Sergeant-Major's Fortune

The medal rolls we use on-line are taken from large bound ledgers that were in use for decades after the end of the war. Very occasionally you find a clipping from a newspaper inserted into the ledgers. It is heart warming to imagine a clerk who works on the medal rolls at home after a long day, or maybe on his lunch break, reading his local newspaper and taking notice of a story about a veteran of the war. Not only does he take note but gets his scissors, clips the story, brings it to work to slip into the relevant roll. These ledgers were living documents.

On this particular clipping the headlines proclaimed, "Sergeant-Major's Fortune Money Left to Six Charities", "Bachelor, Light Drinker and Smoker".

The rich Sergeant-Major was George James Smith who served as Sergeant-Major (Permanent Staff) 3365 3rd bn Yorkshire Regiment earning a Q.S.A. with with four clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901.

George was born in Southampton about 1858. He came from "a poor family...and was always very careful with his money". He enlisted for the Army in May 1879 at Aldershot, number 1752 19th Foot. In 1881 the 19th Foot became the Princess Alexandra's Own Yorkshire Regiment, the Green Howards. He served 20 years in England steadily rising through the ranks to Warrant Officer. On enlistment he worked as a clerk and no doubt his education and organisational abilities made him invaluable to the smooth running of a battalion. In 1897 he was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct medal (L.S.G.C.). George served for 15 months during the war, returning home in May 1901 for discharge in June after 22 years 34 days of exemplary service. He would have had five Good Conduct badges but his promotion to the senior ranks made him ineligible. His character was assessed as "Exemplary. Sober Steady & Absolutely trustworthy".

Three months after leaving the Army the award of a Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.) was gazetted. It was not published in Army Orders until January 1902. This award was for his exemplary career and not for any specific act of gallantry. Campaign service enabled commanding officers to successfully reward career soldiers who would otherwise have retired with only an L.S.G.C. medal. George retired to Southampton where he led a simple life, "his sole pleasure during his retirement was watching cricket." The newspapers reported, "He held the D.C.M. and the Military Medal" indicating courageous service in World War I. This is unlikely to refer to combat service in World War I, George would have been 56 in 1914. Maybe the L.S.G.C. or the Q.S.A. is the "Military Medal".

George's retirement was long and one would imagine a happy one watching cricket on warm sunny days with perhaps a pint of beer in hand. An idyllic existence. He died on 17th March, 1934 in Southampton. His will revealed an estate worth £13,500 - approximately £817,251.20 at today's prices (2025).  A huge sum for a soldier to accumulate, a Sergeant-Major earned 5 shillings (25 pence) a day. The estate was divided between six charities, the Green Howards Association and a friend.

Sources:
The Register of the Anglo-Boer War
Nottingham Evening Post 8th May 1934
Hampshire Advertiser 21st July 1934