Description
Queen’s South Africa Medal, 2 bars, Transvaal, SA 1902, Sergeant James Callaghan, 2nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment, an Indian Born Irishman former Boy Soldier who emigrated to South Africa.
Officially impressed: “536 Sergt J. Callaghan. Hampshire Regt.”
Sergeant James Callaghan, was born in British ruled India the “East Indies” in 1868-1870, he said 1868 on enlistment, but the census returns reckon he was born 1870.
He was the son of Daniel and Hanna Callaghan, his father an Irishman born in Bandon County Cork, during 1829 looks to have been a Soldier stationed in the region at the time.
He had an older Brother and Sister born in Aldershot during 1852 and 1864, a sister born Bareilly India in 1868, he was born there in 1868-1870. Another younger brother born in Meean Meer in 1871, sadly as a young boy he had lost his mother in childbirth, when she was giving birth to another daughter in Dagshai, Bengal in August 1873.
The family returned to England with the retirement of his father settling in St Lukes, London about 1881.
At the young stated age of 14 years old and 11 months, although he might have been as young as about 12-13, James signed on as a Boy Soldier in the Hampshire Regiment on 3rd December 1882.
He was posted back to India with the Hampshire Regiment, and was deployed on active service in Burma.
For this he is entitled to the India General Service Medal, bar Burma 1887-89 with the 1st Battalion which notes he was present with the regiment in Burma from 18th November 1888 to 31st March 1889.
He then served in the Boer War, as a Sergeant in the 1st Battalion at which time he was a respected NCO with almost 20 years of experience.
After the end of the Boer War, in late May he was still around in South Africa, when he chose to remain there for the rest of his life.
The 34 year old, who had almost 20 years of Army experience and having grown up around India had barely spent a few years even in England, chose to settle in the country and make South Africa his new home.
He was discharged on 29th August 1902 at Johannesburg, at his “Own request after 18 years of service with a view to pension under the RW for pay.” His total service time amounted to 19 years and 274 days.
His conduct was said to be “Very Good” and he gave his forwarding address as “Officer Commanding Railway Staff Depot, Johannesburg.”
In later life James died at the Fort Napier Institution in Pietermaritzburg aged 77 on 18th July 1945.
His profession was noted as “Soldier and then Civil Servant.”
