Born at Temple, Midlothian.
Enlisted at Edinburgh on the 13th of February 1851.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Labourer.
Wounded in action at Balaclava.
Sent on board ship "without being seen by a surgeon," on the 26th of October 1854.
Rejoined the regiment from Scutari on the 13th of February 1855.
From Private to Corporal: 30th of September 1857:
"Absent", on the 7th of November, confined in the Guard-Room, 8th - 9th of November and reduced to Private by a Regimental Court-martial on the 10th of November 1858. Discharged "time expired", from Aldershot on the 8th of May 1863.
Served 12 years 83 days.
Conduct and character: "Bad". Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
A supplementary roll (undated) signed by Major Henry Holden shows him as being issued with the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma and Balaclava on the 7th of October 1855.
Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1879.
1881 Census
109 Blackburn Street, Govan, Lanarkshire
A "John Veitch" is shown, aged 51, a Printer's Pressman (Unemployed), born in Edinburgh, with his wife, Jessie, aged 54, born in Elgin, Scotland.