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LIVES OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
The E.J. Boys Archive

Added 26.11.12. Minor edits 2.4.14.

IN PROGRESS- NOT PUBLISHED YET

1065 James RICKMAN — 4th Light Dragoons

Birth & early life

Born in Berkshire.

Enlistment

Enlisted at Maidstone on the 17th of September 1839.

No other enlistment details apart from his trade as a carpenter are shown.

Batman to Captain Charlie Berkeley Molyneux in 1853, when the latter was ADC to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

Killed in action at Inkerman on the 5th of November 1854.

He became Field Orderly to Colonel George Paget after 635 Samuel Parkes had been taken prisoner of war at Balaclava.

In his book, "Journal of the Crimean War," Colonel G.A. Paget states, "My orderly, Richman [sic] had been shot through the thigh and only survived the amputation of his leg by an hour. Thus had every personal follower of mine in both battles been knocked over..."

Medals & commemorations

Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.

The Returned Medal Book states... Crimean medal returned to the Mint, No trace of issue,

Next of kin: Father, Charles Rickman, living at Wargrave, Berkshire.

Further information

Colonel George Paget later wrote of him... Perceiving that he was not wounded when we last turned out, in the morning I asked his Captain (Brown) why he was not out. He said, "There must have been some mistake, as a horse was told off for him" — and he was accordingly mounted. I, of course, have nothing on my conscience — still, the reflections are painful...

Life after service

Death & burial


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