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Colour Sergeant George Baller By Brian Horton
Colour Sergeant George Baller was born in Chewton Mendip; Somerset on the 21st January 1787, son of George and Mary Baller. He was baptised on the 5th November 1787. He grew up to become a saddler by trade. Together with his friend George Pardoe, also from Chewton Mendip, they enlisted for ‘limited service’ in the 95th Foot at Plymouth Dock, Devon on the 12th May 1809. Baller was then aged 22. He was attested on the 16th May. His attestation form describes him as being of “five feet 6½ inches high, of sallow complexion, green eyes and light brown hair.” He was given a bounty of eleven guineas. The regiment pay books state that he “enlisted on the 12th May, came round by sea,” where the main body of the regiment waited at Dover ready to embark into the transport ships anchored in the Downs, which they did on the 25th May.
Having landed in Lisbon, Portugal, the regiment then marched to meet up with the army under Sir Arthur Wellesley which they joined the day after the Battle of Talavera. During this march an incident took place with the French who were trying to attack the 95th’s encampment. The adjutant of the 95th, Lieutenant Stewart, was engaged in a fight with two French grenadiers, several of whom had managed to climb the hill to the encampment, at this critical moment Rifleman Baller came to the officer’s aid and shot one of his attackers, the other then surrendered.
On the 24th July 1810 when on piquet on the Plains of Almeida they were attacked by the advance guard of the army of General André Masséna. During this action Baller was wounded in the left hand and taken prisoner and subsequently escorted to Vittoria, where he managed to escape from prison and joined the guerrillas under the command of General Francisco Don Espoz y Mina. Three days after having joined the Spanish they engaged in a skirmish with a party of French troops escorting money and provisions. During this engagement he received a severe wound to his left leg from a Polish lancer. After some time he succeeded in getting to Valencia from where he sailed to Gibraltar and shortly thereafter embarked again for Portugal where he rejoined the regiment.
Baller was present during all the actions with the French on their retreat from Portugal. He was also present at the Battle of Fuentes de Onôro, the sieges and the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. In addition he was at the Battle of Salamanca and the surrender of Madrid. On the retreat of the British army into Portugal he was sent by Major General Sir John Vandeleur to take charge of the baggage and stores at Salamanca, where he was again taken prisoner by the French, but quickly escaped and rejoined the Regiment.
As a result of severe illness and suffering from rheumatism, through which he nearly lost the use of his limbs, he was invalided to England. However, at that time an expedition was being sent to Holland with the Prince of Orange. Baller volunteered his services to accompany the provisional Battalion of the 95th Regiment which was then being formed at Shorncliffe Barracks, Kent.
On the 2nd February 1814 an attack was made upon the entrenched village of Merxen near Antwerp. Baller was wounded in the chest by a bayonet and also received two musket wounds in the right arm; one through the wrist and the other above the elbow. He remained in the Netherlands until the army was formed there under His Grace the Duke of Wellington. When the army advanced on Quatre Bras on the 6th June 1815, he received a severe gunshot wound in the right shoulder.
On the 18th June at the Battle of Waterloo he received yet another severe wound in the right leg and was sent to Antwerp hospital where he remained for several weeks before travelling to Paris to rejoin the regiment.
Baller was discharged from the regiment at Bourlon, France, on the 25th May 1816. He had served with the regiment for a total of 7 years and one month with two extra years added for Waterloo. He returned to England with other invalids from the 95th Regiment together with many others that had survived the carnage of that battle. There was no hero’s welcome for them and many of the younger men landing at the English ports wasted their money at inns near the docks. Some of the older battle weary veterans made their way as best they could to families they had not seen for many years.
No recognition was given to these men other than the Waterloo Medal issued later to all ranks that took part in the Battle. Eventually in 1847, some 32 years after the Battle of Waterloo, the Military General Service Medal (1793 – 1814) was issued for the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic wars. Veterans could now apply for this medal and also the clasps for the campaigns in which they fought.
An order was issued by the army in 1816 that all ‘limited service’ men might extend their service if they thought they were fit enough to do so. Baller offered his services but was rejected by the surgeon in consequence of his wounds, which were accompanied by illnesses of every description.
He was recommended as a soldier worthy of a pension by Colonel Sir Andrew Barnard and passed the Board at Chelsea on the 21st June 1816 at nine pence per day (five shillings and three pence per week).
In 1819 when certain pensioners were called to appear before a Board, he again offered his services but was rejected on the grounds of ill health.
With a certificate from his surgeon Baller wrote:
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Sergeant Baller’s Record of Service Click to Enlarge
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Sergeant Baller’s Record of Service 2 Click to Enlarge
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Sergeant Baller’s Medals Military General Service Medal (Left) and the Waterloo Medal (Right) Click to Enlarge
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“Whilst labouring under my calamities, your petitioner wishes to make known that not having a friend in the world to assist him, and not able to befriend himself and being embarrassed with a wife and large family, he knew not in what manner to apply for it again until meeting with your honour, the petitioner begs to add the wounds and fatigues render him totally incapable to maintain himself and consequently leaves him in almost distressing and deplorable state. Your petitioner solely depends upon the universal interest of your honour, whose word alone will reinstate him upon the books of British pensions for the relief of distressed body and mind, and for which, as duty bound, your petitioner will ever pray.” |
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Baller had married Sophia Jeans at St Dunston’s Church Stepney in 1818. They were then living in Westminster. It appears they also spent some time in Great Billing, Northamptonshire where their daughter Sophia was born in 1827. They then returned to live in Tufton Street, Westminster, where Baller is shown in the census returns as a saddler and Chelsea Pensioner (his daughter Sophia as a ‘straw bonnet maker’). After a short illness George Baller died of chronic bronchitis in July 1868 aged 81.
Colour Sergeant George Baller was buried in a ‘common grave’ at Brompton Cemetery on the 14th July 1868, his service being read by the Reverend A Badger. His wife Sophia died in July 1869 aged 68 and is also buried in Brompton Cemetery in a ‘common grave’ not far from her husband.
Colour Sergeant George Baller’s medal entitlement was the Military General Service Medal with clasps for Fuentes de Onoro, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, and the Waterloo Medal.
Baller is almost certainly the ‘Corporal Ballard’ referred to in the memoirs of Rifleman Edward Costello of the 52nd as having been made up to Sergeant before the walls of Badajoz. A Sergeant Jackson, who had recently returned from hospital after an unexplained absence of two years, was taken to task by Major O’Hare who offered Jackson the choice of losing his stripes or appearing before a court martial for being absent without leave. Jackson took the former option! Turning around to the men, the Major remarked aloud, “By God, I will not have these brave fellows commanded by skulkers.” Then taking the sash and stripes that were cut off by the Sergeant Major, he handed them to Corporal Ballard, observing at the same time, “You will not disgrace them.” This anecdote fits perfectly with the date of Corporal Baller’s promotion to Sergeant, which took place some 2 years and 320 days after his enlistment. |
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Chelsea Pensioner (1805) Click to Enlarge
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Memorial Ceremony Click to View Gallery
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