Born in the parish of Stourpaine, near Blandford, Dorset.
Enlisted at Dorchester on the 27th of February 1855.
Age: 23.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Labourer.
Fresh complexion. Hazel eyes. Brown hair.
Joined the regiment in the Crimea on the 13th of August 1855.
Served Eupatoria.
Discharged from Cahir on the 6th of November 1856, on the grounds:
"Reduction of the Army and not likely to become efficient. This man suffers from stuttering in his speech to the extent of rendering him inefficient as a soldier. His discharge is the result of constitutional infirmity and has not been aggravated by his military service. He is able to earn his living."
Served 1 year 290 days. In Turkey and the Crimea, 1 year.
Aged 24 years 6 months on discharge.
Awarded a pension of 6d. per day for six months, "final".
Conduct and character, "has been good". Not in possession of any G.C. badges.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
Entered on his documents in red ink: Awarded Crimean medal with clasp "Sebastopol". War Office, 12/1/01.
Not recorded by Lummis and Wynn.
The 1881 Census shows him as living at Pond Tail Lane, Horsham, Sussex, a Carpenter, aged 48, born in Dorset; and his daughter Emily, 17, Housekeeper for her father. The eldest son was also a Carpenter.
On the 31st of January 1901 he applied for a "Campaign Pension". He stated that he had also served 3 years in the Militia (not shown which), that he was invalided from the service when serving with the 13th L.D., that his discharge documents had been lost, and that he followed no employment — "his eyesight being too bad to see very well". He said he was supported by his daughter. He was not in receipt of any income from any other source and his family was too poor to keep him.
At that time he was living at No. 101 Islingwood Road, Brighton, Sussex.
He was awarded a Special Campaign Pension of 9d. per day from the 19th of February 1901.
[RM: The 1901 Census shows him as Charles Ballom [sic], aged 68, born Stourpaine, Dorset, an "Army Pensioner".]
[RM: The GRO records show his death registered in the Brighton district, aged 68, in the December quarter of 1903.]