Private Joseph Downes 44th Regiment (Essex)

Posts : 3460 Join date : 2021-01-04

"Mr. Joseph Downes, who has died at Colchester at the age of. 85, joined the Army when 17, and served the Crimean War with the 44th (Essex) Regiment. He also did duty in India and China, volunteered for the Zulu War, and took part in the Irish revolution."

Chelmsford Chronicle - Friday 27 April 1923

Born in 1837 in Kilgarboy, Mill Town Malbay, Clare, in Ireland, he enlisted in the 19th Regiment of Foot at the age of 17 in 1854 but only served 36 days as he was shot in the foot at the battle of Alma in 1854 and declared unfit for further service.
Joseph Downes of Castle Hedingham, Essex, a labourer, enlisted in Colchester on the 20th November 1857 in the 44th Reg of Foot.
He served one year in China and seven years in the East Indies.
He was discharged on the 16th January 1875.

Unless he re enlisted in another regiment the answer has to be no he did not.

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