Sergeant Instructor in Musketry William Calvert, 59th Foot

On the right are the medals of Sergeant Instructor of Musketry (S.I.M.) William Calvert. They are the campaign medal for China 1860 with the clasp for "Canton 1857",  the Victorian Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, and the EdVII Medal for Meritorious Service. William Calvert would receive the EdVII Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) with a £10 annuity on 18 November 1909 after a wait of 32 years for a vacancy on the MSM roll. This medal is representative of the exceptional services, skills, and leadership given by a soldier throughout his military enlistment.

The contemporary cabinet photograph to the right shows the silver tea service presented to Sergeant Instructor of Musketry William Calvert at the time of his retirement from the British Army. The silver tray is engraved: 

The photograph to the left is the badge worn on the right sleeve above the sergeants chevrons by a Sergeant Instructor of Musketry. [1] A Royal Warrant, dated 8 April 1856 created a School of Musketry and a Corps of Musketry. Infantry and cavalry regiments had a Sergeant Instructor of Musketry and usually another man qualified to act as his assistant. This badge shown to the left is the first pattern of the S.I.M. badge dating from 1856. The rifles used on this badge closely resemble the Pattern 1853 Rifle-musket which was the only 3 banded rifled-musket in service during this period. As is often the case, this first pattern S.I.M. badge is more beautifully detailed than later patterns of the badges.

At the age 18 years, William Calvert enlisted in the 59th Regiment of Foot at Portadown, Ireland on the 12th of June 1855. He was assigned the regimental number 3870 which he retained throughout his period of service.

Sergeant Instructor of Musketry William Calvert was never entered in the Regimental Defaulters Book and he was never tried by Court Martial during his service. His medical records note that his habits were “very temperate”. His general conduct during his service was stated to be “Very Good.” This statement made in typical British understatement. Clearly William Calvert was an outstanding soldier having reached the rank of Sergeant, without a Certificate of Education in 5 years 129 days. It was very unusual for a man to achieve promotion during this time without a Certificate of Education. He must have been well schooled before he joined the army. Another point of significant note is that William Calvert held the appointment of Sergeant Instructor of Musketry of the 59th Foot for 14 years and 11 days. This would suggest that he was exceptional at his craft. He served through the a period of a number of rapidly changing patterns in British service firearms. He saw service as a S.I.M. with the last muzzle loading Enfield Rifle, on to the introduction of the first breech loading Snider-Enfield rifles and on to finish with several patterns of the Martini-Henry breach loading rifle before his discharge in 1877. Besides a VR Long Service and Good Conduct, S.I.M. William Calvert would received a EdVII Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) with a £10 annuity on 18 November 1909 after a wait of 32 years for a vacancy on the MSM roll. This medal is representative of the exceptional services, skills, and leadership given by a soldier throughout his military enlistment.

The senior NCO’s were the men who took on the responsibilities of the day-to-day running of the British Army. Officers may have given the orders but it was the senior non-commissioned officers who saw that things got done. They knew how to assess the skills of the men under them in order to get the most from them. These men were proud of the regiments in which they served and considered it an honour to be members of that regimental family.

It is interesting that through much of the Victorian British Army there was little incentive for a man to pursue a career in the Army short of the ideals just discussed. Most men had little desire to accept the added responsibilities of promotion. Promotion could, at least initially, involve financial loss because of the additional expense of being a non-commissioned officer. Sergeants had very little free time due to extra training burdens placed on them by the short-service army. Sergeants paid the regulation stoppages expected of them. They also often paid men to clean their equipment and to take on various routine tasks for them because they did not have enough of their own time to do everything that was expected of them. In addition, all Sergeants (including Lance Sergeants) were expected to join the Sergeants Mess and to meet their share of the mess expenses.  The British non-commissioned officer filled a vital role in the training, discipline, and internal functioning of every military unit as well as serving as an indispensable link between the officer and the rank and file. Men who took on this responsibility did so largely for the prestige and honour of these positions within the traditions of their own regiments.

Education:  Sergeant Instructor of Musketry William Calvert did not earn any Certificates of Education during his time in service. This is unusual as a man was normally required to possess at least a 2nd Class Certificate of Education for promotion to Sergeant.

Qualifications: Sergeant Instructor of Musketry William Calvert earned the following qualifications during his time in service.

Sergeant Instructor of Musketry William Calvert joined his regiment in Hong Kong and was with them as the only British Foot regiment to be employed in 2nd China War operations around Canton, including the storming and capture of that city in 1857. The regiment would also serve in the expedition to the White Cloud Mountains, and in the capture of the city of Nantow in 1858. William Calvert would receive the medal for China 1860 with the clasp for “Canton 1857” for his services with the regiment. In the following year the regiment was sent to the Cape of Good Hope, and in 1861 to Natal, on the occasion of a Zulu “scare” after which it returned home.

After a few years’ home service on the 5th of September 1867 the 59th proceeded to the Straits Settlements and Ceylon, then on to Bombay in 1869. The regiment was in India when S.I.M. William Calvert was sent home for discharge.

It is remarkable that his medical records show none of the often found complaints of a Victorian period service men. These complaints would normally include such things as fevers, contusions, and venereal disease. He was not wounded during his service.

[1] This badge could also be worn on the lower right tunic sleeves by the Sergeants of the best shooting company in each regiment of infantry, troop of cavalry, company of Royal Engineers, and Battery of Artillery and the lower left tunic sleeve by the best shot of the regiment . It was possible for a man to wear more than one set of rifles.

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