Born at Hounslow, Middlesex.
Enlisted at Coventry on the 24th of June 1846.
Age: 18 years 4 months.
Height: 5' 10".
Trade: Printer.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Hazel eyes. Brown hair.
At Scutari from the 31st of October 1854 and sent to rejoin the regiment on the 14th of December 1854.
From Private to Corporal: 10th of September 1857.
Attached to the 4th Light Dragoons on "Mounted police" duty from the 1st of October — 30th of December 1857.
Corporal to Sergeant: 3rd of August 1858.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial for "absence" and reduced to Private on the 27th of February 1861.
Discharged, "at own request, with right of registry for a deferred pension upon reaching the age of 50 years", from Dublin on the 16th of September 1861. (At this time it was shown that he would have been entitled to receive this on the 24th of May 1878.)
Served 15 years 185 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years.
Conduct: "very good". In possession of two Good Conduct badges.
To live in Leicester after discharge.
On the 19th of February 1878 he was awarded a pension of 10d. per day for having served 11 years 6 months on the Army Reserve (only half of which counted) and thus making a total of 21 years service. It was shown that he was living in the Leicester Pension District on the 4th of April 1877.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Documents confirm the award of the Crimean medal with two clasps.
The 1841 Census shows him aged 14 as the son of Thomas Chettle (born in the county of Middlesex) a Carpenter. A wife Emily aged 30 is also shown the greater family all living in Charles Street, St Martin in the Fields.
[RM: Is shown on the 1851 Census at the barracks in Ipswich as a Private 11th Hussars, born at Houndstone, [sic] Middx. In 1871 he was living at 35 Burgess St, Leicester, occupation an Ironmongers Porter. His wife, Ann is also shown, but by 1891 they were both living at 2 Flint Street, Leicester.]
The 1881 Census shows him as living at No, 35 Burgess Street, Leicester, an Ironmongers Porter, aged 52, born at Hounslow, Middlesex, with his wife, Ann, J. aged 41, born at Leicester and one son, of school age.
[RM?: A "William Walker Chettle" is shown in the GRO records as dying aged 72 in the Wolverhampton registration district in the September quarter of 1899. There are no other men of the same name of the right age shown, so it is likely him.]