Birth & early life
Enlistment
Service, discharge & pension
Medals & commemorations
Death & burial
Private Walter Cole - 1732, 13th Light Dragoons
1732 Walter COLE.
cole_w_1732_13LD
Born in Marylebone, London.
Enlistment details
Enlisted at Westminster on the 11th of January 1855.
Age: 18.
Height: 5’ 8”.
Trade: Labourer.
Features: Pale complexion. Grey eyes. Brown hair.
Joined the regiment in the Crimea on the 13th of August 1855.
Transferred to the 8th Hussars on the 5th of March 1858 and was promoted to Cpl. on the same day. Regtl. No. 28.
Cpl. to Sgt. 1st of April 1858.
Discharged from Chatham Invalid Depot on the 17th of June 1862, a consequence of “Being considered unfit for further service. Has Scrofula and Syphilis Secundria of a very strenuous habit - not constitutional - impaired by venereal disease at Aldershot from about the 9th of July 1861, since when he has suffered repeated attacks of tonsillitis - with swollen obstruction of the tonsils - accompanied by a very inflamed and swollen condition of the Parotid glands. Since the last re-occurrence of his affection on the 26th of January 1862 he has been in hospital up to the present time, having been lately affected with a subacle complication of the left Thorax. Being debilitated and long being inefficient, it has been deemed advisable to propose his discharge from the service...”
Served 7 years 129 days. In Turkey and the Crimea 10 months.
Conduct, “has been good.” Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges when promoted to Sgt.
Aged 25 years 5 months on discharge.
Three times entered in the Regimental Defaulter’s book. Never tried by Court-martial.
Was granted a pension of 7d per day for two years.
Documents confirm the award of the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol and the T.M.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
Not recorded by Lummis and Wynn.
Further information
Letter dated the 18th of February 1864. – “Told to attend here [presumably Chelsea Royal Hospital] for a “Medical Board.”
Awarded a further “Conditional” pension of 10d. per day for 1 year from the 22nd of March 1864.
Further comment (no date.) “Dead.”
The address, “St John’s Wood, London, Middlesex,” is noted on the front of his documents, and could refer to where he lived after discharge.
Photographs & illustrations
For further information, or to express an interest in the project, please email the editors, Philip Boys & Roy Mills, via info@chargeofthelightbrigade.com.