Enlisted at Hounslow on the 17th of March 1853.
Age: 22.
Height: 5' 9".
Trade: None shown.
Sent to Scutari on the 26th of October 1854, to Abydos on the 19th of November and to rejoin the regiment in the Crimea on the 24th of February 1855.
Absent, 16th — 19th of March 1855.
Prisoner from the 9th — 10th October 1855, tried by a Regimental Court-martial for "Absence", in the Guard Room, 12th — 15th of October and to lose six days' pay.
Detained by the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards and claimed by them as a deserter on the 30th of October 1855.
At this time he was 15/3d. "in debt."
Can find no further trace on the muster rolls of the latter regiment either at this time, or of any previous service under this name "James Watson".
But the muster rolls of the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards show a man, 5126 Henry Watts, was "Pardoned in the Crimea" and on the strength of the regiment from the 30th of October 1855. He is also shown on an undated roll of the regiment as being awarded the clasp for Sebastopol. No other details are shown. A further check of the Grenadier court-martial records of the period show no entry for one on him ever having taken place.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for the Alma, and the Turkish medal.
Also, presumably, the clasp for Sebastopol, although he is not shown on the 17th Lancer Sebastopol clasp roll.