Born at Beganin, Madras Presidency, East Indies.
Entered the Royal Military Asylum at Chelsea on the 10th of February 1845, aged 8 years and 3 months. His father was Private James Wilson of the 2nd Foot. Shown at the time as "Dead", and his mother, Ann, as "Still alive."
An entry in the remarks column of an Asylum record shows William Wilson as having "Died on the 27th of October 1868," but from other known information this date could have been confused with that of his discharge from the Army.
Enlisted at Edinburgh on the 3rd of December 1851, and to go to the "Band."
Age: 14.
Height: 5' 6".
Trade: None.
Attained the age of 15 years and on to "Man's pay" on the 5th of December 1852. Dark complexion. Black eyes. Brown hair.
Embarked for the Crimea aboard the H.T. "Echunga" on the 15th of May 1854.
From Private to Trumpeter: 1st of November 1855.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.
Tried, and reduced to Private by a Regimental Court-martial on the 8th of September 1864.
From Private to Corporal: 25th of May 1866.
"Confined", 27-29 of March, tried by a Regimental Court-martial and reduced to Private on the 30th of March 1867.
Re-engaged for a further 12 period of service on the 2nd of November 1867.
He was discharged from Edinburgh on the 27th of October 1868, when serving in "E" Troop":
"Unfit for further service. Has Phthisis Pulmonary. Fourteen years after entering the service he contracted a cold whilst on Police Duty at Aldershot.
In April of 1868 he contracted measles whilst on the line of march, which proved very severe.
This man is now a confirmed invalid from advanced tubercular disease of the lungs and will not in future be able to contribute more than a mite towards earning a livelihood."
Served in Turkey and the Crimea, 2 years
In India: 6 years.
Twelve times entered in the Regimental Defaulters' book, Twice tried by Court-martial.
He was "In debt" of the sum of 2/7d.
Aged 31 years on discharge.
To live in King Street, Chelsea.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol,
He was awarded the Sardinian War Medal. The citation for this stated: Charged with the Light Brigade at Balaclava and evinced great courage and coolness, being only sixteen years of age.
Mutiny medal with clasp for Central India.
Served at Kotah.
He has been described as the "Boy Trumpeter of Balaclava" — something which he was not at the time. All the members of the Band had been put back into the ranks before the regiment left England for the Crimea.
A note on his documents states, "Man dead" — from the War Office, 26th of August 1871.
Died in the West London Pension District on the 6th of March 1871.
A man of this name is shown in the St. Catherine's House records as dying in the Strand District, aged 33 years, during the January-March Quarter of 1871.
(The records of Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey, show him as being buried there on the 12th of March 1871, aged 33 years, by the Revd. R.G. Shemare and having been brought from the Strand Union. There is no indication that he was buried in the "Commissionaires Ground" although he was serving in the Corps at the time of his death, having joined them on the 23rd of June 1869, and with the Corps No. of 401.
The Corps of Commissionaires Burial Plot in Brookwood Cemetery comprises roughly three-quarters of an acre. There are only some 50 or so stones, the earliest seen being dated in 1906, but none to men who would have been in the Crimea with the Light Brigade. There is also a memorial relating to its use by the Corps and of its founder. (See photographs of the Burial Plot area and of the memorial itself in the 4th Hussar file.)