Reduced In Rank To Avoid Court Martial.

Sgt Edward Wilson. Rorkes Drift Defender In 1889 was allowed to revert to the rank of Sergeant to shun a court martial. Doe’s anyone have any information of what the court martial would have related to.

Hi 24th

I am unable to shed any light on the resean for the Court Martial.
As you can see from his service record, he was Tried by District Court Martial in 1881, which I have no details to the reason.

Has anyone got any details of his first Court Martial aswell as the second one?

Born at Peshawur, India; trade - labourer. Enlisted for 25 Brigade at Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey 27/1/1874. Previously served in 3rd East Surrey Militia, from which he purchased his discharge.
Description: age 18 years 4 months, 5' 6" tall, fresh complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair; two moles on neck. Religion: Church of England.
Attested for twelve years service 28/1/1874. Posted to 2nd Battalion 24th Foot at Brecon 31/1/1874.
Private 28/1/1874; promoted Corporal 5/7/1875. Granted Good Conduct Pay at 1 penny per diem
28/2/1876. Appointed Lance Sergeant 16/5/1877; promoted Sergeant 12/1/1878; Colour Sergeant 22/11/1879. Obtained a 2nd Class Certificate of Education, date not recorded. Obtained a certificate from the School of Musketry 20/6/1881. Service continued in 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers 1/711881. Confined 15/8/1881. Tried by District Court Martial 27/8/1881; reduced to Corporal and forfeited 1 penny per diem Good Conduct Pay from 15/8/1881. Transferred to 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers 1/7/1882. Qualified for 2nd Good Conduct Badge 28/8/1882. Appointed Lance Sergeant 12/12/1882; promoted Sergeant 10/2/1883. Posted to Permanent Staff, 3rd (Militia) Battalion South Wales Borderers; authority Adjutant General's Office dated 31/3/1884. Entitled to 3rd Good Conduct Badge 23/1/1886. Re-engaged for the South Wales Borderers at Brecon 23/1/1886 for such term as shall complete total service of 21 years. Authority dared 23/1/1886. Promoted Colour Sergeant 1/1/1888. Permitted to revert to the rank of Sergeant in order to escape trial by court martial; authority dated 18/1/1889 .Re-posted to 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers 12/2/1889. Continued as Sergeant 13/2/1888 Discharged 16/2/1890. Service totalling 17 years 23 days allowed to count towards pension

2/24/1240 Corporal William Wilson Allen (or Allan) B Coy. 2nd Battn. 24th Regiment. -AWARDED VC

William Wilson Allen, VC ( 1844 ? – 12 March 1890) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

He was about 35 years old, a sergeant who had recently been reduced in rank to Corporal for being drunk on duty. He was in the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot (later The South Wales Borderers), British Army during the Zulu War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 22 January and 23 January 1879 at Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa, Corporal Allan and another man (Frederick Hitch) kept communication with the hospital open, despite being severely wounded. Their determined conduct enabled the patients to be withdrawn from the hospital, and when incapacitated by their wounds from fighting, they continued, as soon as their wounds were dressed, to serve out ammunition to their comrades during the night.

Same for this Wilson reduced in Rank. (Not your man i know)

I would have thought that a lot of the defenders turned to the Bottle, after what they went through... Demotion probably didn't mean that much to them. Lets face it when they left the army, the army simply forgot about them.

Take poor old "Schiess" look what happen to him....