Chippenham, he died there aged 43 during mid 1910.
